The Effects of Specifications of Goods on Public Procurement Performance in Tanzania

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of specification of goods on the performance of public procurement. Specifically, two objectives of this study include; examining user involvement in preparation of specifications; and assessing how specification affect procurement performance. The study used case study design, and the methods used for data collection were questionnaire, interview guide and reviewing of relevant documents. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics for objective one; while objective two was analyzed by performing binary regression model. The study found that, only two variables (specification by technical standards and the user involvement) were determined to have significant contribution on the performance of public procurement. In other words, user involvement and specifying product by technical standards have been shown to contribute significantly towards acquisition of the right product, one of the main aspects of procurement performance. Furthermore, the study shows that right products are more likely acquired by procuring entities when end users of the product are initially involved when preparing specifications for the products. The study concludes that, involving users in preparing specification leads to enhanced procurement performance by thirty-one times higher than not involving the end user. Based on the findings, the study recommends that preparing clear and unambiguous specifications is of vital significance.