Creating Social Value through Public Sector Construction Procurement in Ghana: Contractors and Consultants’ Perspective

Purpose: Social value in procurement places considerations on society, the environment and the economy at the heart of the procurement process. It can also be understood as the using of the construction procurement process to create Social Value. The aimed study was to identify how social value is generated through public sector construction procurement in Ghana. Methodology, design, and approach: Through a critical review of available literature, a questionnaire was developed and administered to various professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry. statistical package for social science (SPSS version 25). The results were analysed using mean scores, percentages, and the relative importance index. Findings: The findings indicated the extent of implementation of social value in Ghana is average. Organisational Culture, corruption existing amongst procurement practitioners, lack of stringent policies and laws where the three most significant factors that affect the implementation of social value. This was based on the contractor’s perspective. For the consultants, organisational culture, municipal cooperation and resources expended in the implementation of social value were also the three most significant factors that affect the implementation of social value in the country. Practical implication: Both public and private institutions have practices concerning procurement practices and also practices concerning decision-making in the construction industry of Ghana regarding the implementation and adoption of social value. Since social value is a growing area, especially in Ghana, it should be part of the procurement process in evaluating and selecting a contractor for construction works in Ghana. The ability to make social value a criterion for evaluating and selecting a contractor will go a long way toward benefiting people in society and the country at large, as society, the economy, and the environment will be positively impacted. Social implication: The study, if used by making sure that social value regulations and policies are enacted by parliament, will provide grounds for good procurement practices where the society or areas with ongoing projects benefit from the projects, such as employment, buying from locals, and other requirements that may be needed to be undertaken in the community since these practices are hardly done in the country as it not mandatory to do so. Originality/value: The study contributes to the contemporary and growing discussion on the concept of social value globally and the barriers hindering its implantation in Ghana. The findings of this study provide important information on social value research, implementation and the barriers hindering the implementation in the construction industry of Ghana.