scholarly journals Opportunities for Open Contracting in public sector procurement: a review of legislation

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawson Naidoo ◽  
Vinessa Naidoo ◽  
Marcus Ambe

The main purpose of the study was to establish the conformity of South African legislation and policies to the global principles of Open Contracting. The specific objective of the study was to establish whether South African legislation supports the application of Open Contracting in public sector procurement. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. Primary data was collected using questionnaires targeting members of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Chain (CIPS) employed in the South African public service. A total of 300 (100%) completed questionnaires were returned. Fifty-two (52) of the targeted 300 respondents were excluded from the study. They were found not to be “public procurement champions”. This would imply that a final total sample size of 248 was employed in this study, thus a realization of 82.7%. The study findings revealed that although government institutions have policy statements for Open Contracting, the principles are not fully implemented. The study recommends that the National Treasury put forward a single coherent, comprehensive and overarching procurement law to standardize and clarify the procurement process to be followed by procuring entities in South Africa. Particularly the study recommends the development of a policy framework for the implementation of Open Contracting in the South African public sector procurement system.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8692
Author(s):  
David Fourie ◽  
Cornel Malan

Public procurement fulfils an important role in the economy and public expenditure of a country and can be regarded as a critical indicator of the effectiveness of a government, because it is a central aspect of public service delivery. Notwithstanding various reforms made to date to public sector procurement in South Africa and the application of Supply Chain Management as a strategic policy strategic instrument, the South African public procurement system still faces several challenges and has been strongly criticised. This paper aims to understand the current public procurement environment in South Africa, its dilemmas and challenges, and to propose that public procurement be refocused towards a strategically placed business process, implemented by well-trained and competent procurement officials. The purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation as well as practical guidance regarding the role of public procurement in the South African public sector. The methodology involved an intensive literature study and document analysis to evaluate various official policy documents and official publications to determine the status of South African public procurement. The study found that the majority of challenges faced by public procurement in South Africa can probably be attributed to the implementation of the system, rather than to the system itself. In the shorter and longer term, the public procurement system in South Africa will have no choice but to emerge as a stronger, more resilient, streamlined and efficient provider of goods and services for the greater good of all.


Author(s):  
Intaher M. Ambe ◽  
Johanna A. Badenhorst-Weiss

This article reports on an exploration of challenges experienced in the field of procurement within the South African public sector. To institute procurement best practices, a supply chain management system was adopted in South Africa in 2003. The procurement process was granted constitutional status and has been used to address past inequitable policies and practices. It promotes aims which are, arguably, secondary to the primary aim of procurement. For the exploration, a conceptual analytical approach was employed and some of the key guiding pillars of public procurement in South Africa divulged. The challenges restraining effective and efficient implementation of public procurement are also revealed. The article concludes by recommending the development of competency through customised (separate) training materials and programmes, the involvement of stakeholders in the bidding process and the employment of good strategic sourcing practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindani Myeza ◽  
Naledi Nkhi ◽  
Warren Maroun

PurposeThe study aims to deepen the understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented, thereby contributing to transgressions in public procurement for South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs). A deeper understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented is especially important in South Africa, given the high social, economic and environmental risks to which national and major SOEs are exposed in the procurement process.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a qualitative design, based on detailed semi-structured interviews with 19 participants comprising management advisors, forensic investigators and auditors to explore why risk management principles are circumvented by South Africa SOEs.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that the tone that is set at political and executive level plays an important role in determining compliance with risk management principles by lower-level staff. Intense levels of political influence at SOEs are the main reason behind risk management systems being undermined.Originality/valueThe current study is one of the first explorations of why transgressions in public procurement continue to be evident despite risk management reforms being adopted by South Africa public sector. The research responds to the call for more studies on why reforms in South Africa public sector are not reducing transgression in public procurement. The study provides primary evidence on the importance of political and executive leadership in influencing the effectiveness of risk management reforms in the public sector.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (44) ◽  
pp. 11003-11014 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Ambe Intaher ◽  
A Badenhorst Weiss Johanna

2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 112 (Number 1/2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia L. Abrie ◽  

Abstract Botanists who are interested in education have often expressed their dismay at how plant sciences are neglected in Biology curricula, despite the important roles that plants play. While botanists in several overseas countries have studied the ways in which plant sciences are represented in curricula, no research has been done on how botany is neglected in the South African curriculum. Currently, the South African curriculum is known as the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for Grades R–12. In this study, a comparison was made among the content that is generally taught in introductory plant sciences courses, the American Society of Plant Biologists’ principles for plant biology education and the relevant CAPS documents. The time spent on plant, animal or human-focused content was established and compared at both phase and grade level. It was found that while the curriculum addresses all the major concepts in the plant sciences, very little time was being allocated to exclusively plant-focused content as compared to animal and human-focused content. This neglect was particularly prevalent in the Foundation Phase. The way in which the content is structured and presented in the curriculum may in all likelihood not be sufficient to provide a strong knowledge and skills foundation in the plant sciences, nor will it encourage the development of positive values towards plants. While consensus regarding the content of a curriculum will be difficult to achieve, awareness of potential gaps in the curriculum should be brought to the attention of the botanical and educational communities.


Author(s):  
Mary Andika ◽  
Mike Iravo ◽  
Noor Ismael

The purpose of study is to examine the influence of competitive tendering on the performance of devolved systems of governments in Kenya. A cross-sectional approach is adopted with primary data collected. The data yielded a response rate of 229 from 10 devolved systems of governments in Kenya, which were drawn mainly from supply chain and finance departments. The data collected was put through rigorous statistical analysis to test content validity as well as reliability. Further, a simple linear regression model was used to test relationships between competitive tendering and the performance of devolved systems of governments in Kenya. The finding proposes that successful execution of competitive tendering increases the performance of devolved systems of governments. The use of the competitive tendering method assists governments in attracting a huge pool of suppliers where they can choose their potential suppliers competitively and thus instil public confidence in the accountability of public resources. The study provides relevant knowledge in formulating a policy framework on efficient and effective management of the public procurement process in devolved systems of governments. Also, the study shows that if the competitive tendering method is properly embraced, it will increase the performance of devolved systems of governments. However, the study limited only to the competitive tendering method and yet it can only be applied in certain thresholds. Thus, a similar study can be conducted in the same sector but using other alternative procurement methods. The study provides a holistic approach in the application and use of the competitive tendering methods for improving the performance of devolved systems of governments. Also, the identified gaps provide future direction in research and encourage the adoption of the competitive tendering method as a way of promoting accountability of the use of public resources in the devolved systems of governments.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirmala Dorasamy ◽  
Soma Pillay

This purpose of this article is to explore impediments to effective whistleblowing as a strategy for promoting anti-corruption practices within the South African public sector. Corruption, which violates the public service code of conduct; deters foreign investment, increases the cost of public service delivery, undermines the fight against poverty and unnecessarily burdens the criminal justice system. The article addresses the question on whether legislation on whistleblowing is adequate to encourage whistleblowing in the public sector. A review of literature determines that the effective implementation of whistleblowing legislation is largely dependent on addressing the challenges identified in the article. The quantitative research method was employed in the study to ascertain the views of employees in the public sector on whistleblowing. Empirical findings confirm the hypothesis that the protection of whistleblowers through legislation is inadequate to encourage whistleblowing. The article provides a conceptual framework for the effective achievement of the intended outcomes of whistleblowing in the public sector.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Razeen Davids ◽  
Thabiet Jardine ◽  
Nicola Marais ◽  
Julian C. Jacobs ◽  
Sajith Sebastian

The seventh annual report of the South African Renal Registry summarises the 2018 data on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) for patients with kidney failure in South Africa. In December 2018, the number of patients who were being treated with chronic dialysis or transplantation stood at 10 730, a prevalence of 186 per million population (pmp). Most patients are treated with haemodialysis in the private healthcare sector, where the prevalence was 839 pmp. In the public sector, which serves 85% of the South African population, the prevalence of KRT (67 pmp) remained below the level reported for 1994. Limpopo and Mpumalanga remain the most under-served provinces and Blacks the most under-served population group. The Western Cape province had the highest public sector treatment rates by a large margin and was also where most of the country’s public sector kidney transplants were performed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-512
Author(s):  
Boris Urban ◽  
Mmapoulo Lindah Nkhumishe

Purpose Many unanswered questions remain regarding the authors’ understanding of how entrepreneurship can be fostered in the public sector. To fill this knowledge gap, the purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation to determine the relationship between different organisational factors and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the South African public sector. Design/methodology/approach Primary data are sourced from middle-level managers at municipalities in the three largest provinces across South Africa. Hypotheses are statistically tested using regression analyses. Findings Results reveal that the organisational antecedents of structure and culture explain a significant amount of variation in the EO dimensions of innovativeness, risk taking and proactiveness. Additionally, the findings on organisational rewards converge with an emerging stream of research which highlights that while rewards works well to motivate individuals in the private sector, they are negatively correlated with entrepreneurship in the public sector. Research limitations/implications The study implications relate to the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery of municipalities in South Africa. Due to increases in community protest actions, it is necessary not only to maximise efficiency in the provision of services, but also to innovate and be proactive in order to achieve more with less resources. Originality/value By investigating previously unrelated factors in the public sector, the authors create closer conceptual and empirical links between the role of organisational factors and each of the EO dimensions. Furthermore, the study takes place in a relatively under-researched entrepreneurship and public sector context.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document