Influence Of Procurement Life Cycle On Housing Construction Project Perfomance: A Case Of Nakuru County

Abstract

Procurement is a prime activity that has influence on the operations of an organization as it is an activity that covers all the sectors in the organization. The purpose of the study was to obtain the best procurement strategy that could limit fraud and corruption in an effort to improve the performance of organizations in Nakuru County. The objectives that guided this study were: To examine the extent user specification influence project performance, to determine the extent tender process influence project performance, to assess the extent supplier evaluation influence project performance and to identify the influence of contract execution on project performance in Nakuru County. The study used the Resource Based View (RBV) Theory developed as a complement to the institutional organizations view which focuses on the structure conduct-performance paradigm; the institutional organization view put the determinants of institutional performance outside the institution, in its structure. The study adopted descriptive survey. Descriptive survey research design based on questionnaire and interviews was used because the study objectives were descriptive in nature and required taking care of multiple realities likely to be found in the field. The instruments of data collection were the questionnaires and interview schedules. The literature review was based on the themes of the study. The researcher’s supervisors helped to confirm the validity and the study employed both purposive and systematic random sampling to obtain respondents for the study. The study employed both purposive and systematic random sampling to obtain respondents for the study. Purposive sampling ensured that all the managers, all the county assembly committee members and all Ministries of works officials provided information concerning the subject of study. Systematic random sampling was used to select respondents. The sample size for the study was 222 County assembly procurement committee and officers from the ministry departments in Nakuru County. Cronbach’s alpha was used to establish reliability. Data from the responses was organized; coded and analyzed. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics, tables, frequencies simple mean scores and percentages. It was concluded that Quality assurance influences completion of construction projects. Non completion of projects affected the viability of the project such as budget could be exceeded, project will be sensitive to environmental and / or heritage issues and/ or environmental conditions and approval thus affecting the completion of the projects, be sensitive to the application of new technologies, though facility will be operating within the design specifications. It was recommended that the Government of Kenya put in place procurement policies that ensure that clients get satisfied with the way projects are implemented and that projects take the scheduled time to get completed since it was noted that there were many variations to the project contract leading to high cost of the project. It was also recommended that the Government should ensure that e-procurement is embraced in its ministries and public sector to ensure open and fair procurement process.