Social and Economic Impacts of Procurement Reforms on Local Communities in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study explores procurement reforms and social and economic impacts on local communities in Zimbabwe, focusing on how these reforms have influenced transparency, community participation and inclusive economic development in rural settings. Utilising a quantitative research design, data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to stakeholders involved in public procurement, including suppliers, local authorities and community members. The targeted sample size was 60 respondents. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, KMO, Bartlett's test, and structural equation modeling (SEM) are employed to analyse the relationships between procurement reforms and their perceived impacts. The results indicate that procurement reforms have positively contributed to increased access to public procurement opportunities, reduced corruption and fostered greater accountability and trust among community stakeholders. Additionally, the introduction of digital tools and social media platforms has facilitated improved information dissemination, vendor engagement and monitoring of procurement activities, aligning with global trends in circular economy and digital governance. These findings support existing literature emphasizing the transformative potential of transparent procurement systems in enhancing service delivery and promoting equitable development (Kristensen et al., 2021; Chikwere et al., 2023). The study concludes that while significant progress has been made, sustained political will, capacity building and community empowerment remain critical to ensuring the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of procurement reforms in Zimbabwe‘s local governance landscape.