*** RESEARCH ***
RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS
In the last 50 years, Africa has focused and battled to develop a uniquely African solution to its challenges. The continent continues to face challenges in the medium term to accelerate and broaden economic growth; achieve a sustainable balance in the population-food-environment nexus; achieve good governance and put an end to conflicts; and cope with globalization and attain international competitiveness. These are consequence of wide-scale structural weaknesses which require comprehensive reforms, innovative and pragmatic policies that have sufficient flexibility, generous support from external partners, patience and long-term commitment. To reduce the incidence and severity of poverty in Africa, sustained and broad-based robust growth is needed. This solution can be found through effective procurement practices.
The world of procurement and supply chain management has changed. In the past, procurement was confident to the backroom spaces for both private and public sector organisations. However, there has been a paradigm shift with procurement getting attention in the boardroom and policy decision-making corridors. In the public sector for example, procurement could be used by executives and government officials to drive policy decision-making towards long term socio-economic development and industrialisation in realisation of agenda 2063. Taking a collection decision and upholding the value of effective procurement to remedy how public sectors organisations in Africa could strategically source and acquire products and services as well as deal with selected suppliers is paramount to addressing Africa problems of rising unemployment, service delivery bad lock, creating jobs, and building a vibrant society. Procurement has proven to be pertinent when seeking improvements to improve service delivery quality, organisational and industrial competitiveness, boost economic growth and more importantly facilitate economic development.
Sub-themes for the research project are:
- Strategic procurement, with particular focus on procurement strategy, category management, strategic sourcing, category management, buyer-supplier relationships, logistics and transport infrastructure.
- Public procurement and supply chain management, how government institutions leverage their purchasing buying power towards integrated socio-economic empowerment policies and championing the socio-economic empowerment of disadvantaged individuals. Innovation and sustainability in public procurement, ethics, policies and regulations, governance, referential/targeted procurement, and professionalism.
- Emerging issues in procurement and supply chain management, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, digitalisation and crisis management.
- Policies and regulations provision on supply chain management
- Recognising the strategic role of supply chain management
- Establishing targets and appointment of transformation agents
- Enterprise and supplier development & the establishment of incubation centres
- Strategic sourcing, localisation and industralisation.
- Commodity management & strategy
- Sustainable and Innovative procurement
- Ethics and Professionalism
- Skills and capacity development
RESEARCH SUPPORT SERVICES TO ORGANISATIONS
RESEARCH SUPPORT TO POST GRADUATE STUDENTS
Prof Ambe provides innovative research solutions to the public and private sector organisations in the form of:
- Procurement Audit Services
- Benchmarking Services
- Feasibility studies
- Case studies
- Surveys
- Market analysis
If you are interested to discuss ideas on how to transform your supply chains, Professor Ambe is the right choice for your sustainable solutions.
Prof Marcus Ambe has and continues to assist post graduate students to advance their supply chain career. With his elaborate experience, he provides first hand coaching, guidance as well as mentorship in your academic carrier journey. If you are battling with:
- formulating and clarifying a feasible research topic;
- writing your research proposal;
- identifying and formulating research problems;
- understanding research philosophies and approaches;
- critically reviewing the literature;
- formulating the research design;
- selecting samples;
- collecting data;
- analysing qualitative data;
- analysing quantitative data; and
- Writing and presenting your research project.