Why PR is a must in procurement

 

The procurement function has for long been seen by Ugandans as a den of thieves, with the sole purpose of amassing wealth in the shortest time possible. 

 

Many contractors also think that if they do not pay bribes they cannot win tenders. These and many other biases have continued to taint the procurement function and the whole sector generally. 

 

However, the situation can be changed if sector players and organisations embraced public relations (PR) as major component in the procurement process. It can also be used to educate contractors and the public about the industry.

 

This is especially important in today’s world, where people are bombarded with a lot of information daily, making it difficult for some people or firms to understand and appreciate the procurement function.

 

When PR is made a major player in the procurement cycle, people will know more about it and appreciate it. 

 

It is not a secret that some contractors or procurement entities underperform or fail to win tenders they would have otherwise won if they had the necessary information.

 

Without the necessary data to make the right decisions, performance is limited. However, this can be turned around if the procurement function utilises PR professionals who would feed it with robust and up-to-date information in the industry.

 

“Public relations is necessary to bridge the capacity gap in communication, especially in public procurement. People have a misconception that public procurement is hard due to lack of information,” Dora Egunyu, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) spokesperson, notes.

 

She pointed out that procurement is a specialised profession, which makes people less interested in it. 

Therefore, public relations can be used to garner interest in the function, she says.

 

Egunyu points out that the ultimate objective of procurement is service delivery and good communication would enhance it.

“If purchasing function performs its activities effectively, the organisation will have a competitive advantage over its competition,” she argues.

 

 Egunyu adds that the public also needs to be informed on who the key players in procurement process are and their respective roles. 

“This will help them know where to place the blame if there is a fault in the function,” she notes.

Benon Basheka, the chairperson of the Institute of Procurement Professionals (IPPU), observes that most people and companies do not appreciate the procurement function because they do not understand how it operates.

 “With effective public relations, they will be able to understand the function and their attitudes towards the profession would change.”

Basheka points out that having enough information and understanding the guidelines in procurement would help professionals in the sector to perform the function as required.

He notes that there are people who see the profession as a get-rich-quick scheme, yet if it is done properly, it saves a lot on costs for an organisation “and the consumers are able to get the company’s products and services with added value.”