Procurement practices affecting procurement performance in the public agencies of Uganda: A case study of National Agricultural Research Organization

Abstract

The study examined the procurements practices affecting the procurement performance in the public agencies in Uganda, a case study of National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). The objectives were to examine the effect of procurement planning, resource allocation and contract management on the procurement performance in NARO. The study population was 215 where a sample size of 189 was selected and 159 responded (84.1% response rate). Data was collected using the interview guide, a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS to generate both descriptive statistics to describe and summarize the data and using inferential statistics to test the hypotheses. . Underpinned by any theories all of them are inconclusive and subject to criticism, the findings revealed that procurement planning has a positive significant relationship with procurement performance in public agencies Resource allocation has a positive significant relationship with procurement performance in public agencies and Contract management has a positive significant relationship with procurement performance in public agencies The study concluded that continued improvements in specifications and procurement work force shall be related to improvements in procurement performance, it was also concluded that continued improvements in funding and availability of equipment shall be related to improvements in procurement performance and that continued improvements in supplier appraisals and supplier development shall be related to improvements in procurement performance. The study recommended that management should ensure that procurement plan is always linked to budget and that funds allocated towards the procurement budget for the organization are sufficient and are also received in time. Lastly, it recommends that the PDU should also always conduct a vendor rating/appraisal at the end of each contract.