Public Procurement in Developing Countries: Objectives, Principles and Required Professional Skills

Over the last fifteen (15) years, developing countries have continued to reform their public procurement in an attempt to increase competition, transparency, accountability and value for money. However, the significance of these reforms is not fully appreciated and compliance appears to be inconsistent since the reforms are treated as guidance for optimal implementation rather than a requirement tied to the provision of funding. Therefore, this paper is based on the literature review and the author experience in public sector procurement. The paper is organized in the following manner; it begins with detailed description of public procurement then discusses the procurement objectives and principles. The author also shares very pertinent professional skills required from the procurement stakeholders so as to impact the procurement process. The author concludes that, achieving best procurement practice depends widely on leadership and competence of the procurement stakeholders in the organization. As a result, procurement officers should understand all the procurement objectives and principles since it all encompasses the concepts of efficiency and effective procurement, transparency, accountability, competitiveness, confidentiality, non-discrimination and fairness. Keywords: Public Procurement, Procurement Systems, Procurement Objectives, Principles and Professionalis

The Science of Public Procurement and Administration. International Public Procurement Conference

This paper reviewed Benon C. Basheka book’s chapter on the Science of Public Procurement and Administration published by International Public Procurement Conference in 2013. The objective of the review was to expand on the origin of procurement, highlight the areas that make public procurement discipline to be an art or science and make recommendations for policy makers and researchers. The author found that public procurement is still at its infant stage with little known theory though it has a close relationship with public administration. Although public procurement has existed from the time man started trade, procurement was chaotic and disorganized since there was nothing unethical or illegal about receiving kickbacks from contractors. The author also found that, procurement had no regulations until 1792 when US Congress passed procurement legislation. The major procurement between 300 B.C-3000 B.C was construction of roads, bridges, railway networks and supplies of foodstuffs, army uniforms and fighting equipments. The study also reveals procurement as a blend of art and science because it is both a theoretical field and an area of practice. The theoretical field (art) is concerned with the teaching or academic study while the practice (science) deals with the day to day activities of procuring and disposing entities. The author, therefore recommends scholars to conduct empirical studies among procurement researchers, lecturers and practitioners in relation to the field procurement should belong to so as to have consensus on procurement field/discipline as it was done with procurement meaning. Finally, since there is no consensus between public and private procurement agenda; it means procurement is not a pure science but it is an art and science

Accountability Mechanism and Academics’ Research Output: Lessons for Uganda Management Institute (UMI)

The paper examined institutional research practices that promote academics’ motivation to engage in writing and publication. The idea was prompted by enormous effort and financial support UMI has committed on various research and publication-related programs and activities, including; annual research cluster grants, conference funding, graduate supervision, and guest scholars that are periodically engaged to facilitate in the areas of; research, supervision, scholarly writing, publication, grant proposal writing, etc. Every year (save for the pandemic period), the institute disburses funds to academics that respond to research grant calls in a timely fashion. Similarly, there were newly graduate doctoral candidates, still with fresh and novel publishable research ideas. It was revealed that academics are recognized for graduate supervision to completion, instead of co-publication efforts. The paper concludes that the lack of “price-tags” for research uptake, and the current accounting system that focuses on the usage of funds, instead of the outcomes has continued to diminish academics motivation to publish. Similarly, the practice to settle for the “raw research reports” instead of publications as a way of accountability had affected academics’ desire to publish. Further, collegial cooperation had affected implementation of personnel decisions related to research. Lastly, the delayed performance feedback on individual publication statuses affected their publication acumen. The paper recommends that institutions need to devise accountability systems for funded research activities as a way of sustaining academics’ research passion and motivation. Similarly, the institution should use the detailed “quarterly performance output reports” to regularly update members on their research uptake situation, other than waiting for the expiry of the five-year employment contract

Understanding Policies, Projects, Initiatives & Strategies as a Valuable Source of Research Data in Educational Context

Policies, Projects, Initiatives, and Strategies (PPIS) are often developed and implemented in education to improve educational outcomes in the country and the globe. While these efforts are typically evaluated using various metrics, there is growing interest in using PPIS as a research data source to gain insights into their development and impact. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the use of PPIS. We begin by defining PPIS and describing the four components (Policies, Projects, Initiatives, and Strategies) while highlighting the significance of using PPIS data. We then review selected studies that have successfully used PPIS as a research data source, including examples from developed and developing countries. We also provide a thorough review of previous research studies that used PPIS data; practical guidance on how researchers can access and analyze PPIS data; the legal and ethical considerations and emerging trends that must be considered. Finally, utilizing PPIS data can inform decision-making and policy development in the field of education, which can promote positive change. Therefore, researchers need to consider utilizing PPIS data to gain insights into policy implementation and effectiveness, ultimately improving educational systems and outcomes. Keywords: Policies, Projects, Initiatives & Strategies (PPIS), Source of Research Data, Education Research DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-4-06 Publication date:March 31st 202