ASSESSING MITIGATING MEASURES TO BARRIERS TO STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Purpose: The absence of effective stakeholder engagement in sustainable procurement of public works has been attributed to several barriers identified in literature. This study aims to assess mitigating measures suitable for overcoming these barriers in order to strengthen efforts to improve adoption and implementation of sustainable procurement of public works.

Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a quantitative research approach to comprehensively identify, analyse, and propose solutions for overcoming these barriers. It involved an extensive literature review to identify barriers and mitigating measures which were used to develop a questionnaire distributed to registered procurement officers in Federal Ministries in Nigeria. Descriptive statistics was used to assess the barriers and mitigating measures, while regression analysis was used to determine mitigating measures suitable for overcoming each barrier.

Findings: The study found that the mitigating measures most suitable for overcoming the barriers to effective stakeholder engagement in sustainable procurement of public works to be; "establishing partnership and collaboration among stakeholders", "incorporating stakeholder feedback" and "providing incentives".

Practical implications: This study offers relevant data for policymakers as well as organisations to strategically establish mechanisms to address critical barriers to stakeholder engagement in the sustainable procurement of public works. It provides a basis for effective stakeholder feedback on procurement decisions and processes, ensuring transparency and inclusivity in the procurement of public works.

Originality/value: The study uncovered mitigating measures for the barriers hindering stakeholder engagement in the sustainable procurement of public works, thereby fostering the successful implementation of sustainable procurement practices in public works projects.