Examining E-Government Procurement System Adoption by Procuring Entities in Zambia

Abstract

While various African countries, including Zambia, have embarked on the journey of implementing electronic procurement, the full potential of the E-Government Procurement System remains largely untapped, even after its introduction in July 2016. Most Procuring Entities continue to favor manual tendering methods, despite training efforts by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA). This study set out to examine the level of adoption of E-Government Procurement (E-GP) systems by Public Procuring Entities (PEs) in Zambia, identifying the factors affecting adoption of the system using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), managerial imperative and organizational imperative. The study also sought to identify how E-GP influence procurement performance. The study employed an exploratory and descriptive research design where 100 questionnaires were administered to purposively sampled Procuring Entities in Lusaka Province. The data collected was analyzed using tables, graphs and charts. The study revealed that E-GP adoption in Zambia remains low, with only 33.33% of PEs currently utilizing the system and the E-GP system in Zambia lacks essential E-procurement tools which hampers its full integration with other online platforms. The study further identified that lack of internal staff skills, technology challenges, resistance to change, and insufficient management support influence the use of the system. Further, the study revealed that E-GP enhances transparency, reduces corruption, and improves procurement efficiency. Therefore, the researcher recommends investing in developing Database Administrators, full integration of the system with other organization systems, ZPPA should completely stop giving deviations to PEs seeking deviation from the use of the system, employ effective Change Management and address technological challenges especially in rural areas.