Towards a Transparent Public Procurement Management: The Case of Technical Universities in Ghana

Public procurement is a critical function of government, accounting for a significant
portion of national budgets and directly influencing service delivery and institutional
accountability. In Ghana, despite the implementation of reforms such as the Public
Procurement Act (Act 663, as amended) and the establishment of the Public
Procurement Authority, technical universities continue to face challenges in
achieving transparency and compliance in procurement practices. This study
investigates the extent of implementation of procurement management systems,
performance assessment mechanisms, and the moderating role of regulatory and
monitoring committees in ten technical universities across Ghana. Guided by the
theories of transparency, governance, and accountability, a descriptive quantitative
survey design was employed. Data were collected through structured questionnaires
administered to 109 personnel from procurement, finance, and internal audit units
across the institutions, yielding a 98% response rate. The findings revealed moderate
discrepancies between expected and implemented procurement practices,
particularly in areas such as monitoring, bid evaluation, contract management, and
audit compliance. Regression analysis demonstrated that the procurement
management system significantly influenced performance reviews, with
transparency serving as a critical mediating factor. The study concludes by
proposing a transparent procurement management model tailored for technical
universities, emphasizing system integration, capacity building, and active
regulatory oversight. These findings offer actionable insights for policymakers,
procurement practitioners, and academic leaders aiming to foster transparency,
accountability, and efficiency in public procurement within the higher education
sector in Ghana.