Effect of Public Procurement Reforms on Performance of Meru County Government

Abstract

Purpose: Through the rationalization of the procurement function, public procurement reforms were intended to increase the efficiency of government procurement at both the national and subnational levels. However, procurement at the county government level has performed poorly despite the adoption of procurement reforms whose major purpose is to instill a culture of accountability and transparency. The goal of this research was to see how public procurement reforms affect the performance of Meru County Government. The study looked into the impact of preference and reservations, technology adoption, contract management, and inventory management on county government performance in Kenya, with a particular focus on Meru County Government. A case study drove the study, which used an explanatory research design to help describe the phenomenon under research. The study's target population was 137 participants. The sample size was 101 (n=101), with representatives from procurement, finance, and economic planning, as well as Chief Officers. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research employs a systematic literature review along with co-citation analysis to systematically examine an assortment of articles regarding public procurement reforms from 2010 to 2024, with the aim of formulating a proposed conceptual framework for future a research agenda centered on performance o as a result of procurement reforms since enactment of the constitution 2010. Findings: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect that implementing public procurement reforms would have on the level of performance achieved by the Meru County Government. The purpose of the study was to determine whether or whether the performance of the Meru County Government was affected by factors such as preference and reservations, the adoption of technology, contract management, as well as inventory management. The performance of the Meru County Government was the primary focus of the investigation, and the primary objective of the study was to establish the effect that reforms to public procurement had had on that performance. The study concluded that preference and reservations had a significantly positive effect on Meru County Government performance. The study discovered a strong relationship between preference and reservations and performance, so it is reasonable to conclude that, as a public procurement reform, preference and reservations are supported by Meru County Government and have an impact on the county's performance. The research reached the conclusion that technology adoption had an impact on the performance of the Meru County Government. The correlation coefficient explains this, as it demonstrated that the actual effect was significant as well as positive. As a result, Meru County Government was able to improve its procurement performance thanks to the use of technology. Besides that, the research concluded that Electronic Government Procurement strategy, Integrated Financial Management Information System, and the publication of e-tenders and contract awards are all integral components of technology The research was restricted to a review of the literature, which suggested only preference and reservations, adoption of technology, contract management, inventory management, and the theories that endorse these four variables. As a consequence, empirical research that largely validates the entire set of public procurement reforms via the regulatory framework extends further than the scope of the original study four aspects. The research suggests that additional research be undertaken to determine the impact of other public procurement reforms on the performance of the Meru County Government. The study was conducted in Meru County Government. As a result, equivalent research needs to be conducted in the remaining 46 counties. These findings suggest that an equivalent study be conducted in a variety of public procuring agencies, such as state corporations, ministries, and state departments. Correspondingly, the study employed an exploratory-descriptive research design that was confined to detailed point-in-time descriptions. Regarding that, future studies can be conducted out utilizing a cross-sectional as well as a longitudinal design to ascertain the progression of public procurement reforms thru the legal framework over a lengthy amount of time.