EXAMINING THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS FOR OPTIMIZING PROCUREMENT PROCESSES

The study aimed to address the challenges encountered by the Bids and Awards Committee and the stakeholders in the procurement processes of a state college in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The study also identified the gaps in understanding and implementing the procurement rules and regulations prescribed by RA 9184 and its procurement processes to enhance efficiency, minimize delays, and ensure compliance with the prescribed legal framework. The interview was used to identify the challenges encountered by the committee. The findings of this study have proven that the lack of knowledge of RA 9184 and the lack of personnel assigned to do the clerical work were significant factors of the delays, which are greatly supported by the available rigorous literature. The results suggest that interventions such as training RA 9184 and coming up with a prototype procurement process flow, hiring personnel in the procurement office, and conducting benchmarking activities that provide an opportunity for the key persons to learn from the best procurement practices from state colleges and universities are necessary to address the challenges of the procurement processes of the college.