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This study focuses on procurement processes as one of the most critical issues facing the South African local government domain today. Our main argument in this paper is that effective and efficient procurement processes are stifled by corruption emanating from political patronage which continues to menace the public sector. The trickle-down effect of this is poor service rendering in local government and the disjuncture between the services rendered and the citizens’ priorities. The principal-agent theory was used as an analytical lens of the study. The study adopted a qualitative literature review to unearth the scourge of tenderpreneurship and explore its effects on service delivery in the Eastern Cape province. Findings revealed that, despite the enactment of relevant statutory instruments and institutional structures to enhance procurement practices within local government, politics-administration dichotomy continues to negatively affect the processes. Corruption in the procurement processes has manifested itself through bribery, fraud and kickbacks and these have proven to be counterproductive in terms of service delivery. Findings have also demonstrated that the rendering of services such as water and sanitation, infrastructure and electricity remain elusive in many local municipalities in the provinces owing to the poor quality of work provided by inexperienced contractors linked to the political elite. In this regard, the study recommends the strengthening of internal financial controls within municipalities and establishing clear work procedures and oversight mechanisms between the politicians and the street bureaucrats.

This paper aims to examine the effects of public sector procurement practices on public sector service delivery in Ghana’s technical universities, while also assessing the influence of institutional leadership and stakeholder pressure as mediating mechanisms within this relationship. In this paper, it is also aimed to evaluate how internal governance conditions shape the effectiveness of procurement reforms in higher education institutions. The study employed the positivist research paradigm, a quantitative research approach and an explanatory research design, using structural equation modelling (SEM) to validate the measurement model and test the structural relationships. Primary data were collected from 235 staff across selected technical universities through a simple random sampling technique using a structured questionnaire. The main findings demonstrate that: (i) procurement practices do not have a significant direct effect on service delivery, indicating that technical interventions alone are insufficient to drive performance improvements; (ii) institutional leadership exerts a strong and positive influence on service delivery, highlighting the importance of strategic direction, governance competence and managerial oversight in shaping public sector outcomes; and finally, (iii) stakeholder pressure substantially enhances service delivery and serves as a critical channel through which procurement practices exert their influence. The results further reveal that both institutional leadership and stakeholder pressure significantly mediate the relationship between procurement practices and service delivery, suggesting that procurement reforms achieve their intended outcomes only when supported by robust institutional environments. These findings provide practical insights for policymakers and higher education managers, emphasising the need for governance-focused interventions alongside procurement reforms to achieve sustainable improvements in service delivery within Ghana’s technical universities.

This study aims to assess the public sector procurement practices implemented in technical universities in Ghana and to examine their influence on public sector service delivery within these institutions. Guided by a positivist philosophy, the study employed a quantitative research approach and an explanatory research design to test the hypothesised relationship between procurement practices and service delivery outcomes. The study employed the positivist research paradigm, a quantitative research approach, an explanatory research design and structural equation modelling (SEM) to validate the measurement model and test the structural relationships. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 235 employees across management, procurement, finance, stores and audit departments in three technical universities, Takoradi, Cape Coast and Sunyani through the help of simple random sampling technique. Using SmartPLS and structural equation modelling, the study evaluated the reliability and validity of the measurement model, assessed model fit and estimated the structural relationships between variables. The main findings demonstrate that (i) public sector procurement practices are implemented at a moderate level across the technical universities, with higher performance in supplier evaluation, contract negotiation and payment processing, (ii) procurement practices did not significantly influence service delivery, despite a positive but statistically insignificant path coefficient, indicating that procurement alone may not be a strong driver of service delivery outcomes within the higher education context, and (iii) the factors affecting service delivery in technical universities may be broader and more complex, potentially involving governance structures, resource availability, institutional capacity and administrative efficiency. These results contribute new empirical evidence to the procurement literature by highlighting sector-specific dynamics in higher education and suggest the need for more integrated institutional reforms, enhanced procurement monitoring and further research exploring mediating and moderating variables that may influence service delivery performance in Ghana’s technical universities.

Amid growing calls for efficiency, transparency, and value creation in public sector supply chain management (SCM) performance, this paper aims to investigate the impact of technological modernisation on SCM practices within the context of South Africa's public service operations. Framed by modernisation theory which historically guided structural reforms in developing economies, the study examines whether readiness to adopt Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies such as modern digital systems, automation, and data-driven tools enhance effectiveness while influencing SCM practices and performance. Despite its growing prominence in policy discourse, the adoption of 4IR in the public sector context remains uneven and not yet formally established, creating a need for empirical evidence on whether these technologies deliver tangible performance improvements. The research adopts a quantitative research design with primary data were collected via a structured, self-administered online survey from 120 purposively selected SCM officials based in the Gauteng Province, the economic hub of South Africa and the province consisting of the largest concentration of government departments. A linear multiple regression and ANOVA techniques within SPSS was employed to test for statistical significance of the relationships between the research constructs. The findings show a significant relationship between technological modernisation and SCM performance, reinforcing the role of digitally modernising business systems and practices that lead to improved efficiency, transparency, and accountability. The study contributes to business research by providing empirical evidence that technological modernisation enhances service delivery outcomes and improves operational efficiency in the public sector.

This study investigates the impact of public procurement procedures on the efficacy of public projects within Zambia's Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development (MIHUD) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD).  Inefficient procurement methods, characterised by delays, cost overruns, and inferior project quality, have impeded the successful execution of public projects, especially in infrastructure and rural development.  The research is to evaluate the impact of Supplier Qualification Screening (SQS), Competitive Bidding (CB), and Supplier Evaluation (SE) on project performance.  A quantitative research methodology was utilised, employing a survey-based descriptive design to gather data from 120 procurement experts and project managers within the designated ministries.  Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to examine the correlations between procurement methods and project outcomes.  The results demonstrate that SQS and CB enhance project performance by facilitating timely delivery and cost effectiveness.  Nonetheless, SE exerted a detrimental impact, indicating that too rigorous evaluation processes may result in delays and impede project accomplishment.  Hypothesis testing validated these findings, corroborating the alternative hypotheses for SQS and CB, however SE demonstrated an inverse correlation with project outcomes.  The report advocates for the fortification of regulatory frameworks, the augmentation of capacity-building programs, the rectification of bureaucratic inefficiencies, and the encouragement of e-procurement platform usage to enhance procurement efficiency.  A review of supplier evaluation procedures is essential to avert needless delays in project execution.  The study's results have substantial implications for procurement reforms and efficiency enhancements in Zambia.  Improving openness, accountability, and stakeholder collaboration in procurement procedures can result in superior project outcomes, fostering national infrastructure development and socio-economic advancement, especially in rural regions.  Enhancing procurement policies and using digital solutions will be crucial in developing a more efficient and accountable public procurement system.