ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Processing and weaving of different local materials on-loom for basketry products

The project sought to introduce new ideas into the basketry industry. Basketry has been practiced long ago in homes and schools in Ghana. It is used for many purposes in the Ghanaian environment such as storage of food items, measuring cereals and other food items, as shopping bags and for carrying items. There has not been much innovation in the basketry production in Ghana as basket makers use the traditional way of producing baskets. In schools, students studying basketry have not demonstrated innovation enough to bring new ideas into basketry production. This may be due to the fact that teachers do not have the knowledge and the skills to introduce students to new ideas in basketry production. The qualitative method of research was employed for the study under which the following methods and data collection instruments were adopted for the study: experimental research method, descriptive research method, research conducted at libraries and field, purposive sampling technique, interview and observation. The research discovered that it is possible to use the ordinary domestic loom to weave basketry structures from natural and man-made materials; that local materials that are flexible in nature found in the environment can be used for interesting basketry products; that there had not been much innovation in equipment or basketry products over the years. In order to enhance creativity and innovation in the basketry industry, the research recommends; that students should try other weave structures other than plain and twill weave such as satin and sateen using processed basketry materials on the man-powered loom; that on-loom basketry should be introduced in the school curriculum and to the occupational basket makers, so that teachers can encourage students to use flexible natural and man-made materials in their environment for basketry production. This in a way can help promote recycling of waste; that basket makers should try to use other materials such as polythene which is found everywhere in Ghana and other fibres which can be found in their localities for basketry; that basket makers should also make use of equipment or device like the loom to enhance productivity.

Source: KNUST
Procurement management as a strategic tool for achieving organizational goals: a case study of Ga East Municipal Assembly

The study examined how procurement management can function as a strategic tool towards achieving organizational goals with Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA) as the study area. The study also set out to examine the strategic procurement practices being employed by Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA) to achieve its organizational goals, investigate the effectiveness of the supplier base of GEMA which enables it to achieve its organizational goals, ascertain the adequacy of human capital being used by GEMA to drive its procurement functions towards meeting the organizational goal as well as identify the constraints to the procurement function of GEMA that militate against meeting organizational goals. In conducting the study, the researcher adopted the purposive sampling or judgmental technique to solicit the requisite information from the officials and management members of GEMA whose core functions entail executing various shades of procurement activities. The questionnaire technique was employed as the research instrument while Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) enabled the researcher to analyse data captured from the field. Findings of the study indicated that procurement management could facilitate the achievement of corporate objective when procurement practices ensure that value for money is always achieved in the organizations procurement activities. The study further noted that procurement could contribute to the attainment of competitive advantage when transaction costs associated with purchasing goods and services as well as their prices are conveniently reduced. Recommendations made called upon local government directorate to continuously build the capacity of procurement officials and suppliers on development of the National Procurement Law so as to shore up their competences and capacities for discharging their procurement responsibilities. This way, prudent procurement activities can be conducted so as to enable GEMA use its procurement function to achieve corporate objectives. The study concluded that procurement practices at GEMA are highly influenced by the National Procurement Law (NPL) in that the provisions of the law define the various elements in the supply chain management thereby keeping the organization on track toward achieving its procurement and other institutional objective.

Source: KNUST
Procurement of Essential Water Treatment Chemicals at the Ghana Water Company Limited

Effective procurement practices contribute to good Governance by increasing confidence in the fact that public funds are spent in the right direction to reduce wasteful activities. However, achieving such procurement requires empirical evidence to inform stakeholder’s action. This study aimed to examine the procurement of essential water treatment chemicals at Ghana Water Company Limited. A case study involving administration of questionnaires was conducted among workers of GWCL in Accra. The study used a purposive sampling to select 85 workers within the Procurements division. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics using SPSS software. Findings revealed that, procurement of water treatment chemicals adhere to various principles and procurement phases such that contracts were awarded on competitive bases. Findings showed administrative challenges such as delay in the approval process in procurement, shipping delays and congestion at the port, bureaucratic delays in testing. Results suggest that procurement management using the Public Procurement Act has a significant effect on the procurement of essential water chemicals. The study concludes that strengthening current practices will further improve procurement of chemicals for water treatment. Research on procurement within the context of GWCL still has inadequate comprehensive information and encourages future research to focus much on the subject.

Source: KNUST
Procurement of consultancy services in public financial institutions: a case study of financial institutions in the Greater Accra Region

Procurement of services is becoming an increasingly important issue, thanks to an emerging services industry context, the deregulation of public services sectors, and a general trend of increased outsourcing in both the private and the public sector. The purchase decision for professional services is often described as complex and fraught with difficulties. The aim of the study is to access the challenges in the procurement of consultancy services by public financial institutions. The objectives of the study among others included procedure for procuring and managing consultants and challenges of public financial institutions in the procurement of consultancy services. The main tools for the collection of data included questionnaires and interviews. The target population for the data collection included procurement officers and professionals with a construction background. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS V 20) using Mean Score Ranking was employed to analyze data obtained. The study revealed that selection and follow-up phase of procurement of consultancy service was widely practiced in the public sector. Thus, the survey identified several areas where practice could be developed to improve the procurement of consultancy services. The study also revealed that technical aspects of design, project execution/action plan and individual experience of key project personnel were the major challenges in the procurement of consultancy services. The study suggests that a more high-level management involvement is needed, recognizing the importance of the procurement function within the public sector and the need to develop new buying skills in procurement management, specification, competitive process, negotiation regulation and monitoring. The study provides unique insights on how consulting services are procured in the public financial institutions.

Source: KNUST
Procurement methods used by the Telecommunications Companies in Ghana.

Procurement methods are part of the policies and programmes directed toward achieving effective and efficient development of a company. As an instrument for guaranteeing a company’s development, when well planned and implemented, has the potency of contributing to the realization of improves resource mobilization. Thus the study sought to determine the traditional, design and construct and management procurement methods used by the telecommunication industry in Ghana. The study also determined the various procurement methods used by the telecommunication companies in Ghana. The study comprised of 20 procurement personnel from the five telecom companies using a census survey. A self-administered questionnaire was used for the collection of data used for the study. The data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation and one-way ANOVA. The study revealed that majority of telecommunication companies uses the traditional methods of procurement often, although others do not use design and construct and management procurement method not often. However there was a significant difference among the telecommunication companies with regards to how often they used traditional, design and construct and management procurement methods. It was therefore recommended that procurement trainings, workshops and seminars should be organised for the various procurement departments so as to sensitize them of the benefits that comes with different procurement methods.

Source: KNUST
Procurement planning on service delivery in the local assemblies in Ghana A case study of Ashaiman Municipal Assembly

Procurement planning is the practice of determining the procurement wants and the period of their acquisition and financing in an approach that the whole set-up is established in an effective and a well-organized manner. The procurement planning or schedule are usually provided and developed for conveying the steps in the procurement process up to contract award and self-actualization of all requirements established. Procurement planning encompasses the documentation and valuation of the requirements for obtaining value for money. Hence, errors in documentation and efficient assessment of procurement strategies will crown into varied repercussions in the association and this might discourage its advancement. The aim of the study was to investigate into procurement planning on service delivery in local assemblies: A case study in the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly. A questionnaire survey was conducted among various stakeholders in the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly who were purposively selected to elicit information pertaining to the study. The respondents were made up of Procurement Officers, Local Government Executives, Engineers, Service Workers and other participants in the assembly. The data collected was analysed using Descriptive Statistics and Analysis, Mean Score Ranking and Relative Importance Index (RII) method. The findings review that, various factors like corruption and mismanagement, Inadequate finance, Poor communication with customers etc. hinder the effectiveness of procurement practices in the assembly and there are more room for improvement in the procurement practices.

Source: KNUST
Procurement Planning Practices at Ghana Cocoa Board

Multiple arguments against corruption backed by arguments for increased efficiency in the procurement systems in Ghana led to the legislation of the Public Procurement Act 663 in 2003 which became fully operational in 2004. Its main objective was the harmonization of the public procurement in the public service to secure a judicious, economic and efficient use of state resources in public procurement and ensure that public procurement is carried out in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. This study set out purposely to outline the institutional structures that exist at the Ghana Cocoa Board and to identify challenges confronting procurement planning. The findings of the study revealed that, the institutional structures for procurement planning at Ghana Cocoa Board were quite good. The entity has two departments responsible for procurement. The Procurement department is responsible for the procurement of goods while the General Services department is responsible for procuring works and services. It came to light that Ghana Cocoa Board has a Tender Committee and each of these two procuring departments forms a Tender Evaluation Panel when the need arises for tender evaluations to be done. It was further revealed that the makeup of these committees is in order. Further analysis showed that the persons at the helm of procurement planning have the requisite education to handle their jobs and therefore an appreciable level of competence to accompany their levels of education is expected. Some factors that emerged in the study as challenges to effective procurement planning include inadequate procurement officers, little education and training on procurement planning, poor understanding of the Public Procurement Act on the parts of both procurement personnel as well as staff of other departments partly contributing to yet another challenge – lack of cooperation from user departments. Political interferences with the procurement processes, insufficient funds and delays in the release of these funds, poor performance by some contractors and suppliers and poor contract management added to the challenges facing the entity. The study recommends that management of the entity should ensure that the procuring departments fully abide by all the stipulations of the Public Procurement Act 2003, (Act 663) to make the entity fully compliant. In addition, training programs and refresher courses should be organized on regular basis not only for procurement staff but also for staff of other departments as well to increase their knowledge and understanding of procurement procedures and to enhance cooperation from user departments.

Source: KNUST
Procurement of innovative goods & services under the public procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663): the case of the procurement of biometric systems for the 2012 general elections in Ghana

The overarching objective of this study was to explore the provisions under the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) for the procurement of innovative goods, services and how the Electoral Commission used the provisions to purchase of the Biometric system for the 2012 General Elections as a case study. Innovative public procurement is when public entities act to procure nonexistent goods or services. The urgent demand for fairer, transparent and credible elections has seen the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in most electoral activities, a development that has considerably improved election administration in many countries. Biometric systems have become the main response to voter impersonation and multiple voting practices. This study used both the stratified and simple random sampling techniques to collect data from twenty-seven (27) key and relevant personnel at the Head Office of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Using the relative importance index the study found that the main objectives of introducing the BVR were to eliminate multiple registration and impersonation which affect the credibility of the register. The five most important challenges encountered during the procurement of the BVR were the lack of familiarity with procurement rules by procurers and other stakeholders resulting into poor compliance levels; ineffective engagement between procurers and suppliers; bureaucracy; insufficient expertise and complexity of substantive issues involved in public procurement of innovative goods, services and works. Based on the findings of this study especially with respect to the challenges of procuring innovative products, works and services, recommendations made included training of employees/procurers, improving upon the communication channel among procurement entity and suppliers; good record keeping, streamlining the procurement function at the EC and fair compensation and reward.

Source: KNUST
Procurement Practices And Public Service Delivery: A Study Of Mmdas In The Northern Regions, Ghana.

The main issues preventing Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from managing effectively is fake procurement. A CDD-Ghana study conducted in 2021 revealed that the majority of Ghanaians thought the MMDAs had performed "very or pretty badly" in terms of service delivery over the preceding five years. The main aim of the study is to examine the influence of procurement practices on public service delivery using MMDAs in the Savannah Region of Ghana as a case study. The study used explanatory research designs. The study specifically employs a quantitative research strategy; with which it will gather quantifiable data for the population sample's statistical analysis. Senior managers of MMDAs in Ghana's Savannah Region made up the study's population. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of respondents for the study because the population was big and potentially inaccessible. A total of 162 people were included in the study's sample. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential (regression) statistics. The results also show that sourcing, planning, and contract management, have a significant effect on Service Delivery. Therefore, this study concludes that the determinants of service delivery include sourcing, planning, and contract management. This means procurement practices like sourcing, planning, and management have an influence on service delivery among organisations like MMDAs. It is recommended that national procurement planning strategies or rules and regulations be reviewed and updated to include clauses that will allow flexibility for the inclusion of emerging trends in the procurement process. The report further recommends the establishment of a procurement planning.

Source: KNUST
Procurement risks management in the public sector of Ghana: a case study of public health agencies in the Greater Accra Region

Efficient public procurement practices contribute towards the sound management of public expenditures more generally. With the trend towards decentralization of government functions, it puts the decision-making on procurement in the hands of those responsible for delivery of services. Risk management is an activity which integrates recognition of risk, risk assessment, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources. The aim of the study was to identify risks associated with the various stages of the procurement process within public sector agencies and recommend ways of dealing with the identified risks. The objectives of the study among others included identifying risks associated with various stages of the procurement process, assessing the impacts of risks on the procurement process and proposing risk management strategies to be adopted by the public sector agencies. Public health sector agencies in the Greater Accra region were used as case study. The main tools for the collection of data included questionnaires whiles the target population for the data collection were procurement practitioners. Statistical package for social scientists (SPSS V 20) using mean score ranking was employed to analyze data obtained. The study identified thirty two (32) risks associated with various stages of the procurement process, twelve (12) impacts of these risks on the procurement process and sixteen (16) risk management strategies. The findings classified seven (7) of the identified risks as major; three (3) of the impacts of the risks as critical or significant; and all sixteen (16) risk management strategies as very important. The study concludes that an efficient procurement system requires strategic risk management at all stages of the procurement process. It recommends among others, training and professional development for procurement staff and effective monitoring of public procurement entities by the procurement regulatory authority.

Source: KNUST
Procurement practises affecting the implementation of projects by non-governmental organizations in Ghana

Donor organizations and development agencies view projects as important vehicles to achieving their stipulated objectives and targets. According to Antill (1974), a project is only successful if it comes on schedule, on budget, it achieves the deliverables originally set for it and it is accepted and used by the clients for whom the project was intended. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which procurement practices employed by nongovernmental Organizations (NGO’S) in Ghana affect project implementation, to identify challenges associated with the practices and explore strategies for effective implementation. The Upper East Region, Bongo district to be specific was chosen for this study. The purposive sampling technique and the quantitative research method that employed the questionnaire method of data collection with structured questions being used. The sample size were Forty-six procurement experts from twenty-three NGOs. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics with the aid of the SPSS, tables and graph. The study revealed that majority of the respondents perceive procurement planning, vendor selection, contract monitoring and control, as well as procurement negotiations as important factors for successful implementation of projects. This notwithstanding, there exists two sets of challenges on the way towards successful execution of the above four key procurement functions. First, some organizations lack documented policies on how to carry out procurement planning, vendor selection, contract monitoring and control, as well as procurement negotiations. Second, some vendors, despite having been prequalified based on merit, eventually demonstrate lack of capacity to adhere to the agreed upon delivery timelines and performance standards. The study recommends that NGOs establish a centralised system of procurement so that various branches come together to deliberate on the best method to use in vendor selection. It was also recommended that NGOs should plane ahead to ensure value for money and lastly this study recommends that NGOs should have a procurement policy and invest heavily in technology to help speed up their procurement process.

Source: KNUST