CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY

Strategic Framework for sustainable procurement within the public sector: A Case Study

of the Public Service Commission

BY

STEWART MAKOTA

A Proposal Submitted To the School of Business Science and Management in Partial

Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Master of Science in Supply Chain
Management

DECEMBER 2023

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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction.................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the study..............................................................................................................1
1.2 Research Problem........................................................................................................................1
1.3 Main research question...............................................................................................................1
1.4 Research objectives.....................................................................................................................2
1.5 Hypothesis...................................................................................................................................2
1.6 Conceptual Framework................................................................................................................2
1.7 Assumptions................................................................................................................................3
1.8 Significance of the study..............................................................................................................3
1.9 Delimitations...............................................................................................................................4
1.10 Limitations.................................................................................................................................4
1.11 Definition of terms.....................................................................................................................4
1.12 Abbreviations.............................................................................................................................5
2.0 PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................................................5
2.1 Theoretical Framework................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Theories of Sustainability and the firm.....................................................................................5
2.1.2 The Stakeholder Theory............................................................................................................6
2.1.3 Corporate Sustainability Theory...............................................................................................7
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.........................................................................................................7
3.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................7
3.1 Research Design...........................................................................................................................7
3.2 Target Population........................................................................................................................7
3.3 Sampling Strategy........................................................................................................................8
3.3.1 Sample Determination..............................................................................................................8
3.3.2 Sample size...............................................................................................................................8
3.4 Sources of Data............................................................................................................................8
3.4.2Collection of Secondary data.....................................................................................................9
3.5 Research Instruments..................................................................................................................9
3.5.1 Questionnaire.....................................................................................................................9
3.6 Validation of the Instrument.....................................................................................................10
3.6.1 Pilot Study..............................................................................................................................10
3.7 Reliability...................................................................................................................................10
3.8 Validity.......................................................................................................................................10
3.9 Ethical Consideration.................................................................................................................11
3.10 Data Presentation and Analysis Procedure..............................................................................11

II
3.11 Gaps in Literature....................................................................................................................12
Work Plan........................................................................................................................................12
Budget.............................................................................................................................................12
References.......................................................................................................................................14

III
1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

Public procurement has been utilized as a social and economic policy tool for many decades,
long before the concept of Sustainable Public Procurement was developed. Application of the
Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Approach at the national or sub-national level should
be guided by national sustainable development priorities and international commitments,
such as policies and legislations related to climate change mitigation, circular economy, green
economy, economic development, and more generally policies geared towards the
achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This alignment gives purpose to
SPP, ensuring continuity of SPP implementation in the event of changes in government, and
simplifies and strengthens the message given to procurers, suppliers, and the market.

Given that SPP is today seen as a public procurement best practice, SPP activities can now be
found around the world, addressing issues ranging from waste minimisation and resource
efficiency to increasing diversity and providing support to micro, small and medium sized
enterprises (MSMEs). Throughout these Guidelines, there are examples of Sustainable Public
Procurement activities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. OECD
(2015) OECD Recommendations of the Council on Sustainable Procurement.

1.2 Research Problem

Globally there has been concerns raised by the United Nations on its forums about value for
money in government procurements, and environmental concerns that foresters the
improvement of the livelihood of the people and a system oriented mechanism that protects
the environment. Although there is an increase on the dissemination of information on a
wider geographical boundary .This information is being spread many states are still lagging
behind in the implementation of sustainable public procurement which is intended to increase
value for money, reduce waste, pollution and improve lives of people. Therefore, the
researcher seeks to enlighten various stakeholders on the ways to heighten awareness on
sustainable public procurement considerations in order to minimise disposal of goods with
adverse impact on the environment and promote implementation of a circular economic
system.

1.3 Main research question

i. How can sustainable procurement be utilised in public entities?
ii. What is sustainable public procurement?
iii. To what extent does sustainable procurement promote economic growth?
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iv. What measures must be taken to enforce compliance to sustainable procurement
policy within the public sector?

1.4 Research objectives

i. To establish a sustainable procurement strategic framework.

ii. To enlighten public entities on how to imbed sustainable procurement considerations
in procurement processes.
iii. To design and establish the modalities of utilising sustainable procurement measures.
iv. To increase awareness outreach programmes on benefits of sustainable procurement.

1.5 Hypothesis
The following research hypotheses were tested at 95% confidence interval:
H1: There is a relationship between economic growth and sustainable procurement.

H2: There is no relationship between economic growth and sustainable procurement.

H1: Sustainable procurement has a positive and significant effect as a strategic tool in the
mining sector.
H2: The level of supplier engagement in sustainable procurement has a positive and
significant effect as a strategic tool in the mining sector in Zimbabwe.
H3: Drivers of sustainable procurement have a positive and significant effect as a strategic
tool in the mining sector.
H4: The level of sustainability development has a positive and significant effect as a strategic
tool in mining sector.
1.6 Conceptual Framework
The components of a conceptual framework consist of the independent and the dependent
variables in which case the dependent variable is a function of the independent variable(s).
As stated by Grant and Osanloo (2019:4) “without a conceptual framework, the structure and
vision for the study is unclear, much like that a house cannot be constructed without a
blueprint.” By the same token, a research plan that contains a theoretical framework allows
the study to be strong and structured with an organised flow from one chapter to the next. A
conceptual framework provides evidence of academic standards and procedures. The
conceptual framework for this study has drivers of sustainable procurement, sustainable
procurement policy and strategy, the sustainable procurement process and the engagement of
suppliers as the independent variables upon which the performance of the mining entities
depend.

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 Sustainable Procurement
Process

H1
Engagement of Suppliers
in Sustainable H2 Sustainable
Procurement Procurement

Drivers for Sustainable

H3
Procurement

H4
Sustainable
Development

Source: Adapted from Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (2020)

1.7 Assumptions
The main assumption that will be taken into consideration when conducting this study will
be that participants will provide rapid responses within a reasonable time frame which will
enable the completion of the study as scheduled. Another assumption will be that truthful and
accurate information will be provided during data collection.

1.8 Significance of the study

This study will help public entities, universities, private sector and various stakeholders to
implement sustainable procurement measures such as recycling methodologies, reverse
logistics, green procurement, cold supply chain and lean production which aims to reduce
waste, increase value for money, reduce government expenditure and improve the livelihoods
of people.

1.8.1 The Researcher

The study will equip the researcher with knowledge on the benefits of sustainable public
procurement adoption and successful implementation through the application of learnt
theories, regional and international successes in this field. This will enable the researcher to
acquire a Master of Science degree in Supply Chain Management after the successful
completion of the research.

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1.8.2 Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT)

The study is expected to generate an important and helpful scholarly and intellectual property
source that will enrich the CUT University Library as literature for future review by other
scholars in the same field of study who may wish to carry out new studies or further their
studies in almost similar areas of study.

1.8.3 Public sector organisations

The public sector institutions in Zimbabwe, will use the findings of this study and
recommendations to craft a sustainable procurement framework. The findings of this study
will be expected to improve sustainable procurement in public institutions and the standard
of life of the employees of these companies. The value of the directors of public sector
companies will also be enhanced

1.9 Delimitations
The research will be conducted specifically on Harare at the Public Service Commission
Head Office. The study will include every level of employees of the organisation as the
population of the study.

1.10 Limitations
This study will not consider some aspects of organizational culture and interaction between
key customers and suppliers in the supply chain.

1.11 Definition of terms

The key terms to be frequently used in this study are as shown below.

1.11.1 Sustainable Procurement - a process that integrates environmental, governance,

and social factors of corporate responsibility into procurement processes and decision-
making, while ensuring they still meet the stakeholder requirements.

1.11.2 Public Procurement - the process by which the government buys goods and services
from the private sector. It is a process that is regulated by law and overseen by an
independent body.

1.11.3 Stakeholder - is a party that has an interest in a company and can either affect or be
affected by the business.

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1.12 Abbreviations

SP – Sustainable Procurement

GPP – Green Public Procurement

OECD – Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

SPP – Sustainable Public Procurement

GDP – Gross Domestic Product

SDG – Sustainable Development Goals

UNEP – United Nations on Environmental Protection

LCC – Life Cycle Cost

EU – European Union

2.0 PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW

The study will be guided by the following theoretical framework.

2.1 Theoretical Framework

A theoretical framework is one of the most essential aspects in the research process although
it is one of the most misunderstood concepts by researchers (Omusebe, Iravo, Ismail &
Wanjohi, 2019). A theoretical framework in a dissertation is the foundation from which all
knowledge is constructed (metaphorically and literary) for the study (Grant & Osanloo,
2019). The study is based on the basic theories of sustainability and the firm which are
discussed in this literature review section of the research report.

2.1.1 Theories of Sustainability and the firm

In recent times, theories have evolved on sustainability and firms (Chang, Zuo, Zhao, Zillante
& Gan, 2021). Four major theories have emerged and these together with other theories of the
firm are subject of discussion in the section of the research report. The identified
sustainability theories are the corporate social responsibility theory, the stakeholder theory,
corporate sustainability theory and Green Economics (Patari, Arminen, Tuppura and
Jantunen, 2019). While there are several theories that help to understand the concept of

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sustainable procurement, such as the natural resource base theory, the economic approach
theory, the stakeholder theory, corporate sustainability theory, corporate social responsibility
theory , green economics theory, innovations theory, the institutional theory and the
contingency management approach theory, the study is informed by the stakeholder theory,
the green economics, corporate sustainability and the corporate social responsibility theories
as these are more relevant to the objectives of the study. However, the other theories are
discussed to enhance the readers’ understanding of the role of sustainable procurement as a
strategic tool in the management of organisations especially in the mining sector.

2.1.2 The Stakeholder Theory

A stakeholder is any individual or group of individuals who have a direct interest in the
achievements and failures of the organisation’s objectives (Freeman, 2019). Yang, Lu, Haider
and Marlow (2021) posit that the organisation itself should be viewed as a grouping of
stakeholders while the purpose of the organisation should be the management of stakeholder
interests, needs as well as their view points. According to Freeman (2019) the stakeholder
theory is partly concerned with the influence of a wide range of actors in the organisation’s
environment on organisational performance. Contrary to the traditional input–output models
of organisation performance (Omusebe et al., 2019; Wanjohi, 2019), the stakeholder theory
emphasises the interactions between the different interest groups.

These groups include the organisation’s employees, members of the social community,
shareholders and other related organisations, in determining organisational performance.
Some of the stakeholders that Freeman (2019) and Yang et al. (2021) singled out include
customers, employees, local communities, suppliers and distributors, the media, the public in
general, business partners, future generations, academics, competitors, non-government
organisations and activists. Other players included in this category include stakeholder
representatives such as trade unions or trade associations (Wanjohi, 2019) of suppliers or
distributors and financiers, government, regulators and policymakers. Modern writers (Yang
et al., 2021; Freeman, 2019) have identified the natural environment as part of an
organisation’s stakeholders. This has been informed by the important role that the natural
environment plays in the success of business.

The majority of the raw materials are found in as naturally occurring substances; plants and
plant products (Omusebe et al., 2019; Abec, Cohen & Elgie, 2019) animal or animal
derivatives as well as minerals among others. According to Abec et al. (2019) the
environment also acts as the sink at the end of the pipe. It is, therefore, impossible to think of

6
the success and performance of mining companies without considering the effects of the
natural environment. According to Porter (1980) competitive advantage and subsequently
high performance can be achieved through controlling raw material sources. Thus in order to
safeguard this important rule in pollution and emission control through active and proactive
measures mining entities can improve their performance through supply chain partnerships
hence controlling their raw material sources.

2.1.3 Corporate Sustainability Theory

The concept of sustainability development in companies has gained prominence since the
time of release of the Brundtland report (Chang et al., 2021). This concept has found
increasing application in the context of corporate sustainability (Chang et al., 2021). Patari et
al. (2019) however note that there is no universal definition for corporate sustainability yet.
However one of the commonly accepted definitions of CS which resonates with this study
was proffered by the International Institution of Sustainable Development (IISD) (2017).

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction
The main objective of this study will be to design the framework for sustainable procurement
in public sector organisations. The specific objectives will be to enlighten public entities on
how to imbed sustainable procurement considerations in procurement processes; to design
and establish the modalities of utilising sustainable procurement measures and to increase
awareness outreach programmes on benefits of sustainable procurement. This section will
explain how data will be collected and analyzed. Further, the section focuses on the research
design that is used, target population, sampling procedure, data collection methods/tools, the
validity of the data and data presentation.

3.1 Research Design

A case study approach is used for purposes of establishing the framework for sustainable
procurement in public institutions in Zimbabwe The research design adopted a case study
approach since it makes possible an extensive examination of a single situation which in this
case is the extensive examination of the sustainable in Zimbabwean public institutions. The
results of the study will be used to interpret the same phenomenon in other public institutions
which will not have participated in the study.
3.2 Target Population
In this study, the population will comprise of employees of the Public Service Commission.
The population will include all employees at all levels at the Public Service Commission in

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Harare. The selection of this category of participants is informed b y their involvement in
sustainable procurement in their organisation (Creswell, 2019).

3.3 Sampling Strategy

The researcher will use simple random sampling in which participants were selected from
each all levels of employees in the organisation. Blumberg, Cooper and Schindler (2020)
define probability sampling as “a technique in which units of the sample are selected in such
a way as to enhance representativeness of the sample elements”. Accordingly, simple
random sampling implies that the probability of selecting a particular population element is
unknown although all elements have equal chances of being selected. Rowe (2015) and
Coldwell and Herbst (2016) contributed to this debate by describing simple random sampling
as the process of selecting a representative sample in such a manner as to make each member
of the population have an equal chance of being selected. Easterby, Smith and Thorpe (2016)
posit that simple random sampling is seen a unique technique in which each sample element
has a known and equal chance of being selected.

3.3.1 Sample Determination

The population in the study is known with certainty and hence the study will adopt Krejcie
and Morgan’s table for sample determination as the tool for sample determination. The
population will be made up of one hundred and fifty five (155) participants. According to
Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table, such a population has a sample size of one hundred and
eleven (111).The sample members were selected using a method where all the names of the
one hundred and fifty five (155) participants were placed in a small bucket. A participant
will then be drawn from the hat at successive intervals. A name will be withdrawn from the
hat without replacement until the required sample size of one hundred and eleven (111)
respondents is selected. Krejcie Morgan’s (1970) table was used as the population size was
known.

3.3.2 Sample size

The sample will consist of the employees of Harare based public institutions selected for the
purposes of conducting the study.

3.4 Sources of Data

Secondary and primary data will be used in this study. Primary data will be collected from
employees of Harare based public sector institutions through questionnaires that will be
distributed to the participants. Data from past sustainable procurement research and company

8
board and Ministry minutes will be collected and analysed. The primary data will be relating
to the behavior and responses of public procurement employees regarding their
understanding of sustainable procurement in public institutions in general.

3.4.1 Collection of Primary Data

Easterby-Smith and Thorpe (2020) describe primary data as the data that is collected for a
specific purpose in the current research. It is the original work of the researcher for purposes
of making an inference on the current study. Primary data is the first hand data that is directly
observed or collected for the current study.

3.4.2Collection of Secondary data

Blumberg, Cooper and Schindler (2020) define secondary data as the data that already exists
in a processed format, having been collected earlier on to solve other problems . Secondary
data can either be internal or external, from peer reviewed journals, reports, minutes of
management meetings and other archived records in the company’s libraries (Leedy and
Ormrod, 2020; Kothari, 2020).
3.5 Research Instruments
The study will utilise questionnaire as a tool for data collection. The tool is selected as the
main data collection tool having seriously considered the merits and demerits such a data
collection tool.

3.5.1 Questionnaire

The study will use a structured questionnaire as a data collection tool. This instrument was
physically distributed to participants. The aim will be to obtain data concerning employee
perceptions about sustainable procurement impact in public sector organisations in order to
make an inference. A questionnaire has the strengths that it is very flexible in its use and
application. However, a questionnaire’s response rate is influenced by the questions asked as
well as the educational backgrounds of the respondents. On the negative side of things, the
response rate for questionnaires is usually low. The self-administered questionnaires were
emailed to the participants. The completed questionnaires were given to a company
administrator in participating organisations for purposes of anonymity from which they are
collected for analysis. A questionnaire has the strengths that it is very flexible in its use and
application. The other advantages of questionnaires include; that the responses were gathered
in a standardized way, thus questionnaires are more objective, certainly more so than guided

9
and structured interviews. Generally, it is expected to be relatively quick to collect
information using a questionnaire. Potentially, information will be collected from a large
section of a group. This potential is often unrealized, as returns from questionnaires are
usually low. However, return rates could be dramatically improved if the questionnaires are
delivered and responded to in record time.

3.6 Validation of the Instrument

The validity of the instrument will be ensured through a pilot study which will be conducted
and participants’ opinions will be sought.

3.6.1 Pilot Study

Pre-testing of all the data collection instruments will be conducted to establish the suitability
of the questionnaire as a data collection instrument and its ability to collect representative
data. Copies of questionnaires will be distributed to participants in order to collect primary
data for data analysis. The participants that will be used for pre-testing of the questionnaire
had their names marked to ensure that they will not be included in the actual sample when
the research starts. Corrections will be effected after the pilot study to prepare the actual
questionnaire for the study.
3.7 Reliability
The reliability of the questionnaire as a data collection instrument will be ensured and
measured through a pilot test which will be conducted by collecting data from thirteen (13)
participants, six (6) from managerial employees and the other seven (7) will be non-
managerial employees. These participants will not be included in the actual sample during the
data collection process. Data collected from the pilot study will be analysed using a statistical
package known SPSS Version 22.0. Trustworthiness will be ensured by putting measures in
place to demonstrate that the findings will be emerging from the responses of the selected
participants and not the researcher’s own pre-dispositions. Pre-tested results from different
key informants will address this. Correlation matrix and reliability coefficients will be
computed. The reliability will be expected to range from 0 to 1, with higher coefficients
indicating higher levels of reliability. Reliability closer to 1.0 would imply that reliability is
high.

3.8 Validity
The validity in this study will be tested through conducting a focus group discussion with a
sample of employees, who reached a consensus on the representativeness of the data
regarding what the data is supposed to represent.

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3.9 Ethical Consideration
The general ethical issues that will be considered in carrying out this research include the
following issues.

Privacy of the participants will be achieved since no participant will be required to identify
themselves on the questionnaire hence the responses remain anonymous thereby ensuring that
the respondent’s confidentiality is maintained;
The voluntary nature of the participation will be communicated to actual and potential
participants including their right to withdraw partially or completely from the research
process - participants will be requested to volunteer information without any pressure being
exerted on them to provide information;
Consent and possible deception from participants-the researcher will request participants to
be as honest as possible when providing data;
Maintenance of the confidentiality of data provided by individuals or identifiable participants
and their anonymity - this will be guaranteed by the researcher to the respondents at the time
of distributing the questionnaires. They will be given an assurance that their responses will
not be used without their permission;
Reactions of participants to the way in which the researcher seek to collect data, including
embarrassment, stress, discomfort, pain and harm - No force or intimidation will be used
during the data collection process; and
Behavior and objectivity of the researcher - The researcher will remain calm throughout the
data collection process without demanding responses.
It is imperative that research participants are informed about the nature of the study to be
conducted and then they were made to choose whether they wanted to participate or not. In
conducting this study, permission will be sought from the Human Resources Directors of
participating companies. Acknowledgements were made where other people’s works are
made reference to and this is done to avoid charges of plagiarism. Participants’ right to
privacy will be guaranteed to all those who participate in the research, including companies’
right to confidentiality. The data presented in this research study is free from forgery,
falsification and manipulation.

3.10 Data Presentation and Analysis Procedure

The researcher used SPSS version 22.0 for the analysis of data. Graphs, tables and pie charts
are used for data presentation.

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3.11 Gaps in Literature
Gap analysis in research involves the examination of the current state of the sustainable
public procurement against the targeted performance in Zimbabwean public institutions.
Therefore the study intends to establish the practical side of sustainable public procurement.
The reason for this is that sustainable public procurement has been extensively studied
through various theories although there is limited literature regarding the use of sustainable
public procurement or as a tool for achieving sustainable competitive advantage or measuring
organisational performance. The study there seeks close the gap between the theoretical
perspective and the practical perspective of sustainable public procurement.

Work Plan

Activity Time
Project proposal and submission 24.08.2023
First Chapter submission-Initial draft 02.09.2023
First Chapter – Final draft 21.09.2023
Second Chapter –Initial submission 03.10.2023
Second Chapter- Final draft 10.10.2023
Third Chapter-Initial draft 13.10.2023
Third Chapter-final submission 15.10.2023
Fourth Chapter- Initial submission 15.11.2023
Fourth Chapter- Final draft 21.11.2023
Fifth Chapter- Final draft 28.11.2023
Final bound document 30.11.2023

Budget

Activity Cost (RTGS$)

Project proposal and submission 40 000,00
Stationery 100 000,00
Internet browsing 900 000,00
Questionnaires distribution and collection 900 000,00
Interviews preparation 900 00,00

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Telephone calls for interview confirmation 600 00,00
Travelling 1 250 750,00
Total cost 4 690 750,00

References

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Abec, S., Cohen, M., & Elgie, S. (2019). The Porter Hypothesis at 20: Can environmental
regulation enhance innovation and competitiveness? Review Environmental Economics and
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Blumberg, B., Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (2020). Business Research Methods,
Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill.

Chang, R.D., Zuo, J., Zhao, Z.Y., Zillante, G. and Gan, X.L. (2021). Evolving Theories of
Sustainability and firms: History, future directions and implications for renewable energy
research. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 72:48-56.

Creswell, J. (2019). Research Design: Quantitative and Qualitative Approach. (8th edn).
Management Research: An Introduction. London: SAGE

Freeman, R. (2019). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Grant, C. and Osanloo, A. (2019). Understanding, selecting and Integrating a theoretical

framework in dissertation research: Developing a “blueprint” for your “house”,
Administrative Issues Journal Connecting Education, Practices and Research, 4(3): 12-26.

Kothari, C. (2020). Quantitative Techniques, (2nd Ed). New Delhi: Age international.

Leedy, P.D. and Ormrod, J.E. (2020). Practical Research: Planning and Design, (12th Ed),
New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Omusebe, J.A., Iravo, M., Ismail, N., and Wanjohi; P. (2019). Literature Review on Effect of
Adoption of Green Procurement Practices on Effective Procurement Management in the
Public Sector, IOSR Journal of Business Management (IOSR-JBM), 19(8):29-34.

Patari, S., Arminen, H., Tuppura, A. and Jantunen, A. (2019). Competitive and Responsible?
The relationship between corporate social and financial performance in the energy sector.
Renewable Sustainable Energy Review, 37: 142-154.

Wanjohi, P. (2019). The Moderating Effect of Adoption of Green Environment on the

Relationship between Organizational Characteristics and Performance of Manufacturing
Firms in Kenya. Jomo Kenyatta university of Agriculture and Technology.
Yang, C. S., Lu, C. S., Haider, J. J., & Marlow, P. B. (2021). The effect of green supply chain
management on green performance and firm competitiveness in the context of container

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