Investigating TANROADS’ Performance in Tendering and Supervision of Road Projects: A Review

The Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), a semi autonomous body under the Ministry of Works and Transport, is mandated to manage trunk and regional roads, airports, weighbridges, and road project supervision. However, persistent procurement and supervision deficiencies undermine project performance, evidenced by 2022/2023 CAG reports of TZS 66.06 billion in cost overruns, 60% time overruns, and 21% substandard completed roads. This systematic literature review of 68 sources from 2010 to 2025 employs thematic analysis to investigate how tendering and supervision weaknesses contribute to underperformance. Key findings reveal. Tendering failures: Inadequate feasibility studies (e.g., 85–97% cost overruns in projects), vague documentation, evaluation bias toward lowest bids, and contract award delays and selection of underqualified contractors. Supervision gaps: Understaffing (1 engineer per multiple sites), irregular inspections, poor documentation, and weak coordination compromise quality enforcement and accountability. Recommended reforms integrate digital, institutional, and policy enablers:Tendering: Mandatory AI augmented feasibility studies, 70% technically weighted evaluations, NeST-automated bid validation, and contractor performance dashboards. Supervision: Drone-assisted monitoring, geo-tagged digital reporting via NeST, community oversight committees, and IoT-verified milestone payments. These interventions target systemic transformation of Tanzania’s road infrastructure governance to uphold transparency, value for money, and public accountability.