FACTORS AFFECTING PROCUREMENT PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN NAIROBI COUNTY
Anthony Nzau - Masters Student, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Dr. Agnes Njeru - Lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
All public institutions would like to be more efficient, more cost effective, more accountable and more responsive to the needs of its customers. Public service and in particular public universities play an indispensable role in the effective delivery of skilled workforce needed for the functioning of a state economy. Public universities have an important role in Kenya’s socio-economic development. The main objective of the study was to investigate the factors affecting procurement performance of public universities in Nairobi County. The specific objectives included; investigating whether procurement department of public universities plan for their procurement activities, whether the staff in the procurement department are competent and also if top level management supports the department in attaining its goals. In this study descriptive survey research design was used. The target population was the procurement staff working in the public universities in Kenya. The accessible population and the respondents were (166) employees working in the procurement department drawn from three of the four major public universities in Nairobi County namely; University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University and Technical University of Kenya. Stratified random sampling was used where the focus was on those employees working in the procurement department. Data collection instruments involved use of questionnaires. Data was analyzed using both descriptive statistics such as frequency tables and charts and inferential statistics such as regression analysis for which the researcher employed the use of SPSS (Ver.17). The study found that 94% of the respondents indicated that the departments prepared procurement plans for the activities outlined in the work plans. The study further found that 79% of the respondents indicated that the procurement staff in the ministry had inadequate skills in supply chain management. The study found that 76% of the respondents indicated that the ministry's management offered adequate professional support, training and educational facilities and opportunities to procurement department. The study recommends that the user departments need to submit their procurements plan to the procurement department in good time within the set time. Procurements need to be implemented by the procurement department according to the planned monetary values/estimated costs, the planned time of delivery/delivery schedules. The procurement staff in the university needs to have adequate professional qualifications in purchasing and supply/ supply chain management and be adequately trained and sensitized on the procurement procedures of the public procurement act and regulations. Adequate basic facilities and resources to perform their expected tasks need to be provided. Finally the study recommends the University’s, management to offer adequate professional support, training and educational facilities and opportunities to procurement department.
