Public procurement reforms and service delivery in the road sector in the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) - Uganda

Abstract

The study examined the extent to which public procurement reforms have influenced service delivery in the road sector in Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). Specifically, the study strived to establish the extent to which procurement institutional, procurement methods and human resource development reforms influenced service delivery in the road sector in KCCA. The study used a descriptive cross sectional design adopting both quantitative and qualitative approaches on an accessible population of 280 respondents consisting of KCCA head office officials, contracts committee, PDU, works departments, contractors and members of the public in the five divisions of Kampala. Data was collected using study questionnaires and interview guide. The study found high positive significant relationship between procurement institutional reforms and service delivery in the road sector in KCCA; it was the highest significant predicator of the variance in service delivery of the road sector of KCCA. Procurement methods had a high significant relationship with service delivery in the road sector in KCCA and were the third most significant predicator of the variance in service delivery in the road sector of KCCA. Procurement human resource development had a significant relationship with service delivery in the road sector in KCCA and was the second highest significant predictor. The study concluded that the roads service delivery in KCCA depends on the extent to which the authority has constituted its internal procurement institutional setup. The study also concluded that the inadequate use of open competitive methods and reliance on selective and direct procurement methods constrains road sector service delivery. It was concluded that service delivery in the road sector depends on the extent to which user departments’ personnel are trained in public procurement operations and efforts to employ professional staff in the PDU. The study recommends that the accounting officer of KCCA should constitute the contracts committee based on required competencies and empower the contracts committee and PDUs to fully perform their roles. The accounting officer should seek for waivers on use of restrictive and force account procurement methods from the PPDA Authority. The authority should consider conducting in house training by inviting officials from PPDA to contract training for its procurement staff, contracts committee members and user departments.