Memoire Online - Effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of rwandan hospitals a case of Kabaya district hospital (2019- 2020)

EFFECT OF E-PROCUREMENT IMPLEMENTATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RWANDAN HOSPITALS

Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a master's degree in Science of Procurement and supply Chain Management.

DECLARATION

I,Paterne RUKUNDO, hereby declare that this dissertation entitled «Effect of Implementation of E-procurement on Effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals (2019- 2020). A case study of Kabaya District Hospital» is my own work and it has not been submitted anywhere for the award of any degree.

DEDICATION

APPROVAL

This is to certify that this work entitled «Effect of Implementation of E-procurement on Effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals (2019- 2020). A case study of Kabaya District Hospital» was carried out by RUKUNDO Paterne under my supervision.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and thank the Almighty God for loving and blessing me since my birth until now.

I extend my thanks to the UoK management and staff for the knowledge and skills I acquired from them. I thank particularly Dr. DUSHIMIMANA Jean de Dieu who devoted part of his time to the supervision of this work. His invaluable guidance contributed to the successful completion of this dissertation.

My deepest gratitude goes to the management of Kabaya District Hospital that granted me permission to carry out my research study from their organization and most especially the Director General for having allocated part of their valuable time to my research copies of the questionnaire.

I want to express my heartfelt thanksto allpeople and best friends especially my wife MUKAMUGANGA Clotilde who contributed significantly to the completion of this research work.

My unfathomable thanks go to my friends and colleague classmates in Procurement department and to my children BAWE SHIMWA Merveille Divine and BAWE SHIMWA Alliance Louana for making my life as a student enjoyable.

To all those mentioned and not mentioned but sincerely contributed to the fulfillment of this study, may our Almighty God bless your plans!

ABSTRACT

E-Procurement is more than just a system for making purchases online. It has been advocated as a key performance indicator that can improve performance and competence of procuring entities. Some procuring entities implement e-procurement and succeed while others fail. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals, the case of Kabaya District Hospital. This study had three specific objectives: to examine how electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital;to find out the effect of easy access to all published tenders on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital; to determine the extent to which viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The study adopted a descriptive approach to establish the effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals. The sample size of 24 respondents was selected from a list of 35 Suppliers that have contracts with Kabaya District Hospital and staff of Kabaya District Hospital. Data were collected from the respondents through a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics and inferential analysis using statistical package for social science (SPSS). The data were then presented in tables and charts. The independent variable (Electronic submission of bids) has effect of 80.2% on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital as represented by R Square. The coefficient of correlation value of 0.839 indicates that there was a positive strong correlation between independent and dependent variable. The independent variable (easy access to all published tenders) has an influence of 74.3 percent on the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The coefficient of correlation of 0.786 implies that the independent and dependent variables have a moderate positive relationship. The independent variable (viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity) according to R Square has a 71.4 percent, i.e. it has effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The coefficient of correlation of 0.779 indicates a moderately positive correspondence between the independent and dependent variables. The findings indicate that there is a positive effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals. The study recommends that all the procuring entities should adopt e-procurement (Umucyo system).

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Introduction

This chapter deals with background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives and research questions of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study and interest of the study.

1.1. Background

A state has different needs for its development and one of the strategies for satisfying the needs is using public procurement. Public procurement is the process by which government departments or agencies purchase goods and services from the private sector. It takes place at both a national and regional level, and the process will usually be subject to specific rules and policies covering how the relevant decisions are made. The reason behind using public procurement is competition, transparency and value for money. Judith Gebauer& Arie Segav 2001, defined procurement as «All of the activities involved in obtaining material and services and managing their inflow into an organization toward the end user. The-procurement process follows steps that are arranged in a determined order.These steps can be explained here under as procurement cycle comprises three main phases namely:pre-tendering including needs assessment, planning and budgeting, definition of requirements, determining priorities and choice of procedures;tendering including the invitation to tender, evaluation and award; and post-tendering including contract management, order and payment(Judith Gebauer & Arie Segav 2001). The key steps for planning and implementing a successful e-procurement strategy at any organization consists of assessing and documenting the current procurement process; assessing and documenting the desired future-procurement strategy; identifying the gaps between where you are now and where you want to be; identifying the process and system solutions that will be required to bridge the gaps; documenting the important benefits that will come from implementing an e-procurement system (hard, soft and intangible benefits);developing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success against your identified procurement goals. It also consists of creating a business case that addresses the most critical pain points of your buying organization; securing executive sponsorship and an internal champion for the initiative, developing a plan and committing resources to the project(Judith Gebauer & Arie Segav 2001).

The key steps for planning and implementing a successful e-procurement strategy extends to reviewing and selecting the optimal e-procurement solution provider for your needs;creating an implementation plan that reduces deployment/maintenance times and resource demands on your IT department;delivering and measuring the benefits(Judith Gebauer & Arie Segav 2001). An organization's e-procurement strategy should be conceived holistically as an integrated part of the overall procurement strategy to ensure the business objectives are met(Judith Gebauer & Arie Segav 2001). It is important to understand the impact of your e-procurement plan on the structure of your entire organization; therefore, clear communication is required at all stages of the project. In the end, you will come away with a much stronger, streamlined, collaborative and financially-viable organization that is ready to take your procurement operations to the next level of success(Judith Gebauer & Arie Segav 2001).

Organizations buy or sell products or services as a part of their nature. The advent of Internet and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the way they procure and introduced a new term called e-procurement. At the beginning of 1990s the web-based procurement systems were in use for the first time. Large corporations such as Cisco, Dell or IBM were the first pioneers and users of e-procurement systems (Trauth, 2001). Although e-procurement was adopted by private sector first, it has drawn great attention within the public sector.Drivers for implementing e-procurement systems in public sector vary from one government to another. The main driver for many local and central governments in developed countries has been to reduce administration and transaction costs and to improve competition (especially promoting Small and Medium) Enterprises (SMEs)). In contrast, in countries with high levels of corruption e-procurement is perceived as a weapon to combat corruption in public procurement ((Trauth, 2001).Public procurement accounts for about 20% of worldwide government expenditure. However, within some African countries this can amount to more than 70%, achieving a reduction in public spending by as little as 1% would make a significant difference and save a large amount of taxpayer's money (ADB/OECD, 2008; Knight et al., 2007; Basheka&Bisangabasaija, 2010). As a result, a number of governments have launched or are in the planning stage of launching e-procurement systems as one of their main e-government initiatives. Although progress has been made, the integration of e-procurement technology into the public sector remains far from ideal(ADB/OECD, 2008; Knight et al., 2007; Basheka &Bisangabasaija, 2010).

For the majority of public organizations, the process of implementing and adopting e-procurement systems is like any other IT system that presents challenges as a result of internal reasons such as organizational issues as well as external reasons such as lack of IT-infrastructure, skilled personnel and standardization in addition to the related legal issues (Lindskog, 2008; Choudhari et al., 2011; Manoharan and Carrizales, 2011; Padhi and Mohapatra, 2011).

E-procurement solutions implemented within the public sector vary from the simplest form of electronic journal, web pages or portals that provide information on tender notices to more complex solutions such as e-tendering, e-catalogue (buyer-side), e-marketplace and e-auction (Schoenherr & Tummala, 2007; Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003). The e-catalogue, e-marketplace and e-auction solutions are established mechanisms within the private sector and are also finding a place within the public sector. Of these, the e-catalogue is one of the most commonly implemented e-procurement solutions. (Schoenherr & Tummala, 2007; Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003).

In contrast, e-auction and e-marketplaces are less commonly implemented within the public sector. E-journal and e-tendering solutions are specifically designed to cater for the needs of the public sector. Public sector organizations use e-journals to provide information on tender notices instead of running advertisements in newspapers or gazettes. This strategy complies with the disclosure requirements for the awarding of major contracts as well as the advantage of saving costs typically spent on running newspaper advertisements((Schoenherr & Tummala, 2007; Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003).).

E-journal functions are severely limited and typically include providing the opportunity to view tender opportunities, ordering tender documents in paper format or the mechanism to download them directly from the web page in electronic format (Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003). The e-journal is the most commonly implemented e-procurement solution within the public sector because it is easy to use and requires relatively few financial and technical resources (Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003). On the other hand, e-tendering solutions are more complex and usually consist of various modules such as the designing of official internal processes (determining the awarding procedure and preparation of tender documents, etc.), an e-journal module for tender notices (including registration of bidders and shipping of the documents), a bidding module (preparing and bidding with an electronic signature) and finally an application that enables the storage, opening and evaluation of bids (Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003).

Other e-procurement solutions are used to facilitate the acquisition of low-value and high-volume standard goods and services (Bubeck & Fuchs, 2003).

However, e-tendering is a solution that is specifically designed to electronically manage the process of public tendering for the acquisition of specialized goods, works and consulting services that are of high value and low volume (World Bank, 2003). It is the second most implemented e-procurement solution within the public sector. However, some of e-procurement systems that are currently implemented are described as e-tendering systems and this is not entirely accurate as they fulfil similar functions to an e-journal that only allow one-way transactions. For instance, suppliers can only download tendering documents and are unable to submit documents and/or bid for tenders using this system. Therefore, such systems can be classified as e-journal systems (World Bank, 2003).

E-procurement solutions such as e-catalogues and e-marketplaces are designed with the primary purpose of serving the needs of businesses and were established within the private sector far earlier than the public sector. Therefore, these solutions would not necessarily cater for the particular needs of the public sector. This is because public and private sectors have different procurement objectives even though they share the same basic procurement goal in finding potential supplies to attain the lowest price at an acceptable quality level (Panayiotou et al., 2004). Public sector organizations are not concerned about competitive advantage or profitability but are expected to serve the taxpayer's interests by spending money in an efficient manner, managing budgets according to legislative and administrative orders and maintaining a system of checks and balances consistent with a policy of full disclosure and public review (Ulstrup, 2001). In contrast to private sector procurement, the public sector procurement processes are highly complex and bureaucratic due to the nature of the institutions and are usually bound by rules and regulations made by local, regional, national and international public organisations (Maniatopoulos, 2004). For implementing e-procurement system, thegovernments adopted a pilot approach and planned to implement e-procurement system in an incremental manner with the intention of minimising project risks and to facilitate the transformational process from traditional procurement to e-procurement. A pilot approach would have additional benefits of enabling the government to verify estimated costs and potential rewards of the implementation. Operational issues identified during the pilot stage could prove useful to the government in mapping the way forward and extending the pilot initiative to other government departments (Legislative Council, 2007).

Electronic procurement (e-procurement) systems have helped governments across the world to reduce costs and increase transparency in the-procurement process. From the beginning of 2014, the Rwanda government started the process of becoming the first country in Africa to realize those benefits, by partnering with a South Korean firm to develop its own e-procurement system. The government launched a pilot system in mid-2016 and rolled out e-procurement nationwide in mid-2017(World Bank Grobal report, July 2017).

Governments around the world are constantly buying goods and services from the private sector, from small everyday expenses to large infrastructure projects. Keeping the-procurement process simple and cost efficient is a major challenge that every government faces. Despite best efforts, the public procurement process is often lengthy, complex, and costly(World Bank Grobal report, July 2017). To address the problem, many governments around the world have implemented digitized processes to make-procurement easier, faster, and more transparent, and to reduce opportunities for corruption(World Bank Grobal report, July 2017). Rwanda began reforming its procurement processes by passing a new procurement law in 2007 and establishing the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA), a regulatory body, in 2008(World Bank Grobal report, July 2017). At that time, the country began looking at how to modernize its procurement systems. Rwandan officials traveled to the Republic of Korea, to learn how that country's e-procurement system, one of the most advanced in the world, operated. (World Bank Grobal report, July 2017)

Rwanda uses public procurement for satisfying its needs. The main principles enshrined in law n°05/2013 of 13/02/2013 on public procurement as modified and complemented by the law n°62/2018 of 25/08/2018 are transparency, competition, economy, efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. Even if the law is there, the challenges and problems are still available to the public procurement agencies. Referring to the audit reports of RPPA (Rwanda Public Procurement Authority) and Auditor General of Rwanda, the tenders are illegally awarded and the contracts are not well performed.

One of the strategies for promoting those principles is introduction of e-procurement (Umucyo system). Article 2 of Ministerial Order establishing regulations on public procurement N° 002/20/10/TC of 19/05/2020 describes in details the use of e-procurement.

Most articles did not have a formal discernable definition of electronic procurement. Instead, e-procurement was described in rather general terms, mentioning facets of it as illustrations. There is no single definition of e-procurement. That is why for Rwanda, the meaning of e-procurement as it is described is different from e-procurement in Europe (Richard,2019).

E-procurement System aims at streamlining government procurement process, enhancing service delivery, increasing transparency (Code name: Umucyo), providing one single window for government procurement and reducing corruption loopholes and fraud (Richard,2019).

The following was the timeline of the project (Umucyo system):May 2015 - June 2016 - System development in Rwanda (13 months),July 2016-June 2017 - Pilot phase with 8 entities,July 2017-2018 - Roll out 131 other Entities, July 2018 - Roll out 8 Extra Budgetary Entities, WB funded projects - ongoing now, July 2019 - District Hospitals (Richard,2019).Umucyo system (e-procurement) implementation is followed by the benefits like reduced time & cost, 99% reduced bidders' movement, Improved security with PKI usage, improved transparency, reduced opportunity for corruption, reduced forgery with linkages, improved compliance to the Rwanda public procurement law(Richard,2019).E-procurement System automates the public procurement process and enables the interactions of Government to business services (G2B).

1.2. Statement of the problem

Although the government of Rwanda started using the online system to purchase goods, works, services and non-consultancy services to help the Government to ensure efficiency of public procurement with the standardization of electronic documents, supplier registration, goods and services information and to streamline public procurement transactions for efficient government service delivery, still there is no research conducted on effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals. Moreover, most e-procurement empirical research has focused on large economies, technologies, and smaller economies and traditional industries (Tatsis; Mena Van Wassenhove & Whicker, 2006; Chipiro,2009).

Moreover, according to Uddin, (2015), in USA, Australia and Europe, there are very few empirical studies in the literature on the adoption of e-procurement and its effects as well as challenges facing its implementation in developing countries including Rwanda.

Therefore, there was a need to fill this gap by assessing how e-procurement is applied and what its effect is on the management of hospitals in Rwanda, and investigating challenges associated with the adoption of e-procurement in Rwanda. Further, the findings of this research added significant empirical information and findings to previous studies on the effect of e-procurement on the performance of managerial hospitals and challenges associated with its implementation in Rwanda. It is for that reason this research was conducted to shed light in regard to the effect of Umucyo system (e-procurement) implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital from 2019 to 2020.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The study on the effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals, a case of Kabaya District Hospital from 2019 to 2020 has the general and specific objectives

1.3.1 General objective

The general objective of the study is to analyze the effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals

1.3.2 Specific objectives

1) To examine how electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

2) To find out the effect of easy access to allpublished tenders on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

3) To determine the extent to which viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

1.4 Research hypotheses

H1:E-procurement implementation enhances the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals

H1a:Electronic submission of bids has effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

H1b:Easy access to all published tenders has positive effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

H1c: Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity has significant effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

1.5 Significance of the study

This study enables the researcher to acquire deeply knowledge concerning the effect of implementation of e-procurement in Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital;

This research will help the researcher to partially fulfill the requirements of attaining a Master's degree of science in procurement and supply chain management and also enable him to gain more knowledge about the effect of implementation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital.

The study is intended to encourage the policy makers to closely examine the effect of implantation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals.

1.6 Scope of the study

This study sets its boundaries in terms of content, time and geographical location as clearly indicated in the section below.

1.6.1 Content scope

This study solely looked at the effect of implantation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital.

1.6.2. Time Scope

Findings of this study based on the analysis of the views of respondents between 2019 and 2020, the study period.

1.6.3. Geographical Scope

This research was carried out in Kabaya District Hospital located in Ngororero District and covered a selected sample size of staff and suppliers.

1.7 Interest of the study

The interest of the study on analyzing the effect of implantation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital, has personal, social and scientific interests.

1.7.1. Personal interest

This study enabled the researcher to acquire deeply knowledge concerning the effect of implantation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital.

Due to this study, the researcher will be awarded marks which will pave the way for getting aMaster'sdegree of Science in Procurement and Supply chain management.

1.7.2. Social interest

This study is expected to equip the population with more knowledge about the effect of implementation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital.

1.7.3. Scientific interest

This research is helpful to other researchers because it motivates to conduct a research on this topic.The research will also help other students who conduct research studies in other fields.

1.8 Chapter outline

v Chapter one is composed of the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives and research questions, significance of the study, scope of the study and interest of the study.

v Chapter two covers the definitions of terms and concepts, theoretical review and Conceptual framework of the study.

v Chapter three is concerned with the methodology that was used in carrying out this study. Research designs, techniques of data collection and methods used.

v Chapter four focuses on research findings, analysis and interpretations of data collected, these findings were interpreted and edited in relation to objectives of study.

v Chapter five deals with summary of findings, suggestions and conclusions of the study and areas of further research.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

The review of literature for the study was drawn from journals, government publications, circulars, documents, books and newspapers dealing with implementation of various E-Procurement project issues globally, regionally and in Rwanda as a country. The literature review examines how various studies have analyzed the concept of e - procurement, the effect of implementation of e-procurement on the procuring entities that have adopted it, the benefits and challenges that the procuring entities face as well as the barriers to effective implementation of e - procurement. It also includes theoretical framework, empirical review, conceptual framework and research gaps.

2.1. Understanding the concepts of e-procurement

2.1.1. Procurement

Procurement refers to the function of purchasing goods, works or services from an outside body or private company (MAZIMA, E., 2020).Judith G. and Arie S. (2001), defined procurement as «All of the activities involved in obtaining material and services and managing their inflow into an organization toward the end user.

Most of organizations and firms spend about one third of their income for purchase services and goods (Gebauer J. & Segav, A., 2001). Even some researchers as Kalakota and Robinson (1999) cited by (Caffey D., 2009) stated that 50 to 60 percent of total revenue is being spent on purchasing goods and services. Caffey, D. (2009) believes that in addition to purchasing goods and services from suppliers, procurement includes inbound logistics, warehousing and inventory management. Procurement includes actions related to acquisition of services and goods and managing its flow toward the consumer (Gebauer J. & Segav, A., 2001).

2.1. 2. E-procurement

E-Procurement is the use of Information & Communications Technology (especially the Internet) by governments in conducting their procurement relationships with suppliers for the acquisition of goods, works, and consultancy services (RPPA, Intermediate level training module in public procurement, April 2012).

Caffey, D. (2009) defines e-procurement as incorporating all purchasing activities such as purchaser request, authorization, ordering, delivery and payment by utilizing electronic means such as internet, web technology and e-commerce. Electronic procurement system (EPS) is a system which automats all activities in procurement process such as storing requests, approval management, authorization and interfacing with company financial system.

Josegarrido-saminiego et al. (2010), state that internet and information technology has been applied to business strategy of most organizations. One of the areas which have been widely influenced by information technology is procurement. E-procurement is the outcome of applying e-commerce to organization purchasing activities. Likewise according to LindijaPulevska-Ivanovska (2004), the action of conducting procurement operation electronically and paper-free is called e-procurement which consists of whole operation of procurement such as requisition, approval, shipping, etc. and not just buying process.

E-procurement encompasses «requisitioning, purchasing, transportation and in-bound receiving process». It starts with requisition for an item and ends with invoice payment. E-procurement is defined as purchasing through internet and other information networks (Morrison, M., 2009).E-procurement sites can be employed to purchase goods and services, e-procurement software automates purchasing processes, controls inventory, reduces purchasing costs and increases efficiency.

Dolmetsch et al. (2000) cited in Puschmann, T. and Rainer A., (2005), defines e-procurement as the indirect goods supply chain management by using e-Markets and information technology. E-procurement is also one of the specific areas which deals with external transactions enables improvement on activities such as purchasing raw material and services by using internet and web technology (Jason R. Eaton, 2003).

2.2 Theoretical review

The theoretical review helps to identify theories about the study already existing, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing theories have been investigated and to develop new hypotheses to be tested.

2.2.1 Transaction Cost Theory

Transaction cost economics states that organization encounter the challenge of opportunism when they are in a situation bargaining with a small number of other organizations.

Hence then having more suppliers reduces this risk and affords the organization the ability to negotiate better procurement deals as the buyer is less dependent on any particular supplier (Dedrick et al.., 2008). The same author states that the number of suppliers chosen by an organization encompasses an optimal balance among the following key transaction factors: fit, coordination costs and risk opportunism. Information technology has the potential of reducing coordination costs as procurement processes are standardized and automated, thus reducing the cost of working with more suppliers. This mostly benefits the buying organization especially for commodity items such as copper pipes.

Information technology allows organization to reduce the number of suppliers and focus on low-cost suppliers of standard goods and consolidated their purchases to obtain volume discounts (Dedrick et al., 2008) The use of information technology (IT) facilitates the reduction of coordination costs. For example, electronic market places, facilitated through IT, reduce the cost of searching and obtaining information about product prices and offerings (Bakker et al, 2008). Collaboration facilitates information sharing by lowering transaction costs as companies can reduce supply chain uncertainty and thus the cost of contracting. For example, if a supplier is unable to accurately predict the price of its product inputs, it will be reluctant to enter into a contract, which locks it into a fixed price for an extended period of time (Arrowsmith, 2002). Uncertainty in the context of supply chain, and more specifically in manufacturing, is caused by new product development uncertainty, demand uncertainty, technology uncertainty and supply uncertainty (Koufteros, 1999). Supply uncertainty relates to unpredictable events that occur in the upstream part of the supply chain. Among the causes to supply uncertainty are late deliveries and shortages of materials. Clearly, supply uncertainty can disrupt manufacturing and have an adverse effect on sales where distributors and retailers down the chain are also affected. Demand uncertainty can be defined as unpredictable events that occur in the downstream part of the supply chain (Koufteros, 1999).

Demand uncertainty (or demand risk) can result from new product adoptions, short product life cycles (PLCs), seasonality or volatility of fads (Johnston, 2005). Another uncertainty related to manufacturing is new product development which stems from unpredictable events during the process of product prototyping, product design, and market research. Finally, technology uncertainty refers to the fuzziness in the selection of a suitable technology platform (Koufteros, 1999). An example is the trade-off between a fool-proof manufacturing technology (perhaps dated), compared to a prospective technology offering better price to performance but whose viability is uncertain (Klein, 2007).

Furthermore, uncertainty can also arise from social uncertainties (such as strikes), natural (such as fire, earthquake), and political (such as fuel crisis) (Johnston, 2005) The concept of uncertainty is the key to TCE, which assumes that individuals act opportunistically and have bounded rationality. The early transaction cost literature did not make a distinction between different forms of uncertainty. More recent literature has disaggregated the construct of uncertainty (Melville et al, 2004). For example, (Wendin, 2001) built on Khalifa & Shen, (2008) and distinguished between primary and secondary (behavioral) uncertainty. Primary uncertainty refers to the underlying transaction and arises from mainly exogenous sources such as technology, uncertainty relating to natural events, consumer preferences, regulations, and uncertainty relating to natural events (Sulek et al., 2006).

Primary uncertainty may lead to coordination problems, technological difficulties, and communication problems that can as a consequence adversely effect the execution of transactions. Secondary uncertainty on the other hand refers to the risk of opportunism on transactions that are executed through incomplete contracts.Similarly, Sulek et al., (2006) classified uncertainty as primary, supplier and competitive uncertainty. Primary uncertainty is consistent with Wendin, C. (2001) and refers to the lack of knowledge of states of nature (Sulek et al, 2006).

Competitive uncertainty arises from the strategic actions of potential, actual competitors or innocent actions (McManus, 2002). Supplier uncertainty is basically behavioral uncertainty and refers to possible opportunism by upstream or downstream partners. In organizational theory uncertainty refers to environmental uncertainty (Trent, 2007) and includes a number of factors such as uncertainty regarding suppliers and competitors' actions, as well as uncertainty in technology and regulations, which captures both primary and secondary uncertainty. The presence of demand uncertainty and the lack of information sharing in the supply chain led to problem known as the bullwhip effect: which is the amplification of demand variability as orders move up the supply chain (Featherman& Pavlov, 2003).

Johnson and Whang,(2002), provides evidence for this finding from the food industry, whereas Nagle et al, (2006) reports on the bullwhip effect in the automotive sector. The bullwhip effect can be alleviated through sharing demand information in the supply chain, which reduces information uncertainty and asymmetry (Lee et al., 2003). Therefore, limiting uncertainty through information sharing reduces companies' internal risk as companies optimize capacity planning, production and inventory.

Although, information sharing seems to bring with it many benefits, it can simultaneously increase transaction risk, as higher levels of business transparency leads to opportunistic behavior. Nevertheless, uncertainty as a factor might affect companies' initiatives to share information. This also agrees with contingency theory, which states that the rate of change in an environment and amount of uncertainty affects the development of internal features in organizations (Larsson et al, 2008).

2.2.2 The E -Technology Perspective Theory

E-procurement enables customers and suppliers to increase networking channel through the internet in terms of production planning, demand management and inventory management, (Lee et al, 2003). E- Procurement facilitates frictionless procurement paradigm (Brousseau, 2000). The research by Min and Galle (2002) recognizes the extensive nature of e-procurement which refers to e-procurement as a business-to-business (B2B) purchasing practice that utilizes electronic procurement to identify potential sources of supply to purchase goods and services, interact with suppliers and transfer payment.

The internet has been widely adopted by companies with the aim of improving organizational performances both in internal processes and in external processes (Barratt &Rosdahl, 2002). Despite the fact that business-to-business (B2B) trade has enjoyed a longer existence online than business-to-consumer (B2C), the benefits of e-procurement in a B2B setting are significant (Min & Galle, 2002).

Previous studies have claimed that e-procurement has become the catalyst that allows companies to integrate their supply chains from end-to-end from supplier to the end user with shared performance, availability and pricing data that allows buyers and suppliers to work to optimum and mutually beneficial schedules and prices (Morris et al, 2000).

Usually companies adopt e-procurement systems in order to manage the purchase products and services (Min & Galle, 2002). In summary it has been noted that the influence of e-procurement adoption remains in a formative stage, falling short of the type of e-collaboration and e-sourcing suggested by (Morris et al, 2000). Common e-procurement tools are direct auctions and online catalogues where reverse auctions remain unpopular with sellers (Basheka & Bisangabasaija, 2010).

2.2.3 Resource - Based Theory

The request for Information Technology has long been a central tenet of the field of supply chain management and procurement (Pressutti, 2003).

Within this field, resource-based theory (RBT) has emerged as a promising new framework for analyzing the sustainability and sources of Information Technology (Baily, 2008). According to RBT, Information Technology measured as economic rent derives from strategic resources (Caridi et al, 2004). Such Information Technology is sustainable to the extent that the resources on which it is based are inimitable, rare, valuable, and non-substitutable (Bales & Fearon, 2006). Further, RBT rests on the premises that resources controlled by organization are relatively immobile and heterogeneous (Pearcy &Guinipero, 2008). The imperfect mobility of resources (including inimitability and no substitutability) is due to a variety of isolation mechanisms (Roth, 2001) which include co-specialization of assets (Teo & Benbasat, 2003) unique historical conditions (Berger & Calabrese, 2005), causal ambiguity (Liao et al, 2007), social complexity, and tacit knowledge and skills (Puschmann& Alt, 2005).

Given that organizational resource-based theory and learning both seek the objective of sustaining competitive advantage as far as information technology is concerned, it seems logical for organizational learning to be identified as a strategic resource within the resource-based view. Organization often derive Information Technology from resources (e.g. capabilities and new knowledge) which have been developed based on lessons from previous experiences and time(Puschmann & Alt, 2005).

Information Technology derived from such resources might be sustainable because attempt by other organization to duplicate them do not have the necessary the learning capability, organizational knowledge or the time required to accumulate them. Given the dynamic nature of IT, it is believed that the sustainability of such an advantage must be defined in dynamic and time sensitive terms(Puschmann & Alt, 2005).

2.2.4 Technology Acceptance Theory

This study is based on Technology Acceptance Theory (TAM) is a theoretical model that evaluates the effects of things like system characteristics on user acceptance. TAM assumes that a computer user generally acts quite rationally and uses information in a systematic manner to decide whether to adopt, or not to use this technology in the workplace. Rajagopal and Bernard (1993) identified three major determinants of technology acceptance that relate to cognition and effectiveness and were suggested by previous research studies.

He began with the TRA and adapted this as a basis for causal links between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude towards using technology and behavioral intention to explain technology adoption. Relative advantage refers to the degree to which an innovation is perceived as providing more benefits than its predecessor (Rajagopal and Bernard,1993).

Relative advantage results in increased efficiency, economic benefits and enhanced status. Past research has found that relative advantage of an innovation is positively related to the rate of adoption. Research suggests that when user perceives relative advantage or usefulness of a new technology over an old one, they tend to adopt it.In the context of banking sector, benefits such as immediacy, convenience and affordability to customers have been reported (Rajkumar, 2011). TAM model, proposed is primarily intended to foretell users' acceptance of Information Technology and usage in an organizational perspective. By focusing on the attitude explanations of intention to use a specific technology or service, TAM model deals with perceptions as opposed to real usage, suggests while a new technology is presented to the potential adopter, two attitude-affecting factors, Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, influence their decision about how and when they will use it(Rajkumar, 2011).

As an extension of TAM, Sanders (2005) proposed the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). The main point of this theory is that human behavior originates from their intentions and behavioral intention (BI) is a kind of cognitive activity which consists of two facets, namely attitude and subjective norm. To sum up, according to TRA both attitude and subjective norm component of individual behavior is determined by salient belief.

According to Smart and Harrison (2003), principally Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is used to test clients' intent to assent or to refuse the use of a particular technology and in this case cashless payments. TAM was developed by Davis in 1989, and explains the logic used by a customer to accepts or decline a certain technology based on «it's perceived ease of use» and «its perceived usefulness.Perceived ease of use is «the level at which a potential consumer of a technology believes a technology or a potential system is effortless. Perceived usefulness to be the level at which a potential user of a technology perceived the use of the technology will enhance their performance. E-procurement systems adoption success depends on users' acceptance, which in turn depends on perceived usefulness and usefulness. Therefore, for procurement performance to be enhanced, there need to users' acceptance.

2.3 Empirical review

Over the years, the world has seen a massive change in the management of businesses; from organizations replying more on specialized in-house service functions, conventional multipurpose service functions to outsourced services. Information technology (IT) has helped many businesses in improving their operational efficiencies by providing internet-based solutions for their supply chain networks and electronic solutions. From the late 1990s a raft of new e- commerce technologies emerged which revolutionized working practices, threatening existing business models (Chan & Lu, 2004). As a result of this development on the use of e-commerce in business-to-business market, there has been significant adoption of new supply chain related technology and applications by organizations globally (Sheng, 2002).

In a recent survey in Europe, Palma dos Reis and Soares Aguiar (2006) studied the factors leading to the adoption of electronic procurement systems in Portugal.

The respondents were people in management positions from 240 large companies in manufacturing, commerce and services sectors. The authors built their hypotheses on the framework of Tornatzky and Fleischer (1990), which describes three aspects of a firm?s context that can influence the adoption of technological innovations; these are technological context, environmental context and organizational context. The authors found positive relationships among technological capabilities (technological context), trading partner readiness (environmental context) and firm size (organizational context).

In a field study in Ireland, Nagle et al. (2006) explored the effects B2B relationships have on E-procurement systems. The authors performed an in-depth field study in six selected companies and successfully showed that adversarial type relationships influence E-procurement systems around the sourcing phases (background review, information gathering, negotiation and supplier contact) demonstrated that collaborative relationships tend to affect the fulfillment and consumption phases more than other procurement activities.

A survey on E-procurement in Australia conducted by Williams and Hardy (2007) showed that E-procurement has become an increasingly strategic topic in companies in different industries across the private and public. Compared to a similar survey conducted two years before, E-procurement implementations had increased in both scope and spread. More companies were investing in the electronic support of procurement functions and processes.

In Singapore, Kheng and Al-Hawandeh (2002) investigated the adoption of E-procurement and presented stumbling blocks to this initiative from the point of view of Singaporean organizations. Firstly, the laws governing B2B commerce, crossing over to E-procurement, are still not developed. For instance, questions concerning the force and legality of e-mail contracts, role of electronic procurement show only about half of those specific respondents had any formal spending analysis tool in place while the few that had these tools analyzed only half of their total spending. Secondly, technical difficulties related to conversion, data exchange and information such as inefficiencies in locating information over the internet using search engines and the lack of common standards get in the way of the easy integration of electronic catalogs from multiple suppliers. Thirdly, there was concern about privacy and security of procurement transaction data. Fourthly; it required a significant investment in software, hardware, and personnel training to participate in E-procurement which is prohibitive.

In Africa, despite significant recent increases in internet sales in many countries, total B2B plus business-to-customer internet commerce is still low (Walker and Harland, 2008). In spite of the claimed business benefits that can come from embracing E-procurement, the extent of adoption in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is below expectations and progressing slowly (Pires & Stanton, 2005).

In Rwanda, UMUCYO is a single channel, portal and point of access for Rwanda procuring entities allowing to negotiate better contract terms and to realize savings and achieve value for money.It provides suppliers with increased access to markets without additional marketing efforts and a faster and more efficient method for quoting and increased order accuracy through receipt of electronic orders.

Moreover, companies using e-procurement system reported that they achieve saving up to 42% in purchasing transaction cost as a result of less paperwork, which enabled transaction processes to be less prone to errors, leading to more efficient purchasing (Flynn et al., 2010).E-tendering is a procedure in e-procurement applied in supplier selection in order to find a competent supplier using internet based ICT infrastructures or on the basis of electronic transaction through the internet. It is expected to reduce face to face transaction as well as collusion. Through e-tendering, the process of supplier or contractor selection is considered a suitable mechanism to select a proper contractor fairly, efficiently and productively (Oyediran & Akintola 2011).

Eadie et al. (2007) argue that e-procurement allows sections of electronic documentation to flow through the supply chain; it improves the speed of returns and subcontractor price visibility. He further notes that since it is easier to communicate requirements in a quicker more accessible manner, it will result in a better understanding of requirements and due compliance besides allowing clients to gauge the state of the market by seeing how much interest is shown in the tender.

Any good e-procurement software system today is designed to greatly reduce effort and time required to complete purchasing transactions by eliminating traditional paper chain of payment reconciliation, approvals, requisitions and receiving. The key features of e-procurement approaches enable users to find an item in an electronic catalog, create a requisition, route the order requisition for approval, create and transmit the order to vendors, and also help to automate the invoicing and payment process (Berger & Zeng, 2006).

Rama (2014) Electronic procurement enhances key principles of procurement namely; transparency, value for money (efficiency), and timeliness. E-procurement enhances transparency and fairness by bringing together procuring entities and bidders in a virtual environment. Enhanced transparency and fairness brings increased private practitioners' confidence in the-procurement system. This confidence increases participation and competition.

Diane (2016) stated that electronic procurement enhances key principles of procurement namely; transparency, value for money (efficiency), and timeliness. E-procurement enhances transparency and fairness by bringing together procuring entities and bidders in a virtual environment. Enhanced transparency and fairness brings increased private practitioners' confidence in the-procurement system. This confidence increases participation and competition.

Juliette (2013) E-Procurement is on the rise and it is said to be one of the most efficient ways to conduct business. This is evidenced by studies showing that organizations are spending as much as 50 to 60% of total revenue on e-procurement activities. E-Procurement is generating great excitement because of its potential to reduce-procurement costs and improve strategic sourcing.

Benston (2015) E-public procurement technology reduces physical barriers of space and time, allows faster information flow and wider access to information and services. It offers benefits such as reducing the opportunities for corruption and providing public access to information related to the different stages of the-procurement process; greater efficiency in the-procurement process and better use of the government resources; significant savings in government and public institutions purchases due to greater competition between suppliers, better comparison of prices and reductions in transactions costs; and higher level of integration and development of economies while stimulating the competitiveness and productivity of small and medium sized companies through greater access to national and international markets.

Rankin quoted by Robert E. et Al. (2007) also identifies data transaction accuracy as a driver. These are all associated with «improving Communication». Since e-procurement allows sections of electronic documentation to flow through the supply chain; it improves the speed of returns and subcontractor price visibility. As it is easier to communicate requirements in a quicker more accessible manner, it will result in a better understanding of requirements and due compliance.

Egbu (2007) It also allows clients to gauge the state of the market by seeing how much interest is shown in the tender. For the purposes of this study these three benefits have been combined and considered under the broad category of improving communication. Behnam Bahreman (2010) E-procurement is a rapid efficient method of finding and connecting new sources, being a lean channel for communication.

A lot of time is spending on paper invoicing in terms of writing, filing and postal communication but while in e-procurement, staff have sufficient time to engage on strategic issues of procurement The time wasted in moving from one town or country to another to look for a potential supplier or buyer is greatly reduced since with a click of a button, you can readily get the information in the internet.

2.4. Theoretical Framework

The conceptual framework is a way which helps the researcher to differentiate the main variables included in the research topic like independent and dependent variables.

- Availability of procurement law and ministerial order governing public procurement in Rwanda

Figure 1: Theoretical Framework

2.5. Research gaps

An organization or a firm can attain numerous benefits and advantages through the proper utilization of e-procurement, for instance, transactional benefits, compliance benefits, management information benefits, price benefits, payment benefits etc. It is important to mention that such benefits will definitely contribute in improving profitability, productivity and efficiency throughout the supply chain (Eakin. 2003) and this can't go without implementation of related risks. We suggest that benefits should be analyzed with their potential associated risks e-procurement adoption and implementation. Most of researchers' respondents are internal users and it is good to have external users' views as well. In addition, the private sector is also affected by the systems but not many research studies have given enough time to them. Comparison with data from available documentation was not given proper consideration and commissioned researches done by governments were not included to increase the level of accuracy of findings and thus enrich the comments.The effectiveness of e-procurement practices is very crucial in attainment of the set organization's targets. This is beneficial to the organization given that it can help to reduce cost and help in bringing efficiency in the organization's operations hence contributing to the organization's success. Comparably advancement in technology and improved financial information systems have been hypothesized by various scholars to effect positively on the task performance. From the reviewed literature it's evident that many studies have been done on e-procurement performance.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

3.0. Introduction

It was stressed that the methodological research is a controlled investigation of the theoretical and applied aspects of measurements, mathematics, and statistics, and ways of obtaining and analyzing data (Fred.N Kerlinger, 1964:700). Likewise, Contemporary English dictionary (1995: 231), defines methodology as a set of methods and principles that are used when studying a particular kind of work. To sum up, a method comprises of all intellectual process, an orderly system or arrangement that enables a researcher to reach on aspect of knowledge by using various techniques. This chapter intends primarily to highlight the methods and techniques that have been used in order to collect data for the purpose of carrying out this study.

It is primarily intending to make description and analysis of the effect of implementation of e-procurement in Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hospital. For this reason, it will bear an exploratory aspect, especially because there has not been a similar study before.

This chapter gives a detailed presentation of the tools and techniques that were used to investigate the research issues in the field. It includes spelling out the area of the study and study population. It further describes the methods and techniques used in the choosing the sample size and selection instruments like questionnaire, interviews and documentation were used. It also includes data processing, analysis and problems that were encountered in this research, finally this chapter provides the back ground against which the findings and conclusions of the study were examined and appreciated regarding their reliability and validity.

3.1 Research design

According to Churchill (1992:108) a research design is a framework or a plan for the study used as a guide in collecting and analyzing data. It is a blueprint that is followed in completing a study. He further defines a research design as a plan of action, for the purposes of this study; the researcher adopted a survey as his research design.

3.2 Study population

William fox (1992:06) defines population as «a set of cases from which a sample is drawn and to which a researcher wants to generalize». He continues by asserting that population is data pertaining to all or almost all cases to which a researcher wants to generalize.

For any study to succeed, information needs to be representative of the population covered by the research questions. A population refers to the total number of elements covered by the research questions (Scottet al 1998:307). On the other hand, «population can be defined as the totality of persons or objects with which a study is concerned» (Grinnell et al., 1990:118).

Christensen (1991:101) asserts that, population refers to all the events, things or individuals that are the objects of investigation. This research is made to study the effect of e-procurement implementation in Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hopital, thus the researcher surveyed a selected unit (Staff) technically determined. The population under study was made of suppliers.

As it has been indicated above, given the width of this topic under study, the population is also wide as it is located in procurement dominates. Indeed, the population under this study is derived from the selectedstaff and 24 suppliers that have contracts with Kabaya District Hopital.

3.3 Purposive sampling

Bailey (1978) explains purposive sampling technique as a technique whereby the researcher uses her own judgment about which respondents to choose and picks only those who can best meet the purposes of the study. Researcher used this technique by selecting respondents with relevant information who have e-procurement in their daily activities.

3. 4 Data collection methods and instruments

The information from the primary data were obtained through a structured questionnaire and an interview schedule and documentary search was applied as to obtain secondary data.

3.4.1 Questionnaire

Kenneth D. Bailey (1987: 93) defines questionnaire as a list of questions generally mailed or handed to the respondents and filled in by her with no help to the interviewer. The questionnaire contained both open and closed ended questions were addressed to the respondents. With open-ended questions were kept to the minimum so as to enable the respondents to focus on aspect of the research. With open -ended questions, the respondents had to give personal responses or opinions in their own words whereas with close-ended questions, respondents were given different alternatives to choose from.

According to Kendall (1992:135), a questionnaire is information guttering technique that gathers information about; attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and characteristics from several respondents in the institution, who may be affected by a given phenomenon or system.

The whole process of distributing copies of the questionnaire was as follows: the researcher first contacted the Director General of Kabaya District Hospital about the issue before the process started. At this stage, researcher gave the Director General a pre-test questionnaire to fill. This helped researcher to test the understandability of the respondents in relation to questions asked. By the help of pre-tests, the researcher was able to identify the gaps in the questionnaire and made corrections where necessary.

After the pre-test copies of the questionnaire were collected and necessary corrections made, copies of the questionnaire were distributed among the respondents for filling. The questionnaire distribution protocol in the Hospital was organized in a way that facilitated the process of collecting them.

Here the researcher deliberately selected few of the staff members only from the Hospital and some of the suppliers; to whom the copies of the questionnaire were given for both distribution and collection after having been filled out. In a few cases, the researcher had to be personally present to help the respondentsto complete questions.

The advantages of close- ended questions are that the answers are standard, and can be compared from person to person. Therefore, are much easier to code and analyze; and often can be coded from the questionnaire, saving time and money. Further, the respondent was often clear about the meaning of the question and could often tell the answer for what was demanded.

3.4.2 Interview Schedule

According to Bailey (1978:93) an interview is an instrument that is not given directly to the respondents, but is filled in by an interviewer who reads the questions to the respondent. In case where the researcher had access to the respondents, she interviewed them and responses were filled in the interview schedule.For better organization of the interview exercise, the researcher made appointments with the respondents in order to have access to them.

During the interview process, the researcher had a list of questions that he read to get responses from the respondents; the researcher prepared a separate schedule as this would later facilitate the coding process.

3.4.3 Documentation

Bailey (1978:266) defines documentary study as a careful reading, understanding and analysis of written documents for some purposes other than social research. They record of past events that are written or printed. Grinnell and Williams (1990:219) noted that documentation is the analysis of data that exist in boxes, in some enterprise's basements or hidden in the core of a computer.

In this research, the researcher collected the already existing data, by finding them where they are stored or field. During the process of documentary analysis, the researcher reads some documents and after understanding and analyzing the relevance of texts to this study, he jotted them down on manuscripts and later typed them on a computer for compilation. The researcher reads documents such as manual procedures, newspapers and other publications.

3. 5. Sources of data

According to Paige Wilson (1989:2),a source is one of the materials that the researcher uses for collecting information during the investigation». In this research, the sources of data were both primary and secondary data.

3.5.1 Primary data

As Joel R. Evan and Barry Berman (1995: 20), Gilbert A. Churchill Jr(1992:182), argue, Primary data are those data collected to the specific problem or issue under investigation. Primary data are necessary when a trough analysis of secondary data is unable to provide satisfactory information. They add that primary data are collected to fit precise purposes of current research problem.

To evaluate the overall value of primary data, the researcher must weigh precision and reliability against high cost time pressure and limited access to materials. The main techniques of primary data collection were interviews and copies of the questionnaire given to the staff and suppliers. Therefore, primary data were collected from respondents in the form of answers to the administered questionnaire as well as responses where interviews were applied.

3.5.2 Secondary data

Extensive study and review of published and unpublished documents, reports journals, newspapers and policy reports relevant to the study was used. Secondary data is a data gathering method that makes use of pre-existing data (Richard M. Grinnell and Margaret Williams, (1990:228).

This technique is important because it reviews the literature and tries to canvas both global and national perspectives so that the researcher could have a comparative framework for analysis and evaluation (William, 1982:401). Secondary data sources for this research work were drawn from the permanent file of some surveyed institutions. The permanent file included among other documents and these include the following: the statute, minute of managers, the manual of procedures and other documents considered necessary for this study.

3.6. Reliability and validity

According to Schwab et al. (2014), validity and reliability in research design refer to the need to ensure that concepts used in the study measure what they are intended to and that this measurement is consistent and stable for all respondents.

The researcher used professionals or experts in the strategy field to assess the concept the instrument is trying to measure and also determine whether the set of items or checklist accurately represents the concepts under the study.

For reliability, Cronbach's Alpha is a reliability coefficient that indicates how well items in a set are positively correlated to one another. Generally, reliability of 0.7 to 1.0 is considered acceptable. For this study, an alpha coefficient is 0.81 which is greater than 0.7, i.e. considered reliable.

3.7 Data processing and analysis

Data processing is concerned with classifying responses into meaningful categories called codes (Roth, 1989: 58). It consists of editing, schedules and coding the responds. The data processing began with editing, coding and finally ended with tabulation.

Nachmias (1976: 143) assert that, data processing is a link between data collection and data analysis. It involves the transformation of the observation gathered from the fields into the system of categories and the transformation of these categories into codes and amenable to quantitative analysis and tabulation. Not all data can be presented in their entity.

The variables to be presented are those most central to the goals of the study; generally, variables include specifically in the research questions (Bailey, 1978: 321).

Data collected were really in arrow form. It was not easy to the researcher to present the findings of the study. Therefore, the researcher had technically processed data before proper analysis was done so as to become more meaningful for interpretation. Data processing was done in accordance with general and specific objectives of the research study.

After carrying out interviews with respondents and questionnaire were collected, they were edited and the information was arranged in a meaningful and organized form by coding it. The data were analyzed by using statistical package for social science (SPSS).

3.7.1 Editing

According to Daniel and Gates (1991: 387), editing is the process of going through the questionnaire to ensure that the `skip patterns' were followed and required questions are filled out. Editing involves the inspection and if necessary, connections of each questionnaire or observation form; the basic purpose of editing is to impose some minimum quality standards on the raw data (Churchill, 1992:608).

3.7.2 Coding

According to Churchill (1992: 612), coding is the procedure by which data are categorized. Through coding, the raw data are transformed into symbols usually numerals that may be tabulated and counted. The transformation is not automatic; however, it involves judgment on the part of coder. Moses and Kalton (1971: 415), states that the purpose of coding in the survey is to classify the answers acquired were coded and tallies used to determine the frequencies of each response. Similar responses would be grouped according to their different categories.

This helped the researcher to know for instance the percentage of responses on whether there is positive effect of e-procurement implementation in Rwandan Hospitals especially in Kabaya District Hosptal.

3.7.3 Tabulation

According to Selltiz et al. (1965: 406-407), tabulation refers to the part of technical process on statistical analysis of data that involves counting to determine the number cases that fall into various categories. Thus, after eliminating errors, codes were assigned to each answer.

This stage led to the construction of statistical tables showing frequency distribution of answers to questions addressed to respondents. The statistical tables were used to compare the number of occurrences of each answer to questions asked. Up to this level, it was through mathematical and statistical tables that the number of occurrences of each answer in relation to the questions asked was converted into percentages which made it clear. Each table was accompanied by explanations about the nature of relationship between the variables that were indicated in tables.

3.8 Ethical consideration

The researcher adhered to free expression by respecting the rights and privacy of respondents. When it comes to human subject's research, ethical behavior is essential. For example, permission obtained and concerned parties were informed of the research objectives. Respondents freely and fairly made their choices, with no discrimination based on religion, gender, race, or other factors. The information provided in this research was kept confidential, and the findings were used to embrace the objectives of this research study, as stated in the introduction.

CHAPTER 4. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OFFINDINGS

4.0 Introduction

This chapter presents, analyzes and interprets data gathered from primary and secondary sources. The chapter is divided into sections. In order to supplement the findings from the collected copies of the questionnaire, qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Twenty copies of the questionnaire were distributed, and all of them were filled and collected, indicating that none were missing. In order to make the work more scientific with statistical evidences, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in data analysis. Findings were presented in frequency order, followed by relationship; the researcher used correlation and regression tests to analyze the relationship between independent and dependent variables.

4.1 Background of Kabaya District Hospital

In 1939, Indian and Belgian traders set up a Dispensary located near the trading center of Kabaya to be able to treat injured of Gishwati miners and the surrounding population. The set up Dispensary became a health center in the1970.

In 1982 Kabaya District Hospital was constructed with the support of Luxembourg cooperation.Kabaya District Hospital is a public Hospital located in Western Province; Ngororero District. Kabaya District Hospital is located on the main road Muhanga-Ngororero-Kabaya-Mukamira, At 69 Km from Muhanga and 27 Km to Mukamira. Kabaya District Hospital has currently a capacity of 144 beds (January,2019).It serves six health centers (Kabaya HC, Gashonyi HC, Muramba HC, Ramba HC, Mabuye HC and Rubaya HC). Serves 192113 inhabitants (2019) distributed in 6 sectors (Kabaya, Muhanda, Kavumu, Sovu, Matyazo, and Hindiro).

4.1.1 Kabaya District Hospital Vision, Mission, Values and Moto

Vision: To promote health by offering high quality services valued by the population served and comply with national and international standards.

Mission: To provide high quality services in order to contribute to the welfare of the population, to the socio-economic development and to the health of the population.

Values: High quality and safe care Provision of up-to-date medical services. Hygiene, welfare and comfort for all clients.

4.2. Profile of respondents

In social sciences research, respondents' personal characteristics play a very important role in expressing and responding to the problem. With this in mind, a set of personal characteristics, namely gender, age, education background, and working experience, were the profile of respondents considered during this research. This was done to provide a foundation for drawing conclusions about the role of e-procurement in the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals.

4.2.1 Gender of respondents

Gender is defined as the state of being male or female, which is usually used to refer to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones, but in this study, gender refers to both social and biological aspects.

Table 4.1: Gender of respondents

As shown by table 4.1, most of the respondents were male represented at 79.2%, this shows that men practice the business by using e-procurement more than women in Rwanda.

4.2.2 Educational background

Educational background can mean a variety of things, but most commonly it refers to the extent of someone's formal education to date. Respondent education level is an important variable because it allows us to analyze respondents' perceptions based on their level of education. Educated people are more open and have the ability to recall past events more easily.

Table 4.2: Level of education and qualification

Level of education and qualification		Frequency	Percent
Valid	Primary level	5	20.85
	Secondary	14	58.3
	Bachelor's Degree	5	20.85
	Total	24	100.0

As shown by table 4.2 above, most of the respondents have secondary level of education representing 58.3% of respondents, this figure shows that most of people who practice business in Rwanda have a certain level of education which is an opportunity to the implementation of e-procurement because it requires computer skills.

4.3 Findings on the effect of electronic submission of bids on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

The first objective of the study was to examine how electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The following section discusses the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of related findings. The answers to Likert scale questions are given as frequencies/percentages. Strongly Disagree was at the bottom of the scale, followed by Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree. While correlation and regression tests were used to assess the relationship.

Table 4.3: Respondents' views on electronic submission of bids and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Statements	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Total
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by time saving.	0	0	1	9	14	N=24
	0.0	0.0	4.2	37.5	58.3	100%
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by flexibility.	0	0	2	10	12	N=24
	0.0	0.0	8.3	41.7	50	100%
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by cost reduction.	0	0	3	5	16	N=24
	0.0	0.0	12.5	20.8	66.7	100%
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by eliminating paper work	0	2	3	4	15	N=24
	0.0	8.3	12.5	16.7	62.5	100%

Table 4.3 shows that the 58.3% position is strongly agree and the 37.5% position is agree while the remaining 4.2% were neutral on that the electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by time saving meaning that one of the advantages of e-procurement to the suppliers dealing with Kabaya District Hospital is time saving because after accessing all published tenders at their front desks and submission of their bids without getting out of their offices save their time.

The findings show that 50% of total respondents strongly agree, 41.7% of respondents agree and 8.5% were neutral that electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by flexibility meaning that flexibility is among of benefits of e-procurement in Kabaya District Hospital.

The statement regarding electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by cost reduction was confirmed by 66.7% of respondents strongly agree with 20.8% who agree and the reaming 12.5% were neutral on the mentioned statement. The last statement about electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by eliminating paper work was confirmed by 62.5% who strongly agreed, 16.7% agreed and minority of respondents 8.3% were neutral on advantages of electronic submission as a way to eliminate paper works.

One of the interviewees stated: "e-procurement saves time while also being efficient, Transaction speed is increased as a result of the electronic handling of tasks, which facilitates and simplifies the purchasing process. Additionally, procurement cycle times are reduced as a result of enabled relationships with suppliers. E-procurement process eliminates time-consuming activities, allowing me to devote my attention to more important tasks.»

Another participant in the interview stated: «I was tired of finding new space to store all that paperwork; with e-procurement, everything can be saved and stored electronically. This not only saves me from having to find additional space, but it also makes the process of finding older tenders more straightforward.»

In the same vein, another interviewee stated «the system of Umucyo has transparency, because all information is centralized and can be made available to management, stakeholders, shareholders and members of the public as needed.»

In agreement with Oyediran & Akintola (2011) E-tendering is a procedure in e-procurement applied in supplier selection in order to find a competent supplier using internet based ICT infrastructures or on the basis of electronic transaction through the internet. It is expected to reduce face to face transaction as well as collusion. Through e-tendering, the process of supplier or contractor selection is considered a suitable mechanism to select a proper contractor fairly, efficiently and productively.

Table 4.4: Correlation between Electronic submission of bids and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

		Electronic submission of bids	Effectiveness
Electronic submission of bids	Pearson Correlation	1	.839**
	Sig. (2-tailed)		.044
	N	24	24
Effectiveness	Pearson Correlation	.839**	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.044
	N	24	24

According to Correlation Table 4.4, Electronic submission of bids strongly correlates with the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital (r=.839 with a p value of 0.044, which is less than 0.05). This indicates that the relationship between Electronic submission of bids and the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital is significant, implying that having Electronic submission of bids has the potential to increase the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The study corroborates Flynn et al. (2010) Moreover, companies using e-procurement system reported that they achieve saving up to 42% in purchasing transaction cost as a result of less paperwork, which enabled transaction processes to be less prone to errors, leading to more efficient purchasing.

Table 4.5: Model Summary

The model summary was used to present the coefficient of determination, which explained how well changes in the independent variable explained variations in the dependent variable. The independent variable (Electronic submission of bids) has effect of 80.2% on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital as represented by R Square.

The coefficient of correlation value of 0.839 indicates that there was a positive strong correlation between independent and dependent variable. The findings support prior findings Berger & Zeng (2006). Any good e-procurement software system today is designed to greatly reduce effort and time required to complete purchasing transactions by eliminating traditional paper chain of payment reconciliation, approvals, requisitions and receiving. The key features of e-procurement approaches enables users to find an item in an electronic catalog, create a requisition, route the order requisition for approval, create and transmit the order to vendors, and also help to automate the invoicing and payment process.

Table 4.6: ANOVAa on electronic submission of bids and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Model		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
1	Regression	31.107	2	15.553	19.042	.044^b
	Residual	55.227	21	2.629
	Total	86.334	23
a. Dependent Variable: Electronic submission of bids
b. Predictors: (Constant), Effectiveness

The findings in Table 4.6 indicate that the overall model was significant. The overall model was significant as shown by a calculated F statistic of 19.042 (p value 0.044). The calculated F statistics was large than the critical F statistic. The findings indicated that the variable electronic submission of bids are good predictor of effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital, hereby the alternative hypothesis of the study: H1a:Electronic submission of bids has effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital was confirmed.

The findings support by Eadie et al. (2007), argue that e-procurement allows sections of electronic documentation to flow through the supply chain; it improves the speed of returns and subcontractor price visibility. He further notes that since it is easier to communicate requirements in a quicker more accessible manner, it will result in a better understanding of requirements and due compliance besides allowing clients to gauge the state of the market by seeing how much interest is shown in the tender.

4.4 Findings on howeasy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The second objective of the study was to find out the effect of easy access to all published tenders on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The following section discusses the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of related findings. The answers to Likert scale questions are given as frequencies/percentages. Strongly Disagree was at the bottom of the scale, followed by Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree. While correlation and regression tests were used to assess the relationship.

Table 4.7 Respondents views on easy access to all published tenders at Kabaya District Hospital

Statements	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Total
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by time saving.	0	1	2	7	14	N=24
	0.0	4.2	8.3	29.2	58.3	100%
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by transparency.	0	2	2	3	17	N=24
	0.0	8.3	8.3	12.5	70.8	100%
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by competition.	0	0	2	6	16	N=24
	0.0	0.0	8.3	25.0	66.7	100%
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by cost reduction	0	1	2	3	18	N=24
	0.0	4.2	8.3	12.5	75.0	100%

Table 4.7 above shows that the 58.3% position is strongly agree, 29.2% position is agree, 8.3% were neutral while 4.2% disagree on that easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by time saving at Kabaya District Hospital.

Table 4.7 above shows that the 70.8% position is strongly agree, 12.5% position is agree, 8.3% were neutral while 8.3% disagree on that the easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by transparency meaning that every supplier qualified and non-qualified suppliers access easily all published tenders on e-procurement portal of Kabaya District Hospital leads to high level of competition and transparency in public tendering.

Table 4.7 above shows that the 66.7% position is strongly agree, 25.0% position is agree while the 8.3% position is neutral and disagree that the easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by competition meaning that every supplier qualified and non-qualified suppliers access easily all published tenders on e-procurement portal of Kabaya District Hospital leads to high level of competition in public tendering especially at Kabaya District Hospital which leads to getting the successful bidder in the right way of procurement procedures and according to the law governing public procurement N°62/2018 of 25/08/2018 the successful bidder is a bidder whose offer has been accepted after being considered the most competitive both technically and financially and has been selected by the procuring entity in accordance with the provisions of Law.

Table 4.7 above shows that the 75.0% position is strongly agree, the 12.5% position is agree while the 8.3% position is neutral and 4.1% disagree on that easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by cost reduction of Kabaya District Hospital.

One of the interviewees stated «using electronic procurement to conduct my procurement makes it easier to write and analyze reports on my procurement systems, which means I can ensure that my procurement procedures are in compliance with the policies.»

Another interviewed respondent argued," e-procurement is significantly less time-consuming than traditional procurement, Being able to submit reusable tenders because my records are stored electronically is a huge time saver. In the meantime, the use of templates allows paperwork to be completed more quickly.»

The findings back up Rama (2014) thatelectronic procurement enhances key principles of procurement namely; transparency, value for money (efficiency), and timeliness. E-procurement enhances transparency and fairness by bringing together procuring entities and bidders in a virtual environment. Enhanced transparency and fairness brings increased private practitioners' confidence in the-procurement system. This confidence increases participation and competition.

Table 4.8: Correlation between Easy accessing and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

		Easy access to all published tenders	Effectiveness
Easy access to all published tenders	Pearson Correlation	1	.786**
	Sig. (2-tailed)		.038
	N	24	24
Effectiveness	Pearson Correlation	.786**	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.038
	N	24	24

Correlation Table 4.8 reveals that easy access to all published tenders correlates positively and significantly with the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital (r=.786 and p equal to 0.038 is less than 0.05). This provides sufficient evidence that easy access to all published tenders has the potential to increase the effectiveness of public tendering if implemented properly within Kabaya District Hospital.

The results are backed by Benston (2015) that e-public procurement technology reduces physical barriers of space and time, allows faster information flow and wider access to information and services. It offers benefits such as reducing the opportunities for corruption and providing public access to information related to the different stages of the-procurement process; greater efficiency in the-procurement process and better use of the government resources; significant savings in government and public institutions purchases due to greater competition between suppliers, better comparison of prices and reductions in transactions costs; and higher level of integration and development of economies while stimulating the competitiveness and productivity of small and medium sized companies through greater access to national and international markets.

Table 4.9: Model Summary on easy accessing and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.9 shows the coefficient of determination presented using the model summary, which demonstrated how well changes in the independent variable explained variations in the dependent variable. According to R Square, the independent variable (easy access to all published tenders) has an influence of 74.3 percent on the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The coefficient of correlation of 0.786 implies that the independent and dependent variables have a moderate positive relationship.

A survey of Williams and Hardy (2007) showed that e-procurement has become an increasingly strategic topic in companies in different industries across the private and public. Compared to a similar survey conducted two years before, E-procurement implementations had increased in both scope and spread. More companies were investing in the electronic support of procurement functions and processes.

Table 4.10: ANOVAa oneasy accessing and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Model		Sum of Squares	Df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
1	Regression	11.256	2	5.628	7.075	.036^b
	Residual	74.702	21	3.396
	Total	85.958	23
a. Dependent Variable: Easy access to all published tenders
b. Predictors: (Constant), Effectiveness

The results in table 4.10 show that the overall model was significant. An estimated F statistic of 7.075 indicated that the whole model was significant (p value 0.036). The estimated F statistics exceeded the crucial F statistic. The findings revealed that the variable easy access to all published tenders is a good predictor of the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital, hence confirming the study's alternative hypothesis; H1b: Easy access to all published tenders has positive effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The results are complementary to those made before by Diane (2016) stated that electronic procurement enhances key principles of procurement namely; transparency, value for money (efficiency), and timeliness. E-procurement enhances transparency and fairness by bringing together procuring entities and bidders in a virtual environment. Enhanced transparency and fairness brings increased private practitioners' confidence in the-procurement system. This confidence increases participation and competition.

4.5 Findings on how viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District.

The third objective of the research was to determine the extent to which viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The following section discusses the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of related findings. The answers to Likert scale questions are given as frequencies/percentages. Strongly Disagree was at the bottom of the scale, followed by Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree. While correlation and regression tests were used to assess the relationship.

Statements	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Total
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by transparency.	0	2	1	8	13	N=24
	0.0	8.3	4.2	33.3	54.2	100%
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by cost reduction.	0	0	2	5	17	N=24
	0.0	0.0	8.3	20.8	70.8	100%
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by Competition.	0	2	3	4	15	N=24
	0.0	8.3	12.5	16.7	62.5	100%
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by flexibility.	0	1	2	7	14	N=24
	0.0	4.2	8.3	29.2	58.3	100%

Table 4.11 Respondents views on how viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District.

Table 4.11 shows that the 54.2% position is strongly agree and the 33.3% position is agree while 4.1 % position is neutral and 48.3 % position is disagree on that the Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by transparency meaning that the communication within e-procurement portal of Kabaya District Hospital is viable. When there is communication from bidders as request for clarification during tendering process, e-procurement its self stops the tendering process until the the requested clarification is responded.

Table 4.11 above shows that the 70.8% position is strongly agree and the 20.8% position is agree while 8.3% position is neutral on that the Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by cost reduction meaning that one of the advantages of e-procurement to the suppliers dealing with Kabaya District Hospital is tendering cost reduction because after accessing all published tenders at their front desks and submission of their bids without getting out of their offices save their time, transport and printing costs.

Besides, table 4.11 above shows that the 62.5% position is strongly agree and the 16.7% position is agree while 12.5 % position is neutral and 8.3% disagree on that the Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by competition meaning that the communication done through Kabaya District Hospital e-procurement portal leads to competition in tendering because using e-procurement, there reduction of cost in terms of saving time because everything is done on the front desk of the bidder, transport and printing costs and reduction of office supplies like papers & toners and reduction of office equipment like printers. The reduction in cost, its self encourages the bidders to submit their bids so that the Kabaya District Hospital receives a big number of bids competing for the published tender at the Kabaya District Hospital e-procurement portal.

Additionally, table 4.11 above shows that the 58.3% position is strongly agree, the 29.2% position is agree, the 8.3% position is neutral and the 4.1% position is disagree on that the Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by flexibility which means that during tendering process at Kabaya District Hospital using its e-procurement portal, the flexibility is at higher level justifying that any submitted bid is received, evaluated and gets back the notification from Kabaya District Hospital using its e-procurement portal.

One interviewee said, «e-procurement process eliminates time-consuming activities, allowing me to devote my attention to more important tasks, I have different departments making procurement decisions, there can be differences in what and how they purchase. The use of electronic purchasing makes communication easier for every department to adhere to company's procurement standards.»

Similarly, another one said, "electronic procurement is streamlined and thus easier to check for errors; there is also no messy printing to get in the way, electronic paperwork is more cost effective." Along with this, previous orders are more easily referenced, increasing the likelihood that my company will be able to compare orders to ensure that new ones are correct.»

Also, another respondent stated «e-procurement saves my money by preventing duplicate spending, leveraging volume purchasing, and saving me from costs associated with paper-based systems (for example, the cost of stamps to mail my paperwork).»

The results are complementary to those made before by Robert E. et Al. (2007) where they also identify data transaction accuracy as a driver. These are all associated with «improving Communication». Since e-procurement allows sections of electronic documentation to flow through the supply chain; it improves the speed of returns and subcontractor price visibility. As it is easier to communicate requirements in a quicker more accessible manner, it will result in a better understanding of requirements and due compliance.

Table 4.12: Correlation viable communication and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

		Viable communication	Effectiveness
Viable communication	Pearson Correlation	1	.779**
	Sig. (2-tailed)		.019
	N	24	24
Effectiveness	Pearson Correlation	.779**	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.019
	N	24	24

According to Table 4.12, there was a moderate positive relationship between viable communication between bidders, Procuring Entity and the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital (r=.779, p of 0.019 which is less than 0.05). This means that a viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity will improve the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The findings complement the previous study of Behnam Bahreman (2010) that e-procurement is a rapid efficient method of finding and connecting new sources, being a lean channel for communication. A lot of time is spending on paper invoicing in terms of writing, filing and postal communication but while in e-procurement, staff have sufficient time to engage on strategic issues of procurement The time wasted in moving from one town or country to another to look for a potential supplier or buyer is greatly reduced since with a click of a button, you can readily get the information in the internet.

Table 4.13: Model Summary on viable communication and effectiveness of Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.13 displays the coefficient of determination, which was calculated using the model summary and revealed how well changes in the independent variable explained variations in the dependent variable. The independent variable (viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity) according to R Square has a 71.4 percent has effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The coefficient of correlation of 0.779 indicates a moderately positive correspondence between the independent and dependent variables. H1c: Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity has significant effect on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The findings are complementary to those made previously byEgbu (2007) stated that it also enables clients to gauge the state of the market by seeing how much interest is shown in the tender. For the purposes of this study these three benefits have been combined and considered under the broad category of improving communication.

Table 4.14: ANOVAa on viable communication and effectiveness of Kabaya District Hospital

Model		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
1	Regression	3.866	2	1.933	2.317	.029^b
	Residual	60.092	21	2.731
	Total	63.958	23
a. Dependent Variable: Viable communication
b. Predictors: (Constant), Effectiveness

Table 4.14 demonstrates that the overall model was significant. A value of 2.317 for the estimated F statistic indicated that the entire model was significant (p value 0.029). Estimated F statistics were greater than the critical F statistic. The findings indicated that viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity is a predictor of the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital, thereby supporting the study's alternative hypothesis.

The findings are in complement with Juliette (2013) that e-procurement is on the rise and it is said to be one of the most efficient ways to conduct business. This is evidenced by studies showing that organizations are spending as much as 50 to 60% of total revenue on e-procurement activities. E-procurement is generating great excitement because of its potential to reduce-procurement costs and improve strategic sourcing.

Table 4.15: Respondents views on effectiveness of e-procurement

Statements	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Total
E-procurement allows for more rapid and efficient information transmission which leads to high level of competition.		2	3	2	17	N=24
		8.3	12.5	8.3	70.8	100%
E-procurement provides a higher level of data security, transparency and improved skills user.		1	2	5	16	N=24
		4.2	8.3	20.8	66.7	100%
E-procurement helps to respect procurement law and ministerial order governing public procurement.			2	6	16	N=24
			8.3	25.0	66.7	100%
The use of e-procurement allows organizations to save money and time during the purchase process.			3	3	18	N=24
			12.5	12.5	75.0	100%

Table 4.15 shows that the 70.8% position is strongly agree and the 8.3% position is agree while the remaining 12.5% were neutral and 8.3% disagree on that E-procurement allows for more rapid and efficient information transmission which leads to high level of competition. The findings show that 66.7% of total respondents strongly agree, 20.8% of respondents agree, 8.3% were neutral while 4.2% disagree that E-procurement provides a higher level of data security, transparency and improved skills user. The findings show that 66.7% of total respondents strongly agree, 25.0% of respondents agree and 8.3% were neutral that E-procurement helps to respect procurement law and ministerial order governing public procurement. The findings show that 75.0% of total respondents strongly agree, 12.5% of respondents agree and 12.5% were neutral that the use of e-procurement allows organizations to save money and time during the purchase process.

One interviewee said «E-Procurement (Umucyo) via the internet can save a lot of time and money compared to the situation before its implementation. In addition to facilitating and simplifying the procuring process through the use of technology, transaction speed is increased, all while adhering to e-procurement law and ministerial order governing public procurement».

World Bank Global (2017) reported that electronic procurement (e-procurement) systems have helped governments across the world to reduce costs and increase transparency in the-procurement process. From the beginning of 2014, the Rwandan government started the process of becoming the first country in Africa to realize those benefits, by partnering with a South Korean firm to develop its own e-procurement system.

CHAPTER 5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the final summary of the research findings, conclusion, and recommendations for future research. Both the summary of findings and recommendations are based on the objectives of the study.

5.1 Summary of findings

5.1.1 Summary on effect of electronic submission of bids on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

The study's first objective was to examine how electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

According to Correlation Table 4.4, Electronic submission of bidsstrongly correlates with the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital (r=.839 with a p value of 0.044, which is less than 0.05). This indicates that the relationship between Electronic submission of bids and the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital is significant, implying that having Electronic submission of bids has the potential to increase the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The findings in Table 4.6 indicate that the overall model was significant. The overall model was significant as shown by a calculated F statistic of 19.042 (p value 0.044). The calculated F statistics was large than the critical F statistic. The findings indicated that the variable electronic submission of bids are good predictor of effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital, hence the alternative hypothesis of the study was confirmed.

5.1.2 Summary on effect of easy access to all published tenders on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

The second objective of the study was to find out the effect of easy access to all published tenders on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

5.1.3 Summary on effect of viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

5.2 Conclusion

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals, the case of Kabaya District Hospital. This study had three specific objectives: To examine how electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. To find out the effect of easy access to all published tenders on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. To determine the extent to which viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital. The study adopted a descriptive approach to establish the effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals. The sample size of 24 respondents was selected from a list of 35 Suppliers that have contracts with Kabaya District Hospital and staff of Kabaya District Hospital. Data were collected from the respondents through a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics and inferential analysis using statistical package for social science (SPSS). The data were then presented in tables and charts. The findings indicate that there is a positive effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals.

5.3 Recommendations for various users of research product / stakeholders

Ministry should find out ways of encouraging employees in procurement department to make use of e-procurement systems from Health centre up to Hospitals, If employees are encouraged to use the e-procurement, adoption of the same will greatly improve. It is therefore recommended that Enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems in particular should be concerned with trying to integrate and co-ordinate the various internal functional areas in order to break down those functional boundaries and ensure decisions for areas like marketing, operations and financial decisions are all made using the same data.

Based on research findings, Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRMS) can also be used to co-ordinate the supply chain by ensuring better sharing of information. In summation, the use of information technology in e-procurement is considered to be the driving force of innovation strategy action.

It is necessary to improve coordination with medical and administrative staff in the hospital when it comes to the selection of materials to be ordered.

5.4 Areas for further exploration and research

This study is a milestone for future research particularly in Rwanda. The findings emphasized on the effect of implementation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals from 2019- 2020:A case study of Kabaya District Hospital. Future research will need to be carried out in other Hospitals in order to confirm the positive effect of implementation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals from 2019- 2020.

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APPENDICES

I am studying Master's Program of Science in Procurement and Supply Chain Management at Kigali Independent University (Musanze Campus) andI am carrying out the research entitled Effect of implementation of e-procurement on effectiveness of Rwandan Hospitals from 2019- 2020. Case of Kabaya District Hospital.

This questionnaire is purely for academic purposes and I kindly request you to participate in responding to the questions below to help me getting the information needed in my research. The information obtained will be treated with almost confidentiality.

SECTION B: EFFECT OF ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF BIDS ON EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC TENDERING AT KABAYA DISTRICT HOSPITAL

3. Indicateyour level of agreement on the statements by placing a tick (v) against correct option. (1- Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4- Agree, 5-Strongly Agree)

	1	2	3	4	5
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by Time saving.
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by flexibility.
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by Cost reduction.
Electronic submission of bids affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital by eliminating paper work

SECTION C: THE EFFECT OF EASY ACCESS TO ALL PUBLISHED TENDERS ON EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC TENDERING AT KABAYA DISTRICT HOSPITAL?

4.Indicate your level of agreement on the statements by placing a tick (v) against correct option. (1- Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4- Agree, 5-Strongly Agree)

	1	2	3	4	5
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by time saving.
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by transparency.
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by Competition.
Easy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering by Cost reduction

SECTION D: VIABLE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BIDDERS AND PROCURING ENTITY LEADS TOEFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC TENDERING AT KABAYA DISTRICT HOSPITAL

5.Indicate your level of agreement on the statements by placing a tick (v) against correct option. (1- Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4- Agree, 5-Strongly Agree)

	1	2	3	4	5
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by transparency.
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by cost reduction.
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by Competition.
Viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering by flexibility.

6.Indicate your level of agreement on the statements by placing a tick (v) against correct option. (1- Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4- Agree, 5-Strongly Agree)

	1	2	3	4	5
E-procurement allows for more rapid and efficient information transmission.
E-procurement provides a higher level of data security within an organization.
E-procurement improves access to a larger supplier base is made easier.
The use of e-procurement allows organizations to save money on their purchases.

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Effect of e-procurement implementation on the effectiveness of rwandan hospitals a case of Kabaya district hospital (2019- 2020)

DECLARATION

DEDICATION

APPROVAL

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Introduction

1.1. Background

1.2. Statement of the problem

1.3 Objectives of the study

1.3.1 General objective

1.3.2 Specific objectives

1.4 Research hypotheses

1.5 Significance of the study

1.6 Scope of the study

1.6.1 Content scope

1.6.2. Time Scope

1.6.3. Geographical Scope

1.7 Interest of the study

1.7.1. Personal interest

1.7.2. Social interest

1.7.3. Scientific interest

1.8 Chapter outline

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

2.1. Understanding the concepts of e-procurement

2.1.1. Procurement

2.1. 2. E-procurement

2.2 Theoretical review

2.2.1 Transaction Cost Theory

2.2.2 The E -Technology Perspective Theory

2.2.3 Resource - Based Theory

2.2.4 Technology Acceptance Theory

2.3 Empirical review

2.4. Theoretical Framework

Figure 1: Theoretical Framework

2.5. Research gaps

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

3.0. Introduction

3.1 Research design

3.2 Study population

3.3 Purposive sampling

3. 4 Data collection methods and instruments

3.4.1 Questionnaire

3.4.2 Interview Schedule

3.4.3 Documentation

3. 5. Sources of data

3.5.1 Primary data

3.5.2 Secondary data

3.6. Reliability and validity

3.7 Data processing and analysis

3.7.1 Editing

3.7.2 Coding

3.7.3 Tabulation

3.8 Ethical consideration

CHAPTER 4. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OFFINDINGS

4.0 Introduction

4.1 Background of Kabaya District Hospital

4.1.1 Kabaya District Hospital Vision, Mission, Values and Moto

4.2. Profile of respondents

4.2.1 Gender of respondents

Table 4.1: Gender of respondents

4.2.2 Educational background

Table 4.2: Level of education and qualification

4.3 Findings on the effect of electronic submission of bids on effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.3: Respondents' views on electronic submission of bids and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.4: Correlation between Electronic submission of bids and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.5: Model Summary

Table 4.6: ANOVAa on electronic submission of bids and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

4.4 Findings on howeasy access to all published tenders affects effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital.

Table 4.7 Respondents views on easy access to all published tenders at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.8: Correlation between Easy accessing and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.9: Model Summary on easy accessing and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

Table 4.10: ANOVAa oneasy accessing and effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District Hospital

4.5 Findings on how viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District.

Table 4.11 Respondents views on how viable communication between bidders and Procuring Entity leads to the effectiveness of public tendering at Kabaya District.