Assessing Sustainability in Public Procurement in Ghana: An AHP–MCDM Approach

Authors

  • Prof. John Awuah Addor Author
  • Dr. Gifty Kumadey Author
  • Dr. Emmanuel Ayitey Author
  • Mr. Govinda Das Yankah Takoradi Technical University image/svg+xml Author
  • Mr. Issaka Sulemana Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.512

Keywords:

Supplier Evaluation, Decision Support Systems, Environmental Criteria, Public Sector Purchasing, Multi-Criteria Analysis

Abstract

Public procurement in Ghana accounts for a substantial share of expenditure and holds potential for advancing sustainability, yet mechanisms for balancing environmental, social, economic, and operational goals remain limited. This study applied the Analytic Hierarchy Process within a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making framework to evaluate the importance of sustainability criteria, assess sectoral and supplier performance, and test ranking robustness. Results showed environmental priorities dominated, with Carbon Footprint (20.44%) and Environmental Cost (19.69%) contributing over 40% of total weight. Operational factors such as Risk Management (M = 6.21) and Supplier Reliability (M = 6.09) recorded the highest scores. Energy Systems ranked strongest (M = 0.5948), while Office Supplies ranked lowest (M = 0.4779). Large suppliers performed better on efficiency and quality, while smaller suppliers contributed most through local content. Rankings remained stable under sensitivity testing. The framework demonstrates a transparent approach for embedding sustainability into procurement and informs national policy and comparative research.

Author Biographies

  • Prof. John Awuah Addor

    Associate Professor of Mathematics
    Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Takoradi Technical University, Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana

  • Dr. Gifty Kumadey

    Department of Procurement and Supply, Takoradi Technical University, Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana

  • Dr. Emmanuel Ayitey

    Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Takoradi Technical University, Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana

  • Mr. Govinda Das Yankah, Takoradi Technical University

    Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, Takoradi Technical University, Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana

  • Mr. Issaka Sulemana

    Department of Procurement and Supply, Takoradi Technical University, Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana

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Published

2026-02-01

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Original Research Paper

How to Cite

Addor, J. A., Kumadey, G., Ayitey, E., Yankah, G. D., & Sulemana, I. (2026). Assessing Sustainability in Public Procurement in Ghana: An AHP–MCDM Approach. International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.512