Ethical procurement in Ghana's public sector: implementation challenges in the Bolgatanga Municipality

Abstract

This study assessed the extent of the implementation of procurement ethics among public entities in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana. A descriptive research design was applied. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 268 respondents composed of senior managers, heads of departments, section heads and procurement officers of the selected public entities across the region. The quantitative data was collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data was keyed into CSPro 7.4, transferred to version 28 of SPSS and analysed. A chi-square was applied to test the relationship among the elements of procurement ethics in selected public entities in the region. The study established that law enforcement and health sector public entities ranked highest in the implementation of ethical procurement practices whiles those in the educational sector ranked lowest. The study found a significant association between procurement ethical factors such as accountability and transparency, conformity to laws and ethical standards, conflict of interest, confidentiality and impartiality and fairness. No association was found for honesty and integrity, avoidance of appearance of impropriety, due diligence and professionalism as confirmed from their respective p-values.