Information and Communication Technologies for Effective Tendering Process in Public Procurement of Works: A Case of Tanroads and Tarura in Mbeya City and Mbeya District

Abstract

The study investigated on the adoption of the information and communication technologies for effective tendering process with TANROADs and TARURA procuring agents in Mbeya city and Mbeya district. This study was carried out following the claims over most of contracts awarded to the thought competent contractor but to realize later that the contract is not executed to performance. To uncover the reason behind this dilemma the study employed the quantitative research approach while the descriptive-survey design being applied. 90 respondents being the procuring agents (from TANROADs, TARURA) and contractors won and those other rejected were also involved. The 86 procuring agents from TANROADs and TARURA and contractors awarded tenders was obtained by using simple random sampling technique while the 4 bidders ever used to bid but happened to be rejected were purposively sampled. Questionnaires and documentary review were used to obtain data pertaining innovation and transformative powers of e-tendering. The collected data were processed and analysed descriptively and inferentially. The findings were as follows the information communication technologies (e-tendering systems) were not effectively applied by most of public procurement of works entities exemplified by TANROADs and TARURA. Moreover despite of reluctance in adopting the e-tendering systems, it was revealed that use and adoption of e-tendering systems create innovations over demonstrating pillars of good governance and value for money procurement in tendering process. It is from the innovations brought by e-tendering thus this study recommend that these technologies should be accepted and used by procuring entities to be obtained to a right and competent bidder to execute a contract to its performance.