An investigation on the effect of public procurement process in achieving value for money: a case study of Marsabit County

Abstract

Public procurement has been utilized over time as an important tool for achieving economic, social and other developmental objectives. Despite enactment of law and regulation to guide public procurement, securing efficiency and value for money in public procurement has been a major hurdle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of public procurement process in achieving value for money, a case study of Marsabit County. The objective of this study was to establish to what extent, awareness of public procurement, procurement producers and governance and oversight influence value for money. The researcher used quantitative research approach. The study adopts descriptive survey design. The target population was 230 persons comprising members of Marsabit County Government staff, Constituency Development Fund (CDF) committee members; Members of Marsabit County Assembly (MCA) finance committee, and contractors and suppliers. Sampling ranging between 22% to 57% from within each category was selected using random stratified sampling generating a sample of 181 respondents. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. The data was analyzed using qualitative approach and descriptive analysis. Procurement process and governance oversight were most influential on value for money. The study also revealed the although awareness of procurement process was not as influential as the other two factors, it still influenced value for money procurement significantly. The study will benefit all public institutions in Marsabit County, suppliers, procurement entities, lender institutions and other bodies such as trade lobbies, public ethics agencies, county assemblies, legislative institutions and researchers to understand public consumption and interaction with regulatory laws and processes. The study recommends frequent training for procurement practitioners, strengthening of governance and oversight organs. Lastly the study recommends further research on compliance of procurement by all county government.