ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PROCUREMENT PRACTICES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSING PROJECTS: A CASE OF SAMIA HOUSING SCHEME

Abstract

In rapidly urbanizing contexts such as Tanzania, the demand for affordable housing far outpaces supply, making the effective performance of housing projects vital to national socio-economic development. The National Housing Corporation (NHC), through large-scale initiatives such as the Samia Housing Scheme, plays a central role in alleviating the housing deficit. However, persistent problems including procurement delays, cost overruns, and weak contract management have raised concerns over the efficiency of procurement practices in public housing delivery. This study examined the impact of procurement practices on the implementation of housing projects in the Samia Housing Scheme, focusing on three key areas: the effectiveness of procurement practices, the influence of financial procurement processes on project delays, and the role of operational procurement activities in ensuring timely and high-quality delivery. The research design was not purely descriptive but largely mixed-method in that it gave a very detailed consideration of procurement practices and their effects on performance of projects. Collection of quantitative data was made possible through structured questionnaires, 136 respondents selected from 207 stakeholders comprising project managers, procurement officers, contractors, and regulatory representatives. It was discovered that there were significant weaknesses in the areas of procurement planning, financial disbursement, and contract management which together resulted in delays and inefficiencies in the implementation of those projects. The conclusion is that strengthening procurement planning, modernizing financial approval procedures, investing in staff capacity-building, and improving monitoring and evaluation frameworks will enhance project delivery. However, the findings better inform the current knowledge base on the management of public