The Science of Public Procurement and Administration. International Public Procurement Conference

Robert Agwot Komakech

doi:10.22158/ape.v1n2p80

Abstract

This paper reviewed Benon C. Basheka book’s chapter on the Science of Public Procurement and Administration published by International Public Procurement Conference in 2013. The objective of the review was to expand on the origin of procurement, highlight the areas that make public procurement discipline to be an art or science and make recommendations for policy makers and researchers. The author found that public procurement is still at its infant stage with little known theory though it has a close relationship with public administration. Although public procurement has existed from the time man started trade, procurement was chaotic and disorganized since there was nothing unethical or illegal about receiving kickbacks from contractors. The author also found that, procurement had no regulations until 1792 when US Congress passed procurement legislation. The major procurement between 300 B.C-3000 B.C was construction of roads, bridges, railway networks and supplies of foodstuffs, army uniforms and fighting equipments. The study also reveals procurement as a blend of art and science because it is both a theoretical field and an area of practice. The theoretical field (art) is concerned with the teaching or academic study while the practice (science) deals with the day to day activities of procuring and disposing entities. The author, therefore recommends scholars to conduct empirical studies among procurement researchers, lecturers and practitioners in relation to the field procurement should belong to so as to have consensus on procurement field/discipline as it was done with procurement meaning. Finally, since there is no consensus between public and private procurement agenda; it means procurement is not a pure science but it is an art and science.

Highlights

Through the paper review, the researcher concludes that public procurement is an art and science because it’s both a theoretical field and an area of practice
Some scholars have pointed out that public procurement is integrative in nature; because it borrows from other disciplines like public administration and quantitative methods; this alone is not enough in enabling our understanding of public procurement since some approaches, values and assumptions in public administration/management are treated differently
These knowledge gaps open room for scholars to conduct empirical study among procurement researchers, lecturers and practitioners in relation to the field procurement should belong so as to have consensus as it was done with procurement meaning

Summary

Introduction

Flynn and Paul (2014) assert that procurement research is focused on organizational level aspects more than regulatory policy issues or public buyers with more studies emanating from the North American and European regions. This assertion holds because in Uganda and other African countries most of procurement authors are the people who had a hand in public procurement reforms capacity development and training in their respective countries or scholars from law, economics, business, engineering, defense and health (Flynn & Paul, 2014; Basheka, 2013). The main objectives of this study are to examine and explain the evolution of public procurement, analyzed literature on procurement field, draw conclusions and recommendations from the findings

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Conclusion