Reforming public sector supply chains in Limpopo: Unveiling governance challenges and strategic imperatives

Abstract

Supply Chain Management (SCM) plays a vital role in any organization, facilitating trade both globally and locally. An organization with a robust SCM can easily meet demands, ensuring that goods or services are readily available and delivered promptly. However, poor structuring and management of SCM can lead to significant challenges, including service delivery failures. This study aims to analyze supply chain practices in the public sector in Limpopo Province, specifically focusing on public entities. The study seeks to identify weaknesses within the supply chain practices of public entities in Limpopo, highlighting issues such as lack of strategic alignment, inadequate policy implementation, and poor enforcement of SCM rules and regulations. A qualitative research approach was employed, collecting data through interviews with various experts from different public sectors to address the identified flaws in SCM practices. The findings reveal that there is a significant misalignment between supply chain and organizational strategies, which has led to service delivery backlogs, high levels of corruption, and continuous strikes across the province for better services. The study also finds that top-level management, including provincial leaders, do not perceive SCM as vital enough to warrant their attention, resulting in limited support for SCM practitioners. The lack of strategic focus and governance failures in SCM contribute to financial inefficiencies and poor service delivery, underscoring the need for provincial leaders to adopt a more strategic approach to SCM as a tool for improving public service delivery. This study provides insights into the critical role of SCM in the public sector, highlighting the urgent need for effective strategies, policy enforcement, and managerial support to mitigate governance and compliance failures. The research underscores the necessity for public entities in Limpopo to realign SCM strategies with organizational goals to enhance service delivery and combat corruption.