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.