Public Procurement Policies and Implementation of Donor Funded Health Care Projects in Kenya: A Case of Nakuru County

Abstract

Donor funded projects play a significant role in provision of health care in Kenya which to a greater extent make health care affordable. In this context it is anticipated that the government support of such would lead to more efficiency in operations. However, by design or otherwise, various obstacles are experienced in effort to deliver the best service possible. This is not the case where some challenges are experienced in the process of execution. The study sought to assess the effect of public procurementpolicies on implementation of donor funded health care projects in Kenya: a case of Nakuru County. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the effect of procurement planning on implementation of donor funded health care projects in Nakuru County in Kenya; effect of supplier selection on implementation of donor funded health care projects in Nakuru County in Kenya; effect of contract monitoring on implementation of donor funded health care projects in Nakuru County in Kenya; effect of contract review on implementation of donor funded health care projects in Nakuru County in Kenya. The study was anchored on resource dependency theory, principal dependency theory, institutional theory and diffusion of innovations theory. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population was 54 procurement officers, 24 accountants, 15 coordinators, 32 project managers which gave a total of 125 respondents. Primary data was sourced from the respondents through the use of semi structured questionnaires. Semi structured questionnaires collected both quantitative data and qualitative data. A pilot study was conducted in Uasin Gishu County where 13 questionnaires were issued to procurement officers, accountants, coordinators and project managers in three health facilities that had project that is funded by non-governmental organization. The content validity was determined through thorough literature review and by consultation with the experts in the area of procurement. The reliability of the instruments was determined using Cronbach Alpha index. Item with reliability coefficients of at least 0.5 to 0.70 and above was accepted as reliable. Quantitative data was analyzed through various statistical tests and presented in form of tables and charts. Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 26 was used to aid the manipulation of data to ascertain accuracy. The study reveals that procurement planning has the greatest impact on the implementation of donor-funded healthcare projects in Nakuru County, contributing 0.596 units per every unit of improvement. Contract review follows closely, with a 0.323 unit contribution to project success. Contract monitoring accounts for 0.245 units of improvement, while supplier selection has the least effect, contributing 0.233 units. These findings emphasize that procurement planning and contract review are the most influential factors in successful project implementation, aligning with some previous studies while contradicting others. The study recommended that managers of donor funded projects should identify potential risks associated with procurement, such as supply chain disruptions or quality issues and develop contingency plans to mitigate them. Regarding supplier selection on implementation of these projects, the study recommended that managers should establish clear and well-defined criteria for supplier selection, including experience, quality standards, capacity, and financial stability.