Assessing the Challenges in Procurement Performance at the Decentralised Departments of Governance in Line with the Procurement Act 2003, (Act 663) of Ghana: The Case of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAS) in the Western Region of Ghan

Abstract

Section 91 (1) (2) (3) of Act 663 which stipulated that there should be a regular procurement audit to assess procurement performance, monitoring and evaluation necessitated the need for this study. This study sought to assess the performance of procurement practices of the MMDAs and to determine the extent to which the MMDAs followed the requirement of (PPA 2003, Act 663) in the planning, execution and monitoring of procurement operations. The study also sought to analyze the challenges the MMDAs encountered in performing procurement practices in the management of procurement operation in line with the procurement law. In order to achieve the overall goal of the study, the questionnaire was grouped under three major achievement categories, viz, transparency in procurement, causes of delays in procurement and nature of cost in procurement at the MMDAs. The aim of grouping the questionnaire are to firstly ensure that all possible areas of activities under the procurement function at the MMDAs are captured by the quality of questions under each category. The main research instrument used was the questionnaire. The research also made use of a census in the survey. The study revealed that competitive tendering and request for quotation were the mostly used method procurement methods in the operations of the MMDAs. The study again revealed that the period taken for contractors to receive their money after execution of work is long and therefore cause suppliers inability to deliver. The study further revealed that the entity encountered in its operations difficulty in obtaining funds and also numerous unbudgeted requirements which are often outside the procurement budgets are requested for purchases and this has the effect of throwing off the procurement plan for the year. Thus putting enormous pressure on government finances.It was recommendation that procurement entity should further collaborate with the public procurement Authority and the Zonal office in Takoradi, address the challenges and effective monitoring and evaluation of procurement activities in the entity as well as applying sanctions to interference from top management to improve its performance.The research covers the introduction of the research, the theoretical framework which comprises the views of authorities on the topic and on procurement issues, the methodology used, the research analysis, the findings, conclusions and summary together with the problems encountered during the gathering of data on the research as s well the problems encountered in the compilation of the research.

Keywords: Procurement entity, public procurement authority, the procurement law, procurement performance and procurement activities, procurement counsellor