Achieving Public Participation through Risk Management for Sustainable Procurement Management in Devolved System of Governments in Kenya

Public participation is considered an important pillar in governance in Kenya as demonstrated by the way it has been severally enshrined in the constitution of Kenya 2010 as well as the County Governments Acts. Despite such policy and regulatory frameworks for public participation being in place, county governments in Kenya are still characterized by poor public participation in governance and government processes. Additionally, despite several studies demonstrating that information technology (IT) is a critical enabler of public participation, not much is known on how county governments in Kenya are harnessing the power of technology for public participation. This research attempts to understand how IT is being used for public participation, and the current challenges associated with its application in the promotion of public participation in county governments in Kenya. This paper, presents the initial findings from one of the counties. The study used interviews with both junior and senior county officials. Additionally, county documents as well as information from county websites and social media platforms were used. The study findings have revealed that the use of IT was gaining prominence in county engagements with the public, more specifically, the use of social media. However, it would appear that civic participation through these platforms was minimal. Additionally, the county strategic documents reveal that e-participation is yet to be appreciated as a strategic factor in increasing and enriching public participation in county governance. Several challenges were also identified and these are presented in this paper. It was thus hoped that these findings would enable an increasing understanding of the prevailing local circumstances which inhibit e-participation within county governments. The findings have practical implications on how county governments in Kenya (and possibly other developing countries) may better position themselves to exploit technology for improved public participation.

Implementing electronic procurement and reaping its benefits for organizations has been a top priority for the public sector. Examining electronic procurement and performance of procurement function of county government in Kenya was thus the main objective of this study. The population for this study was 47 units of devolved government in Kenya which were envisioned by new constitution of Kenya 2010. This research relied on the following specific objectives: To determine effect of electronic sourcing on performance of procurement function of county governments in Kenya. To establish effect of electronic tendering on performance of procurement function of county government in Kenya. To determine effect of electronic ordering on performance of procurement function of county government in Kenya. To establish effect of electronic payment on performance of procurement function of county government in Kenya. The study used descriptive research design to collect and interpret data on electronic procurement and performance of procurement function of county governments in Kenya. Forty-seven county governments’ comprised target population of this research. 250 county government employees that are directly or indirectly involved in the procurement process comprised the unit of observation of this research. The researcher used both stratified and simple random sampling technique to select 30% of the total unit of observation to come up with a sample size of 75 respondents. The research used both open and closed ended questionnaires in order to collect primary data. The study used descriptive and inferential analysis to analyse gathered data. Generally, a large number of respondents exhibited responses to indicate that electronic sourcing, electronic tendering, electronic ordering and electronic payment affect performance of procurement function of county governments in Kenya. However, the analysis also showed that a significant number of respondents had a contrary opinion too as well. All these variables had a positive and significant relationship with performance of procurement function of these devolved governments. An examination of the joint relationship by the study confirmed these findings and established that these four variables jointly accounted for 69.9% of the variability in performance of procurement function. The study recommended that county governments should scale down on traditional procurement practises if full benefits of adoption of electronic procurement is to be realized. Further, it was recommended that government and other stakeholders need to work together on incentives of electronic procurement to encourage on technology use on running day to day procurement activities.

Purpose: The success of implementation of strategic plans needs to be effective with institutional factors in county governments. County governments need to generate maximum output and commit towards achievement of goals. The purpose of the study is to establish the factors influencing implementation of strategic plans among western region county governments in Kenya. The study specifically sought to establish the influence of organization culture, organization structure, corporate leadership styles and resource allocation on implementation of strategic plans in western region county governments in Kenya. The study was anchored on Open-Systems Theory, Behavioural Theory, and Resource-Based Theory.
 Methodology: The study used descriptive research design. The study targeted County governments in the western region. 10 county governments were used whereby 6 were analyzed from Nyanza and 4 from western region counties. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was employed from 249 study subjects who were selected randomly. The study used primary data by semi structured questionnaires. After data collection, quantitative data was coded using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Data was analyzed through descriptive statistical methods such as means, standard deviation, frequencies and percentage. Inferential analysis which includes correlation analysis and regression analysis was computed to test the relationship between the explanatory variables and the explained variable. The findings were presented in tables and figures.
 Findings: The study concludes that organization culture has significant effect on strategic plan implementation among western region county governments in Kenya. In addition, the study concludes that organization structure has significant effect on strategic plan implementation among western region county governments in Kenya. Further, the study concludes that leadership styles have significant effect on strategic plan implementation among western region county governments in Kenya. The study also concludes that financial resources have significant effect on strategic plan implementation among western region county governments in Kenya.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study therefore recommends that the management of county governments in Kenya should adopt an organization culture which is conducive and enhances strategic plan implementation. Further, the management of county governments in Kenya should formulate and implement an effective framework for financial resource acquisition and allocation.

The study sought to identify factors affecting revenue growth among County Governments in Kenya using Kiambu County as the case study. County Government of Kiambu consistently failed to meet its revenue collection targets following the creation of devolved governments after the promulgation of the new Constitution of Kenya 2010. County Governments were expected to collect own-source revenues to supplement equitable, conditional and unconditional grants received from the National Government. Its specific objectives included to establish the effect of public participation on revenue growth, to establish the effect of technology on revenue growth, to establish the effect of enforcement of laws on revenue growth, and to establish the effect of increase of taxation on revenue growth. The research employed a descriptive survey research design. Primary data was collected using questionnaires, while secondary data was derived from published material regarding devolution and revenue collection by sub-national governments in Kenya and beyond. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel were used to analyse and process the primary data collected, and the information generated was presented in form of tables. All the factors affecting revenue growth (public participation, technology, enforcement of laws, and increase of taxation) were found to be significant using a multiple linear regression as shown by their positive beta coefficients of (ß=0.935) with P Value < 0.05 at .000, (ß=0.867) with P Value < 0.05 at .000, (ß=0.825) with P Value < 0.05 at .000, and (ß=0.725) with P Value < 0.05 at .000 respectively. These findings affirmed the importance of the factors under study and therefore County Governments should put due consideration for optimum revenue growth.

Public participation is important because it helps to close the gap between the public, private sector and the government. However, a successful devolution process in Kenya is hampered by a lack of/inadequate public participation in county governments. Communications gaps are one of the arguments made for this development. The main objective of the study was to develop a sentiment analysis model for use in public participation forums in County Governments in Kenya. The study was conducted through the design thinking process. The population of interest of this study comprised of county management and staff also area residents in Nakuru, Busia and Baringo counties who have participated in public participation forums before. The Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) approach was used to create the cloud NLP package and obtain user sentiment magnitudes for the sentiment analysis model. Following that, cross validation was utilized to assess the performance indicators during the design stage, and users took part in the model's assessment. The overall conclusion of validation is that the model performed as expected and recorded instrumental results in increasing effective public participation in county governments in Kenya and strengthen the devolution process. This study recommends that the model can be cascaded to all the counties in Kenya to improve the efficiency of public participation.

Devolved governments such as the county and regional governments around the world have a constitutional responsibility to find sustainable ways through which they can meet material, social, and economic responsibilities of improving the quality of the lives of their citizens by providing high-quality services and decent work for their employees. The 2014-2017 Kenya’s Council of Governors strategic plan postulated enactment of a knowledge management strategy where good practices and lessons learnt within any county government should be documented and disseminated in appropriate forums to other counties. However, the 2017-2022 strategic plan indicates that there is lack of a structured mechanism for systematic knowledge sharing and organizational learning among the county governments despite the council’s effort to share information through statutory annual reports, devolution conferences and quarterly sectoral committee meetings. But, the 2017-2022 strategic plan envisions a systematic mechanism for sharing experiences among the county governments. The intention of this study was to assess the current knowledge management practices among the county governments in Kenya; to identify, and articulate knowledge management concepts that are useful to the public services sector among devolved governments in developing countries; and to model these practices into a framework that can support continuous sharing of experiences, lessons and innovations within and among the county governments in Kenya. Theoretical frameworks and models of knowledge management in governance, governments and e-governments were considered and a conceptual framework for successful knowledge management initiatives among county and regional governments was formulated. The proposed conceptual framework was evaluated using a focus group discussion with participants drawn from the Council of Governors’ Maarifa Center employees. The study proposes a framework to facilitate effective sharing of experiences among county employees, between different county governments and to manage and enhance knowledge management initiatives among the devolved governments. The study results indicate some sporadic nascent knowledge management practices rather than well planned initiatives within the counties. The study provides recommendations for the Council of Governors and other policy makers on how to manage knowledge management initiatives, while suggestions for future research directions for researchers with similar interests are given.

This study sought to explore the relationship between the devolved governance aspect of administrative decentralization and service delivery in county governments in Kenya. The study also tested the moderating role of e-government on the relationship between administrative decentralization and service delivery in county governments in Kenya. The study used a sample size of 275 respondents, who are government officials drawn from 8 county governments in Kenya. The study used bivariate regression analysis and moderated multiple regression (MMR) to analyze the association between administrative decentralization, e-government, and service delivery variables. Based on the findings, a significant positive relationship between administrative decentralization and service delivery was established. However, the study found the moderating effect of e-government on the relationship between administrative decentralization and service delivery in county governments in Kenya to be insignificant. Finally, the study drew its conclusion and provided recommendations for future researchers.

Purpose: The study focuses on determining the influence of green supply chain practices on Performance of selected County Governments in Lake Nyanza Region. The specific objectives of the study were as indicated below;-to establish the influence of green procurement, sustainable logistics, waste disposal and eco design practices on Performance of selected County Governments in Kenya. Methodology: The unit of analysis was six Counties in Lake Nyanza Region. The study targeted 120 employees. The unit of observation was procurement, and supply chain specialist in the six Counties. The study employed the Israel (2010) formula to get a sample size of 92 respondents. The questionnaire was administered by dropping and picking. Findings: The analysis reveals that all four green supply chain practices positively influence the performance of County Governments. Specifically, sustainable logistics was found to have the most substantial impact, followed by eco design, green procurement, and waste disposal. These practices contribute to improved operational efficiency, cost reduction, environmental sustainability, and enhanced service delivery. The study concludes that the adoption of green supply chain practices is crucial for improving the overall performance of County Governments in Kenya. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This research provides valuable insights into how County Governments can enhance their performance by integrating sustainability into their supply chain practices, thereby contributing to more effective and responsible governance. Recommendations include the development of clear green procurement policies, investment in sustainable logistics systems, enhanced waste management frameworks, and the promotion of eco design in procurement planning. Furthermore, the study suggests areas for further research, such as exploring the barriers to implementing green practices and conducting longitudinal studies to assess their long-term impact.

Procurement is essential to every organization, serving as a platform for all stakeholders to come together and discuss their needs and goals related to purchasing. The study aimed to explore factors influencing the tendering processes of County Governments in Kenya, focusing specifically on Siaya County Government. The study was guided by three objectives, to examine supplier selection criteria on performance of county Governments in Kenya, to establish the influence of Ethical Practices in Tendering processes on performance of county Governments in Kenya, to investigate the influence of automation processes of Tendering processes on performance of county Governments in Kenya, and to establish moderating effect of government policy on Public procurement And Disposal Act on performance of County Governments in Kenya. The research utilized a Descriptive Research Design approach to gather pertinent information. The study involved Census Sampling in which all 74 participants from different management levels and ad hoc committee members within the department. Questionnaires were used as the main data collection instruments. Data was gathered through the distribution of questionnaires to the chosen participants by means of pick and drop. respondents of 66% were received and were completed accurately, demonstrating an adequate response rate. The statements of the problem mainly focused on major issues facing the tendering procedures and analyzes their influence on organizational performance. The study findings show that Supplier selection criteria Mean of 4.002 and standard Deviation of 0.1428 the highest score amongst the key performance indicators was quality with mean of 4.29 and standard deviation of 0.097 showing highly significant to supplier selection criteria. Ethical practices in Tendering Mean of 4.012 Standard deviation of 0.097, of highest score in key performance indicators was Integrity with mean of 4.468 and standard deviation of 0.097. its shows that highly significant to Ethical practices, Automation of Tendering mean of 4.093 standard deviation of 0.148 highest amongst the key performance indicators was E informing with mean 4.224 and standard deviation 0. 147 shows highly significant to Automation. Moderating variable Mean of 4.094 standard deviation of 0.136 highest score among st key performance indicators of quality 4.306 standard deviation of 0.114 shows highly significant to Moderating variable and all the variables were critical to the performance of County Governments in Kenya. The study recommends that there is need to enormously implement procurement policies which encourage tendering, in order to enhance performance

Purpose: The study was to determine the factors affecting procurement optimization in selected county governments in Kenya with an aim of making recommendations. The study sought to establish the effect of vendor management, risk management, information technology adoption and value for money effect on procurement optimization. To achieve this, the researcher reviewed both theoretical and empirical literature and proposed the research methodology that addressed the gaps identified in literature as well as answer the stipulated research questions. The study employed a descriptive research design.Methodology: The study targeted 136 respondents including the Chief Finance Officers in charge of Finance and Economic Planning, Heads of the Supply Chain Management Unit and Procurement staff at the departmental level. The researcher prefers this method because it allows an in-depth study of the subject. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The target population was the procurement staff at each county government. Pilot study was carried out to establish the validity and reliability of the research instruments. The instruments were designed appropriately according to the study objectives. The data collected were analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The study used multiple regression and correlation analysis to show the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. The data generated were keyed in and analyzed by use of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate information which was presented using charts, frequencies and percentages.Results: The study found that vendor managed inventory systems, material resource planning and bar coding of items were deduced to play a significant influence in cost reduction, in lead time reduction and in increasing customer satisfaction. The study concluded that information technology adoption greatest effect on procurement optimization in selected county governments in Kenya followed by vendor management then value for money while risk management had the least effect on the procurement optimization in selected county governments in Kenya in Kenya.Contribution to policy and practice: The study recommended for the county governments to ensure that there is use inventory management system and automated recording, cycle counting Inventory control; use of E.O.G and that it’s important for the county governments to Identify and deal with risks proactively.

Purpose: The study was to determine the factors affecting procurement optimization in selected county governments in Kenya with an aim of making recommendations. The study sought to establish the effect of vendor management, risk management, information technology adoption and value for money effect on procurement optimization. To achieve this, the researcher reviewed both theoretical and empirical literature and proposed the research methodology that addressed the gaps identified in literature as well as answer the stipulated research questions. The study employed a descriptive research design.Methodology: The study targeted 136 respondents including the Chief Finance Officers in charge of Finance and Economic Planning, Heads of the Supply Chain Management Unit and Procurement staff at the departmental level. The researcher prefers this method because it allows an in-depth study of the subject. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The target population was the procurement staff at each county government. Pilot study was carried out to establish the validity and reliability of the research instruments. The instruments were designed appropriately according to the study objectives. The data collected were analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The study used multiple regression and correlation analysis to show the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. The data generated were keyed in and analyzed by use of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate information which was presented using charts, frequencies and percentages.Results: The study found that vendor managed inventory systems, material resource planning and bar coding of items were deduced to play a significant influence in cost reduction, in lead time reduction and in increasing customer satisfaction. The study concluded that information technology adoption greatest effect on procurement optimization in selected county governments in Kenya followed by vendor management then value for money while risk management had the least effect on the procurement optimization in selected county governments in Kenya in Kenya.Contribution to policy and practice: The study recommended for the county governments to ensure that there is use inventory management system and automated recording, cycle counting Inventory control; use of E.O.G and that it’s important for the county governments to Identify and deal with risks proactively.

This study was a cross-sectional study that explored to establish the influence of procurement strategy on performance of County Governments. The guiding specific objectives were strategic sourcing strategy, risk management strategy, negotiation strategy and e-procurement strategy. The theories related to the study were strategic choice theory, principal-agency theory and institutional theory. Further, the study adopted a conceptual framework to show causal relationship between independent and dependent variable. Independent variables are strategic sourcing, procurement planning, contract management and e-procurement which were shown have a causal relationship with the performance of County Governments as the dependent variable. The study adopted descriptive research design. Simple random sampling was adopted to select research participants. A sample size of 85 staff from the county government was sampled randomly using the simple random sampling technique from the total population of staff. The study used both primary and secondary data. The main instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire administered by the researcher. Quantitative data collected was checked for completeness, analysed through statistical analysis for social sciences version 23. Findings of descriptive statistics was presented in form of frequency tables and percentages. A pilot test was conducted before the main study to determine potential weaknesses in the data collection tool through validity and reliability test. The inferential statistics include Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis. The study findings indicated that strategic sourcing strategy, risk management strategy, negotiation strategy and e-procurement strategy have a positive and significant association with the performance of County Governments in Kenya. This implies that public procurement strategy and performance change in the same direction. The study found out that the county government in Kenya have not embraced public procurement strategy for effective performance. Further, the recommendations for improving public procurement strategy include reviewing contracts, enhancing supplier relationship management, conducting pre-screening of suppliers, maintaining compliance with regulations, updating risk management strategies, emphasizing negotiation for fair prices, improving post-negotiation follow-up, and strengthening the integration and security of e-procurement systems. These measures aim to enhance performance, supplier partnerships, efficiency, compliance, risk management, and coordination in the procurement process.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of transformational leadership style on public participation in the county governments in Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted both descriptive and explanatory research designs. The study population comprised citizens who are registered voters in all the 47 counties in Kenya. A two stage sampling technique was used to select 8 counties and a sample of 400 respondents to participate in the study. A pilot test was conducted to detect and correct weaknesses in design and instrumentation. Of the 400 respondents, 296 completed the questionnaires properly giving a response rate of 74%. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test for internal reliability of the survey items used in the study. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations and regression analysis were used for data analysis.

This paper seeks to propose monitoring and evaluation method for the County governments in Kenya, which are regarded as a solution to balanced distribution of resources to the grassroots of the Kenyan populace. County governments in Kenya are a new phenomenon having been introduced by the current constitution that was promulgated in the year 2010. This is a need for county governments due to the fact that being a new phenomenon in the governance of the Kenyan resources, the counties need to put in place monitoring and evaluation guide to enable them manage the resources entrusted to them by the national government and the Kenyan people so that the local citizen “mwananchi” can be able to feel the impact on the ground. In February-March 2014, there have been debates in the Kenyan Media i.e. Nation media house, Standard media house, among others both print, audio and visual going on about the management of funds by county governors from various arms of governance i.e. parliament, senate and the general public. Counties having been in existence for only one year, it is time for them to have a method of monitoring and evaluation that will assist them to place the resources where they are needed for the common citizen “mwananchi” to feel the impact of development. The executive committee in the county whose members are the governor, deputy governor and members appointed by the governor and approved by the county assembly, are mandated with managing and coordination of the functions of the county administration and its departments and also to provide the county assembly reports on matters relating to the county. This paper seeks to propose monitoring and evaluation method county governments in Kenya can implement to help in fostering effective use of resources in development of their counties as part of their executives committee mandate of administration and coordination of county activities.

Devolution has been considered as a key pillar of the Constitution of Kenya since the concept seeks to bring governance closer to the people. In line with the Constitution of Kenya 2010 county governments are now at the centre of dispersing political power and economic resources to specific communities. The Principles that underpin devolution in Kenya are that County governments established under the Constitution shall have reliable sources of revenue to enable them govern and deliver services effectively. This study seeks to examine how the principles of entrepreneurship and the issue of market failures can be harnessed by county governments to improve the economic wellbeing in their respective communities. On one hand, environmental economists argue that market failures bring about environmental degradation while on the other hand available literature on entrepreneurship argues that business opportunities arise from market failures. Environmental entrepreneurship details how entrepreneurs seize opportunities that arise from environmentally relevant market failures in order to succeed. Entrepreneurship literature therefore analyses how environmentally relevant market failures may represent opportunities for the achievement of business profitability. This being the case, then businesses can use part of the profits earned for corporate social responsibility in order to reduce environmental degrading economic behaviours. When there are increases in the quality of life and economic growth, there will be substantial negative effects on the natural environment which will diminish the sustainability of most economic systems. This conceptual paper looks at the entrepreneurship as a concept that can be applied in the management of community resources in order to achieve sustainable development and improve the welfare of its citizens. The paper recommends that the administration of county governments in Kenya need to study the environmental failures in their areas of jurisdiction to institute studies on how these failures can be utilised as opportunities for the improvement of the economic wellbeing of the citizens. In order to do these, entrepreneurship concept will become very handy in the said studies.