A framework for the implementation of an e-procurement system in local government: A case study of Harare City Council

Abstract

Public procurement remains one of the public administration functions often riddled with misgovernance and this has a detrimental effect on service delivery. This is true even though the 21st century has witnessed a significant growth of e-government tools which have the potential to revolutionise and transform governance. Egovernment tools like electronic procurement systems offer opportunities for improved procurement governance and efficient procurement outcomes, yet their implementation has remained slow, especially in the developing country context across all government levels. The implementation of an e-procurement system has also become a challenge at Harare City Council as the metropolitan continues to grapple with procurement misgovernance deriving from conventional methods of procurement. This is because e-procurement remains an underexplored initiative in the public sector, especially in developing countries. Evidence in the literature suggests that what contributes to this is the lack of knowledge on the key activities involved in e-procurement implementation since most organisations fail to interpret the initial adoption decision into implementation. The study utilised a qualitative research approach by adopting key informant interviews and document searches to aid an investigation of the implementation of an e-procurement system at Harare City Council. A sample of 30 participants was drawn to participate in key informant interviews and these included PRAZ, Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Harare City Council, and Combined Harare Residents Association officials. Document search was used to investigate the implementation experiences of centralised and decentralised e-procurement systems from nine (9) different countries. Thematic and content means of data analysis were used to draw inferences from the data collected. Due to the council's poor performance on the majority of the e-readiness indicators derived from the study, the study established low levels of e-procurement readiness at Harare City Council. The study concluded that low e-readiness levels derail the prospects of successful eprocurement implementation at the council. Additionally, the study established that certain unique characteristics of an organisation interact closely with critical eprocurement factors to influence e-procurement implementation outcomes. The study revealed that the challenges faced in implementing an e-procurement system at Harare City Council are closely tied to the implementation context and these included a lack of central government support, technology immaturity, and unreliable power supply among others. In consideration of the research findings, the study proposes a framework that serves as a guideline for the implementation of eprocurement in local government.