Public Procurement Principles and Effective Implementation Of Constituency Development Funded School Projects In Nyeri Town Constituency

Abstract

The study examined public procurement principles and project implementation effectiveness in Constituency Development Fund projects in Nyeri Town Constituency. The study was informed by Institutional theory, agency theory, stakeholder’s theory and legitimacy theory. This research used descriptive survey research design. The target population was 104 comprising of 90 project management committee members from both primary and secondary schools that have benefited from Constituency Development Fund, and fourteen (14) sub chiefs whose areas have benefited from these projects. Collection of data was done by use of questionnaires as well as interviews schedules. A pilot study was carried out in one secondary and one primary school that have benefited from Constituency Development Fund prior to the period under study. Cronbach Alpha coefficient with a value of 0.70 indicated that the instrument was reliable. Ninety (90) questionnaires were distributed and seventy nine (79) of those targeted responded to the questionnaire representing a response rate of 87.8%. Out of the fourteen (14) sub chiefs targeted, only eleven (11) were interviewed. The analysis of the collected data was done by use of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) to produce descriptive and inferential statistics. So as to test the extent of relationship amongst the variables a statistical confidence level of 95% was used. The study revealed that competitiveness, transparency, fairness and equity, and integrity and ethical issues had positive and significant effect on implementation of constituency development funded school projects. In addition, the study revealed that bids were open to all interested and eligible bidders, and advertisement was done to create awareness of available opportunities and deliberate effort was being made to ensure supplier diversity reservations were done to the disadvantaged groups (Youth, Women and People Living with Disability) enhances implementation effectiveness in Constituency Development Funded school projects. This research revealed that there was no policy to guide on transparency and accountability. The study recommended that there should be a policy in place to guide on transparency and accountability. In addition, the schools should ensure that more bidders bid to undertake CDF projects with a view to ensure that cost, quality and efficiency play a center stage. The study also recommends that in future a study be conducted on the effectiveness of the procurement management adopted by the schools across the Nyeri County. This will ensure that the procurement practices adopted by the schools are effective in managing the procurement processes in all schools of Nyeri County.