DETERMINANTS OF PROCUREMENT PERFORMANCE IN THE KENYAN PUBLIC SECTOR: A CASE OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EAST AFRICAN AFFAIRS

Lucy Waturi Kimani

College of Human Resource and Development,

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

P. O. Box 62000, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya

Corresponding Author email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr. Allan Kihara

College of Human Resource and Development,

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

P. O. Box 62000, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya

CITATION: Kimani, L., W., & Kihara, A. (2017) Determinants Of Procurement Performance In The Kenyan Public Sector: A Case Of The State Department Of East African Affairs. International Journal of Human Resources and Procurement. Vol. 6 (5) pp 639 - 659

ABSTRACT

Government of Kenya has tried to improve and maintain procurement performance in the governmental organizations but there are still problems attributable to huge losses due to improper procurement. The purpose of the study was to assess the determinants of procurement performance in the State Department of East Africa Affairs. The study focused on the following specific objectives: to analyze the effects of staff competency, top management support, government regulations and organization’s structure influence procurement performance in the state department of East Africa Affairs. Descriptive survey was preferred because the research intended to avail useful information on the determinants of procurement performance. This study targeted Administration department, staffs in procurement department and finance department. Since the population is fairly small, the study undertook a census study. Therefore the study used all the 125 staffs. The study applied self-administered questionnaires. Primary data which was collected using questionnaires was coded and computed using SPSS package version 21 in which descriptive statistics and inferential statistics was calculated. The descriptive technique was used to generate frequencies and percentages while inferential statistics was used to generate the fitness of the model and regression of coefficients. The most significant factor on procurement performance was Staff competency and this is why organizations were valuing employee skills, experiences and deploying staff based on relevant skills. Top management support is the second significant factor on procurement performance and that the complexity in managing diverse top managers interest influenced performance and the organizations had developed strategies to minimize top management conflicts in procurement matters and the organizations are always in control of all costs related to issues arising from top management. Government offers guidelines to be followed during procurement and these procedures interfere with the organization‟s procurement procedures. The policies adopted by public procurement oversight authority have improved procurement performance in government organizations. Poor structure of organizations has affected decision making on procurement and lack of specific procurement committee in the organizations influences procurement process.

Key words: Staff competency, Top management support, Government regulations, Organization’s structure, Procurement performance

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