Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Procurement Methods Under Ghana’s Act: A Systematic Literature Review ()
1. Introduction
The use and sharing of public goods really depend on public procurements systems. When it comes to growing the economy or good governance, as well as better service delivery, it really matters a lot. Such trends are especially true for countries like Ghana. Ghana understood the significance, and it introduced its Public Procurement Act in 2003 (Act 663) and further amended the law in 2016 (Act 914) [1] to adjust its ways to the level set by international rules. By adopting this, the government wished to promote important ideas such as appreciating money, being fair in procurement, and being accountable to others (Public Procurement Authority) [2]. Nevertheless, the improvements that should have taken place in public procurement have not happened. A lot of findings and investigations evidence that they keep experiencing issues of irregularity and inefficiency. Problems like not following rules, poor handling of contracts, and a frequent use of single-sourcing were frequently brought up (Auditor-General of Ghana [3], IMANI Africa) [4].
Questions about the effectiveness of the procedures listed in the Act have been raised many times. Several are expressing doubts about the way government agencies handle oversight duties and apply various procurement processes. Not long ago, the Ghanaian government put the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) into use to make procurement management more efficient. It seems that the strategic project is promising by increasing transparency, reducing the risk of human mistakes, and improving the process of auditing in procurement management [5] [6]. Besides, the organization intends to introduce blockchain technology to remove parts of the process where corruption is possible, which may significantly raise the integrity level [7].
Even though Act 663 has been studied, these studies tend to skip analyzing the different procurement methods side by side. The main focus of the research is on evaluating procurement methods according to their cost, their timely delivery, and competition. Despite the fact that IMANI Africa often talks about procurement errors, there is not enough research looking into the different types of procurement methods defined in the amended Act 663. Since these studies are not all consistent and can be scattered, it is important to use an effective method known as a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). It unites different studies and helps design reusable methods for finding out missing knowledge and influencing policies and practices. When an SLR is used, selection bias is less likely to happen, the review is more open and straightforward, and the results are more balanced [8]. Hence, the study makes use of a standard method to evaluate the effectiveness of methods used for public procurement in Ghana. What follows in this review are four different sections. The next section gives an in-depth view of the literature and highlights areas such as methods of procurement in Ghana, legal framework of procurement in Ghana, technology integration, as well as the challenges of applying the ideas in real life. After that, an explanation is given on how the search was conducted, which studies are included or excluded, and the strategies for reviewing study quality.
2. Methodology
A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method was employed by this study to assess the Effectiveness of Public Procurement Methods under Ghana’s Public Procurement Act. The SLR encompasses practices in the public procurement, challenges facing its implementation and technology integration such as electronic procurement. PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines was used for this review. The study review was undertaken with in-depth literature search covering the period from 2012 to 2025. The period was used to cover the most related and recent research on public procurement restructuring and challenges. The covering period allows for using studies that captures the key legislative changes including Amendment to the Procurement Act and introduction of e-procurement system. Extending the search through 2025 captures recent development, including technological innovation and current reforms to understand the subject matter.
Various academic databases and sources were covered. These sources include Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Emerald Insight, ScienceDirect, Springer and African Journals Online (AJOL), official Ghanaian sources such as Public Procurement Authority publications, Ministry of Finance, and University digital writing repositories. Moreover, grey literature including government policy documents, legal text and reports from IMANI Center for Policy and Education and Integrity Initiatives were also added to ensure adequate coverage of the important materials. Specific keywords were used for the search to cover the thematic areas. These keys were used in the search purposefully to include literature which were relevant in the review area. The Boolean operators such as AND/OR were used. The strings used to search are (“GHANEPS” AND “e-procurement in Ghana” OR “Act 2016 Act 914” OR “Act 2003 (Act 663)” AND/OR Transparency OR “Accountability in Public Sector of Ghana” OR “Value for Money” OR “Governance in Ghanaian Public Sector”).
The eligibility criteria for inclusion and exclusion were applied. Studies which were relevant to address the Public Procurement Act 663 as amended, focused on implementation of procurement, adherence to laws, transparency and accountability or digital innovation like e-procurement or blockchain technology, and which were published between 2012 and 2025, were included. Exclusion includes studies which were not having any direct relevance to Ghanaian procurement or duplicates or of less quality. The results of the initial search were 57 records, of which 8 was initially removed due to duplicates. The remaining 49 records were further scrutinized for relevancy and focus. 10 of the remaining were removed for lack of focus or irrelevance. The remaining 39 records were evaluated against inclusion criteria, which include peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports and policy briefings. Figure 1 shows the screening and selection of reviewed studies.
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Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram of article screening and selection.
Research matrix was designed to capture critical elements of each study, including author, publication year, methodology, key findings, research objectives, conclusions and recommendations. For the purpose of evaluating the quality of method used, the study adopted appraisal tools such as Mixed Method Appraisal Tools, 2018 version. Only studies which were given a high-quality rating were included in the final synthesis to ensure robustness of the findings. Finally, thematic analysis approach was used to synthesize the data. The key findings were grouped into five key thematic areas: Public Procurement method effectiveness, implementation challenges, legal framework and technology integration. This laborious and organized approach provided a solid basis for producing evidence-based insights and informed policy recommendations meant to strengthen public procurement systems in Ghana.
3. Findings and Discussion
3.1. Public Procurement Methods in Ghana
Various reforms in Ghana’s public procurement have been made to make it more efficient, ensure proper value for funds, and guarantee accountability. Electronic procurement (e-procurement) is now being introduced as a main change. People have observed that this shift has cut down corruption and raised the efficiency in the way governments procure goods and services [6]. It is pointed out that by using e-procurement, governments can achieve greater responsibility and greater transparency, solving old problems in public procurement. Musah et al. [6] note that e-procurement becomes more important as it helps ensure transparency, holds people accountable, and gets the best results for the money spent. It shows that introducing electronic procurement to the Ghana Electronic Procurement System can give greater control to the government, eliminate many inconsistencies, and boost how regulations respond to changes. Adjorlolo et al. [7] think that applying blockchain technology in procurement is valuable since their study has shown that AHP, can help fight against common procurement irregularities. According to them, integrating blockchain technologies will make it easy to find cases of fraud and comply with the 2003 Public Procurement Act as it stands now. The World Bank [9] revealed that when organizations switch to electronic procurement, it directly contributes to fighting corruption, boosts their efficiency, and guarantees transparency in their procurement processes.
The fear that over dependance on single-sourcing gets rid of competition and causes problems with accountability is talked about by IMANI, Center for Policy and Education, making their concern known in 2024 [10]. They argued that it is necessary to amend Ghana’s procurement law in order to increase transparency and accountability for the awarding of high-value contracts. Quashie and Vukor-Quarshie [11] looked into the positive and negative sides of single-source procurement while admitting that it has certain justified reasons. According to them, creating stricter guidelines can discourage abuse and guarantee companies stick to the upgrade of the procurement act 663. Researchers such as Aidoo [12], Armah [13], and Chikwere et al. [14] have revealed that it is tough to put procurement laws into practice and follow them closely. While Aidoo [12] worked on a case study at Ejisu Government Hospital, Armah [13] examined the Trakwa-Nsueam Municipal Assembly, reporting about the same challenges, including problems with acquiring required equipment and competent personnel, as well as broken down procurement departments. It is shown in these studies that inefficiency in procurement causes some procurement issues. Chikwere et al. [14] reveal factors that increase the difficulty of implementing public procurement laws in Ghana, such as political pressure, employing unqualified personnel, poor monitoring, and not having enough understanding of the laws. The study pointed out that a lot of public officials have broken procurement laws, yet no legal action has taken place, so a tougher approach and fair oversight by the PPA are clearly needed.
The study conducted by Adusei and Awunyo-Vitor [15] reports that political intervention, wrong appointments, and inadequate monitoring play a big role in weakening the effectiveness of procurement law in Ghana’s public institutions. The rate of compliance is only slightly higher than 42% in schools, according to Addo [16] due to lacking officers in procurement and various other issues. According to Ameyaw et al. [17], some important challenges include the lack of capacity among procurement officers, less involvement with the Public Procurement Authority, stopping competition on purpose, and often breaking the main rules of the procurement laws. It was emphasized that capacity building should be improved to raise the amount of compliance. Ghana’s parliament made an update in 2025 to the Public Procurement Authority Bill, which now means all government-funded procurements must have written permission from the finance minister. The bill made sure that anyone doing business prior to authorization cannot be paid and that those who do not comply with this shall face legal action. This means that public institutions and businesses ensure they follow the rules and do not use too much money from the budget. Frempong et al. [18] mentions the gains made and encourages the use of electronic procurement in the amendment. All the studies recommend embracing technology, modifying the rules for obtaining goods and services, and enabling training of procurement staff to address the issues.
3.2. Legal and Institutional Framework
In Ghana, public procurement has changed a lot and demonstrates the country’s determination to achieve transparency, fairness, and proper accounting. After the initial law was passed as Public Procurement Act 663, the Act kept being revised, ending with the latest update through Act 914 of 2016 and the Parliament’s recent amendment in 2025. The Public Procurement Act 663, revised, details what all public officers must do during procurement and makes sure that the rules of each government level are all the same. Additionally, regulatory enforcement is made stronger by the Directives that come from the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, the Public Procurement Authority, and the Parliament. Ensuring that the Ministry of Finance approves every government procurement project in writing, the Parliament is making an effort to avoid overspending and secure stability of the economy. The establishment of the Public Procurement Authority under Public Procurement Act 663 is meant for ensuring the compliance of MMDAs and MDAs to rules, supporting capacity growth among procurement officials, setting long-term policies, and handling oversight of all procurement activity. On the other hand, some studies have explained that certain institutional problems have made it hard for the Authority to achieve its main goals. As revealed in the study by Adugu [19] at Ghana Ports and Harbours, red tape, weak thresholds, and constant delays are the leading factors that limit the effectiveness of public procurement. In the same way, Armah [13] and Aidoo [12] found that numerous obstacles exist that make it difficult to apply the public procurement procedures well in Ghana.
Effectiveness of public procurement is a level of goals attainment of the procurement processes and methods in the public sector including competitive tendering, restricted tendering, and sole sourcing. Such endeavors normally enhance value money, transparency, and accountability, accomplishment of efficiency in service delivery, stimulation of a healthy competition, and augmentation of legal and regulatory framework compliance. Only when certain requirements are met can a single-sourcing process be carried out based on Ghana’s procurement laws. Hence, IMANI Center for Policy and Education [10] says that implementing these practices has led to widespread misuse. The literature says that single-sourcing helps companies avoid a fair bidding process and leads to less transparency in their spending. They are requesting stricter guidelines that outline exact standards and greater restrictions for the flexible use of these processes, mainly for big contracts. Quashi and Vukor-Quarshie [11] looked at dual-source procurement in Ghana and discovered that having just one supplier can be permitted during emergencies or in cases where the need is very specific. They discussed that, as a result, such an approach can open up ways for unfair use of public money. Their findings suggest that the existing set of regulations be closely looked at, and some parts should remain adjustable when needed. The researchers in this case reviewed how the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly was applying the updated Ghana Procurement Act 663. They said although the laws suit both sides of the process, it is not always properly enforced. What their review indicates is that ICT allows for greater efficiency by preventing irregularities in procurement and making things more transparent through tools such as GHANEPS. Nevertheless, the lack of good network services, not all suppliers being prepared, and many system stoppages make it hard for the digital platform to operate efficiently. They state that the Public Procurement Authority should boost interest in digital tools among others, improve involvement of stakeholders, and provide regular courses to reduce knowledge gaps and improve law enforcement.
Modern technology has greatly affected the way companies obtain goods. Because of the Public Procurement Authority’s digital platform, everything to do with public procurement has become clearer and more efficient across the country. Even so, there are some difficulties that need to be dealt with, despite all these significant reforms and modern technology. It is necessary to focus on the concerns about data protection, digital signatures, and electronic submissions pointed out by Musah et al. [7]. The authors observed that blockchain is an excellent opportunity for reforming procurement activities. According to the study, if blockchain is part of Ghana’s laws, records would stay unchangeable, contracts would be automatically enforced, and transparency would grow. This can only be successful if the laws are updated and there are enough checks to address cyber-attacks, technology issues, and management problems.
In essence, the review stresses that Ghana should further update its regulations, since it has already put various measures in place to ensure transparency and keep a tight rein on finances in procurement. Among these changes, there are stricter rules for using certain kinds of procurement, better enforcement at all government levels, and boosting capacity at all ministries along with making room for new technologies such as blockchain. Transparency, efficiency, and value for money in purchasing by the government can mainly result from the benefits the law, institutions, and technology provide.
3.3. Technology Integration in Public Procurement in Ghana
As solution providers, we notice technology helping public procurement. This is because it makes things more transparent, accountable, efficient, and at the same time, aims to help save costs. How public procurement is managed in Ghana is now being updated by adopting new digital technologies. GHANEPS is one of many new platforms that has influenced the main transformation in the Ghanaian economy. This study is focused on checking how technology is used in Ghana’s procurement system, evaluates its impact, and reveals challenges that call for development of special policies and improvements. The platform was introduced so that contract monitoring and management could be carried out effectively. According to the Public Procurement Art [20], GHANEPS is created to oversee processes, so they’re more transparent and cut down on the involvement of people. Musah et al. [7] argue that thanks to the digital platform, goods can be bought more reliably and there is less room for corruption at the procurement phase.
In addition, the study pointed out that there are uneven levels of adoption in public institutions mainly because of difficulties with infrastructure, not enough training programs, and employees not being open to changes. The study presented by Adugu [19] asserts that replacing paper procedures with GHANEPS in public procurement is a big shift because it now provides immediate data. Instead of only focusing on technology, the shift will work well if the procurement and other institutions are willing to change. According to Frimpong et al. [18], understanding and developing digital skills is necessary to get this shift running well. According to the study, it is apparent that the workers at the municipal and district assemblies do not have the right skills to use GHANEPS and other online tools, which has reduced the good results for these programs. With proper education and help, hard-working persons can achieve more with the technology they have. One can only hope that they take time to boost their digital skills and introduce some beneficial changes to their areas.
Based on the earlier reviews, electronic procurement seems promising. The lack of integration between GHANEPS and GIFMIS causes a structural problem. As a result, the government finds it hard to watch how money is used, examine purchasing processes, and catch any problems in the procurement system. It is very important for making the public procurement process more transparent. It is argued in Quashie and Vukor-Quashie’s [11] work that governance matters more than access to technology when improving the effectiveness of technology. So, by adding legal clauses about e-procurement, electronic records, and electronic signatures in the amended public procurement Act 2016, there has been a noticeable progress. It says that if the environmental rules are not enforced, the inclusion of climate data has no importance. Based on earlier studies, electronic procurement is a promising option; still, the results depend on appropriate reforms. There is an issue because GHANEPS and GIFMIS are not well integrated. For this reason, it is not easy for the government to check the use of funds, analyze how buys are made, or notice issues in the procurement system. It plays a key role in making sure public procurement is more transparent. As mentioned by Quashie and Vukor-Quashie [11], improvement in technology is more affected by government actions than by having better technology. Thus, making sure legal aspects of e-procurement, electronic records, and electronic signatures are part of the public procurement Act 2016 has led to meaningful improvement. It means that the attention to climate change data becomes meaningless if environmental rules are not put in place.
The IMANI Center for Policy and Education [10] suggests the contrary to jumping in without thought, as it may leave inefficiencies when developing with digital technology. The Center suggests that making data governance and engaging the right stakeholders is very significant for maintaining sustainability and accountability. As recommended by the Center, the report emphasizes using open contracting and publication of data on procurement processes in real time and in types machines can read. The publication released by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in 2025 urges the government to look for the Ministry’s approval before conducting any procurements. This reform was created to ensure that budget deficits don’t increase because of unauthorized procurement contracts and the wastage of time in the auditing and approval processes. As a result, financial monitoring becomes better and institutions gain less independence. Aidoo [12] found that, in places where e-procurement has been fully carried out, procurement practices have improved, proving the problems that hindered technology in this area in Ghana. Also, Armah [13] points out that the use of digital technologies has been enhanced. The study points out that as a result of using these tools, supplier assessments are now more solid and contract management is stronger too. Introduction of technology has been the biggest factor changing Ghana’s public procurement. Although using blockchain in Ghana’s procurement is being recognized, it is important to keep evaluating, making flexible rules and engaging more parties to help sustain and enhance the developmental results of electronic procurement.
3.4. Implementation Challenges in Public Procurement in Ghana
Ghana has implemented different reforms in public procurement even so, implementation continues to be a tough task. The use of effective public procurement benefits from having strong human skills, limited political influence, few cases of corruption, advanced technology, better supervision, and strong enforcement [17] [10]. According to the study done by Frimpong et al. [18], the main problem blocking successful implementation of procurement law in Ghana concerns itself. It is found that the lack of capacity among procurement units is one of the biggest challenges. According to Armah [13], such shortcomings may cause the organization to break the law in procurement, have delays in delivery, and give contracts to incorrect persons. Quashie & Vukor-Quarshie [11], and the Ghana Integrity Initiative [21], claim that even though Ghana has strong procurement laws, their implementation is not effective since staff get very little training and there is too much favor for single-sourcing and contract splitting. In addition, the PPA that is meant to supervise procurement suffers from shortfalls in staff, money, and essential support. In most cases, this prevents them from closely watching all stages of the purchasing process [21].
IMANI [10] has found that political influence creates many problems in Ghana’s public procurement. It explains that in most instances, Government leaders’ involvement often alters the procurement process so that a few favored firms get hired rather than the most qualified ones being selected. According to Aidoo [12], corruption in the procurement process leads to higher costs and proof that people no longer rely on the procurement system. These authors point out that 70 percent or more of people working in procurement in Ghana think that corruption is common in the public sector. Among other problems, tenders are usually affected by collusion. According to Ghana Integrity Initiative [21], the lack of adequate protection for whistleblowers decreases the number of honest reports about misdeeds found in public procurement in Ghana. Armah pointed out that, most of the time, organizations sign procuring contracts before the necessary funds are secured. Researchers saw that such problems make procurement less effective and cause the government to become vulnerable to liabilities. Most procurement plans fail to have allocated budgets, so the purchased items are not organized.
It was found by Adugu [19] that public procurement is weakened by the lack of effective monitoring and evaluation. It was pointed out in the study that the Auditor-General notices inconsistencies in areas such as selecting tenders unfairly and failing to oversee contracts well. This was also noticed that there were no procurement performance indicators, so assessing the results of the procurement and including them in future decisions is hard. They mentioned that GHANEPS is not properly carried out and cannot ensure more transparent and efficient practices. World Bank [22] indicated that, the challenges of people not knowing how to use technology, inadequate internet, and lack of support prevent the full rollout of the systems, in addition, the lack of integration between GIFMIS makes it hard for the systems to work well as a whole. Critical attention should be given to management of change, especially, where the staff are accustomed with manual or legacy procurement system. The change management strategy should be adequate to reinforce new reforms [13]. The wors case is always experienced at the district level, especially, where oversight is minimal and the change seen as disruptive rather than beneficial [18]. The Ministry of Finance noted that procurement plans have been seen as formality instead of as strategic tool. Poor planning results in rushed procurement process and less instrumental. Likewise inadequate contract management capacity usually leads to poor monitoring, under-performance of contractors and budget overruns. Absence of closed monitoring unable to check whether results meet contract specifications and obligations.
World Bank [22] recognizes limited engagement of stakeholders in the procurement processes. The report stated that procurement data rarely made available at public domain, and means for citizen feedback are inadequate. This in effect has resulted improper accountability and ineffective public oversight, leading to procurement management being irresponsive to societal needs. In summary, public procurement implementation in Ghana is challenged by institutional, financial, political and technological factors. Though legal documentation is adequate, factors such as lack of adequate capacity building, limited enforcement, corruption, and lack of transparency weaken its effectiveness. These issues can be tackled through multi-facet process which involved capacity building of staff in the various government institutions, active participation of stakeholders, improved integration of technology and constant procurement laws enforcement. With public procurement accounting for a large portion of national expenditure budget, the need to avoid these challenges is very critical for Ghana’s development [21] [22].
3.5. Summary of Findings
The results of the SLR from the 39 peer-reviewed articles, policy reports and empirical studies that explored the challenges surrounding the execution of public procurement in Ghana. The studies included captured a number of methodological approaches, including qualitative case studies, quantitative surveys, mixed methods research and institutional analysis undertaken over the past two decades. This methodological and corrective diversity brought about a rich and multidimensional survey of the factors affecting procurement implementation, covering institutional, political, financial and technological and socio-cultural dynamics. The thematic synthesis of the literature discovered six main categories of challenges impacting procurement execution in Ghana. These included: incapacity of public institutions, less staff strengths, ineffective law enforcement and government measures, unwanted political intrusion and corruption, budget overruns, limitation on technology integration and limited stakeholder involvement. A key finding common among the literature is the persistent detach between Ghana’s well-developed legal and policy frameworks and their actual implementation. Several reports stressed that organisational dimness, such as lack of training of the procurement staff, weak internal controls and inadequate monitoring devices, had continued to impede the effective execution of works. elite capture and favouritism arose as a major issue as well.
Dishonesty, being absolute and unconcealed, as well as more treacherous and secreted dishonesty-misrepresents competition, decreases value for money, and its very existence within the system undermines trust in the procurement process. Challenges including financial limitations were also often mentioned. Ad hoc budgeting and no financial planning generally result in project delay and mismanagement of a project during the implementation of a project. In spite of the effort made to improve transparency through electronic procurement system, their usage has been the major sidelined. This is largely on account of infrastructure deficits, procurement officers with only some bit of digital literacy and resistance to change in public institutions. In addition, low levels of stakeholder participation, particularly at the level of civil society and local communities result in lack of accountability and lessen citizen ownership of procurement outcomes.
Although the general categorization of challenges was consistent across most of the work, their relative significance differed. For instance, some academics prioritized political interference as the most challenging problem, while others emphasized capacity needs or technological difficulties. This discrepancy may partially be explained by the variations in design of study, geographical focus and institutional context. These differences emphasize that challenges in procurement are context specific and dynamic and that there is a growing demand to mould, and design, local and adaptive responses. Theoretically, the review exposes the gaps in the application of integrated conceptual frameworks. Most studies took an ad-hoc look at the implementation challenges looking at either corruption, capacity or legal compliance, failing to link the institutional, political, economic and socio-technical scopes sufficiently. Most studies were cross-sectional by design, and many had self-reported survey data, which may suffer from potential bias, and precludes following changes over time or the effects of specific reforms from being investigated.
These gaps withing the methodological points to the need have of more robust, longitudinal, and multi-methodological work. Further research should also employ ethnographic research, institutional case studies and quasi-experimental designs to further elucidate the causal underpinnings of procurement practices. Research that examines the interaction of formal procurement rules and the informal processes that commonly exist underneath the surface, and often have a dominant impact on implementation and outcomes, is also important. The study implication all-embracing results. For policy makers and practitioners, the implication would be that interventions must be targeted at multi-level integration to confront the procurement challenges. This must be about building up institutional capacity to fight corruption, maintaining fiscal discipline, investing in a digital infrastructure and actually engaging and inclusive the broader constituency. Digital transformation such as electronic procurement needs to be supplemented with capacity and measure capable of addressing change management challenges. So it is absolutely crucial for any lasting reform to establish a politically enabling environment which shields procurement from undue influence. Recommended Reforms Now replace There is still a future need to investigate why and how successfully and how not, and under which conditions, reforms succeed in or fail, as the case may be. In addition, longitudinal and comparative studies at institutions levels and national, regional, and district wide studies will provide further inputs on sustainability and scaling up of reforms. This research has never been unencumbered but the research is an arduous and detailed synthesis. Though, limitations exist, the study brings out a robust podium for future study and development of policy.
The complexity of implementation challenges to procurement must be addressed with on-going evidence-informed responses. It is important to address the identified institutional, political, financial and technical gaps through coordinated research and policy response in order to improve efficiency in procurement, accountability and better contribution to national development targets of the sector. The results of the SLR from the 39 peer-reviewed articles, policy reports and empirical studies that explored the challenges surrounding the execution of public procurement in Ghana. The studies included captured a number of methodological approaches, including qualitative case studies, quantitative surveys, mixed methods research and institutional analysis undertaken over the past two decades. This methodological and corrective diversity brought about a rich and multidimensional survey of the factors affecting procurement implementation, covering institutional, political, financial and technological and socio-cultural dynamics. The thematic synthesis of the literature discovered six main categories of challenges impacting procurement execution in Ghana. These included: incapacity of public institutions, less staff strengths, ineffective law enforcement and government measures, unwanted political intrusion and corruption, budget overruns, limitation on technology integration and limited stakeholder involvement. A key finding common among the literature is the persistent detach between Ghana’s well-developed legal and policy frameworks and their actual implementation. Several reports stressed that organisational dimness, such as lack of training of the procurement staff, weak internal controls and inadequate monitoring devices, had continued to impede the effective execution of works. elite capture and favouritism arose as a major issue as well.
Dishonesty, being absolute and unconcealed, as well as more treacherous and secreted dishonesty - misrepresents competition, decreases value for money, and its very existence within the system undermines trust in the procurement process. Challenges including financial limitations were also often mentioned. Ad hoc budgeting and no financial planning generally result in project delay and mismanagement of a project during the implementation of a project. In spite of the effort made to improve transparency through electronic procurement system, their usage has been the major sidelined. This is largely on account of infrastructure deficits, procurement officers with only some bit of digital literacy and resistance to change in public institutions. In addition, low levels of stakeholder participation, particularly at the level of civil society and local communities result in lack of accountability and lessen citizen ownership of procurement outcomes.
Although the general categorization of challenges was consistent across most of the work, their relative significance differed. For instance, some academics prioritized political interference as the most challenging problem, while others emphasized capacity needs or technological difficulties. This discrepancy may partially be explained by the variations in design of study, geographical focus and institutional context. These differences emphasize that challenges in procurement are context specific and dynamic and that there is a growing demand to mould, and design, local and adaptive responses. Theoretically, the review exposes the gaps in the application of integrated conceptual frameworks. Most studies took an ad-hoc look at the implementation challenges looking at either corruption, capacity or legal compliance, failing to link the institutional, political, economic and socio-technical scopes sufficiently. Most studies were cross-sectional by design, and many had self-reported survey data, which may suffer from potential bias, and precludes following changes over time or the effects of specific reforms from being investigated.
These gaps withing the methodological points to the need have of more robust, longitudinal, and multi-methodological work. Further research should also employ ethnographic research, institutional case studies and quasi-experimental designs to further elucidate the causal underpinnings of procurement practices. Research that examines the interaction of formal procurement rules and the informal processes that commonly exist underneath the surface, and often have a dominant impact on implementation and outcomes, is also important. The study implication all-embracing results. For policy makers and practitioners, the implication would be that interventions must be targeted at multi-level integration to confront the procurement challenges. This must be about building up institutional capacity to fight corruption, maintaining fiscal discipline, investing in a digital infrastructure and actually engaging and inclusive the broader constituency. Digital transformation such as electronic procurement needs to be supplemented with capacity and measure capable of addressing change management challenges. So it is absolutely crucial for any lasting reform to establish a politically enabling environment which shields procurement from undue influence. Recommended Reforms Now replace There is still a future need to investigate why and how successfully and how not, and under which conditions, reforms succeed in or fail, as the case may be. In addition, longitudinal and comparative studies at institutions levels and national, regional, and district wide studies will provide further inputs on sustainability and scaling up of reforms. This research has never been unencumbered but the research is an arduous and detailed synthesis. Though, limitations exist, the study brings out a robust podium for future study and development of policy.
Conclusion The complexity of implementation challenges to procurement must be addressed with on-going evidence-informed responses. There is the need to address the identified institutional, political, financial and technical gaps through coordinated research and policy response in order to improve efficiency in procurement, accountability and better contribution to national development targets of the sector.
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
4.1. Conclusion
This research was intended to critically look at the literature relating to problems in public procurement in Ghana. Drawing on 39 peer-reviewed journal articles, policy papers and empirical studies that employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches in the last two decades, the review provides insights into the persisting structural and contextual challenges to procurement in Ghana. Research shows that despite progress in legal changes and the launch of digital systems like GHANEPS, the sector still faces big problems. These issues include weak institutions poor law enforcement political meddling widespread bribery, money shortages pushback against new tech, and low involvement from key groups. The political and economic setup, with elites in control and politics in procurement, makes it hard to achieve openness and fair sharing of resources. New tech like blockchain and online buying systems could make procurement more honest and quicker. But people aren’t using these tools much because of poor setup, lack of know-how, and unwillingness to change in organizations. The study reviewed the need to have theories or long-term research that points out how procurement practices and reforms change over time.
This review puts together ideas from different fields and topics into one analysis framework. It adds to the academic discussion helping us better grasp the many-sided procurement issues in Ghana. It also points out key areas where we lack knowledge offering a guide for future studies in theory and practice. To address eventually need bigger picture approach on many levels.
4.2. Recommendations
Drawing from the theme analysis here are some ideas for decision-makers, field workers, and academics to help create effective programs. There should be empowerment of institutional skills and professional practices through the use of merit-based hiring and keeping strategies to attract skilled workers at all government levels in local offices. Government should also create and fund special buying teams with strong internal checks, tracking tools, and ways to hold people responsible.
There is also a need to enhance legal and rule-based systems through update and sync buying laws to close rule gaps—those that let single-source buying happen—and to boost competition and fairness. Again, government should set up ways to enforce rules with clear step-by-step guides, punishments for breaking rules, and quick ways to solve arguments. Further, more power should be given to independent watchdog groups by granting them enough freedom and technical know-how to keep an eye on buying activities and look into any odd things.
Technological advancement and infrastructure development is key to improving procurement. Policy makers should roll out digital procurement platforms across all levels of government and make them inclusive and accessible. Blockchain and related technologies can also help with contract traceability, fraud detection and auditability, transparency. There is the need to invest in technological infrastructure and digital literacy to overcome the resistance and build confidence in the electronic procurement.
To reduce political interference and corruption there is the need to strengthen agencies responsible for combating corruption, and increase measures for transparency such as open contracting and publication of procurement data. The organisations playing the watchdog role over procurement governance should be supported and empowered. Enable the environment for civil society organisations and the media to play a watchdog role in the procurement governance.
The minister responsible for finance should ensure officers who violate the prior approval for procurement are adequately dealt with according to the letter of the law or directives. This will help ensure spendings align with budgetary allocations. There should be a multi-period procurement budgeting and expenditure control a practice to improve projections and ensure value for money. Public procurement should be factored into public financial management reforms to ensure better outcome. This is possible through boosting fiscal oversight on the procurement practices.
There should be strong stakeholder participation, especially from the local community, user agencies and suppliers from the initial request for contract to final contract allocation. Measures paving way for complaints and feedback should be in place to facilitate learning and responsiveness to issues raised by end-users.
There is the need for continued, multi-sectoral, and evidence-based reform that addresses the current public procurement challenges in Ghana. This therefore calls for initiatives that require a more technical solution. There is also the need for strong transformative government fully compliment by strong political commitment and technological advancement and civic promotion. Future policy and research should make use of adaptive and context-specific and interdisciplinary strategies promote transparency and accountability.
Due to the limited articles retrieved, grey literature was added. Although grey literature enriched the review with practical insights, its non-peer-reviewed nature may introduce credibility concerns and affect the generalizability of findings due to potential biases or lack of methodological transparency.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.