Effect of Public-Private Partnership Procurement Strategy on Education Cost Management: A case of Primary Schools in Rachuonyo North Sub-County, Kenya.

Abstract

Universal primary education is one of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It prompted the government of Kenya to introduce Free Primary Education (FPE) in the year 2003 in an attempt to achieve primary education for all by the year 2015, where everybody in school going age had equitable access to quality education. This had not been successful due to high cost of education. The research sought the possibility of using publicprivate partnership procurement strategy (PPP) to make education cost to be manageable. The overall objective of this study was to determine the effect of PPP strategy on education cost management. Specifically, the study sought to establish the extent to which government .subsidies affect education costs; private management affect efficiency in school operation and private fmance initiatives affect infrastructural development. The study was guided by a conceptual framework where the dependent variable was education cost management and the independent variable was PPP strategy. The study adopted descriptive research design. The study population was 229 head teachers. A sample size of 47 head teachers were selected using simple random sampling and 3 key informants purposively picked. Data were from primary source and were collected using questionnaires. Reliability test was conducted using split half method while validity was ascertained through experts' opinion. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that 57.4% of the respondents agreed that subsidies lower education cost while 2.1% disagreed. It further revealed that 48.9% strongly agreed that subsidies increased enrollment. It was found that 55.3% agreed that flexibility in remuneration reduced strikes in schools While 8.5% disagreed. All of the respondents agreed that PPPP strategy could ensure speedy completion of projects While 74.4% agreed that PPPP strategy ensures sustainability of projects. These fmdings showed that there should be several pre-conditions set before the identification of the right firms to be awarded contracts; there exist a general improvement in education cost management under the public - private partnership procurement arrangement. The study concluded that PPP strategies positively affect education cost management in Kenya. The study recommended that there is need for capacity building in order to make people aware of the concept of PPP and their roles in improving education standards; private firms to be involved in PPP through open bidding process. Other researchers may use other research designs to improve on the current study.