Electronic procurement in the South African construction sector: case study of government departments in the Gauteng Province

Laryea, Samuel and Ibem, Eziyi O. and Pagiwa, R. and Phoi, R. (2014) Electronic procurement in the South African construction sector: case study of government departments in the Gauteng Province. Proceedings of the DII-2014 Conference on Infrastructure Investments in Africa. ISSN 978-0-86970-782-1

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Abstract

Electronic procurement is a valuable means through which organisations can promote accountability, efficiency, transparency and value for money in the acquisition of goods, services, utilities and works. The adoption and use of electronic procurement in the South African construction industry is still in its early stages particularly in the public sector. The research aim was to ascertain construction procurement practices; and the extent of e-procurement use in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Qualitative data collected through interviews with seven respondents in two government departments was transcribed and then analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that the paper-based system is prone to manipulations, delays in approval, poor records keeping and wasted resources. A limited use of electronic systems in the procurement of works was observed, with the call for tenders and payment of contractors being the two main activities executed using electronic database and software respectively. No evidence of electronic tendering was found. The principal reasons for the limited use of electronic procurement systems were attributed to (1) lack of a definite government policy to implement e-procurement; (2) reliability of ICT infrastructure; (3) high costs of installing and operating e-procurement systems; and (4) perceived negative impact of e-procurement adoption on smaller firms and employment of people in the departments. Given the benefits and increasing use of e-procurement globally, these findings should be addressed to maximise the diffusion and adoption of e-procurement in government departments

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	construction procurement, e-procurement, government department, interview, South Africa
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics > School of Civil Engineering and the Environment
Depositing User:	Dr. Eziyi O. Ibem
Date Deposited:	31 Aug 2016 12:08
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2016 12:08
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/7032

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