Enhancing sustainable procurement: the role of e-procurement implementation in local government institutions of Ghana

This study evaluates the extent of e-procurement implementation (EPI) within public procurement processes and examines its relationship with sustainable procurement performance (SPP) among local government organisations. Grounded in institutional theory (IT), this research adopts a descriptive quantitative approach, utilising a cross-sectional survey of 220 local government staff in the upper east region of Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis. Findings reveal that while procurement processes such as needs identification, specification of requirements and proposal evaluation are highly automated, others like contracting invoice verification and record-keeping remain predominantly manual. Additionally, EPI shows significant positive impacts on environmental impact, social responsibility, economic contribution, and ethical sourcing, with the strongest effect observed in economic contribution and the weakest in ethical sourcing. This study provides significant information for local government organisations on making informed decisions regarding EPI and highlights the importance of institutional dynamics in enhancing sustainable procurement practices aligned with broader societal goals.