Procurement challenges in public-sector agricultural development projects in Bangladesh

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the key challenges to project procurement in public-sector agricultural development projects in Bangladesh. Being exploratory in nature, the study applied the modified Delphi method, the best worst method (BWM), and the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach sequentially for the investigation. Ten key procurement challenges were identified and validated through the use of a literature review and two rounds of modified Delphi with the input of 15 experts in the field. Then the BWM was applied to assess the responses of eight industry experts to estimate the relative importance of the challenges. After that, a second panel of ten experts was interviewed using ISM to look at the contextual relationships between the challenges. This led to a four-layer interpretive structural model and MICMAC (cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) analysis of the challenges. Among the 10 key challenges, ‘lack of competent procurement staff’ is found to be the most significant challenge; whereas, based on the inter-relationships among the challenges, ‘political influence’ is identified as the most influential challenge. As a result, it is recommended that relevant professionals and policymakers address these challenges in terms of their relevance, relative dependencies, and influences in a holistic manner. This study addresses a knowledge gap by offering a thorough investigation of the challenges associated with public-sector agricultural project procurement in a developing country’s context. This makes it useful for professionals in the field, academics, policymakers, and future researchers.

Supply chain challenges and recommendations for international development agriculture projects: an application of the FGD-fuzzy Delphi approach

“…Project supply chain. Project supply chain and procurement differs from other types of supply chain management, such as product supply chain management, in that each project has some unique, novel, and unfamiliar characteristics that must be implemented within a specific budget, time frame, and resource allocation (Basu and Wright, 2016;Khan et al, 2022bKhan et al, , 2022c.…”

“…Given the complexities associated with project supply chains, it is necessary and important for project-based organizations to manage their entire supply chain in a more formal and structured manner (Morris and Pinto, 2007;Venkataraman 2007). Furthermore, not only is effective management of the challenges directly related to the success of the individual project, but it is also directly related to the sustainable development of the socio-economic condition of the host countries, given that the purpose of these projects is to enhance the quality of life in a specific community (Khan et al, 2022b(Khan et al, , 2022cMorris and Pinto, 2007;Rodríguez-Rivero et al, 2021;Zada et al, 2023b). In addition, the outcome of the projects is intertwined with bilateral cooperation between the host country and developed countries, as well as other regional and international development partners, because the projects are primarily funded by international aid to countries with a low level of development (Diallo and Thuillier, 2005;Hermano et al, 2013).…”

“…The majority of agricultural projects aim to increase crop yield, which is impacted in whole or in part by the environment and natural disasters (Khan et al, 2022c;Yazdani et al, 2019). Thus, the projects face unique challenges that distinguish them from other project types, such as construction projects (Khan et al, 2022a(Khan et al, , 2022b(Khan et al, , 2022c. Previous studies on ID projects addressed only a subset of general procurement issues that affect ID project procurement (Ahsan and Paul, 2018).…”

“…The study takes Bangladesh's public-sector agriculture projects as an example. As an agrarian and developing country, agriculture employs more than 40% of the workforce, and agriculture is critical to the country's economic growth and rural development (Khan et al, 2022b(Khan et al, , 2022cPD, 2020). Concerns about the supply chain and procurement of ID projects have recently grown in the country as it implements public sector ID projects with the goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country and a higher-income country by fiscal years 2031 and 2041, respectively.…”

Political Otherness of the Bihari Community in Bangladesh

“…The Bihari community is a marginalized ethnic minority community in Bangladesh. This community consists of Urdu-speaking Muslim migrants who migrated from India and Pakistan and settled in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) after the partition of British India in 1947 (Bashar, 2006;Khan & Samadder, 2011;Khan, 2015). Though most of this population live in India and Pakistan, many reside in Bangladesh.…”