Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Procurement Method Selection has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with project cost performance. This growing interest reflects the recognition that procurement method selection does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Gombe State.

Gombe State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While procurement method selection is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on project cost performance within Gombe State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to procurement method selection are helping or hindering project cost performance — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Procurement Method Selection on project cost performance in Gombe State.
2. To assess the extent to which procurement method selection influences project cost performance within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with procurement method selection in relation to project cost performance.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing procurement method selection in order to improve project cost performance.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of procurement method selection on project cost performance in Gombe State?
2. To what extent does procurement method selection influence project cost performance within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with procurement method selection in relation to project cost performance?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize procurement method selection in order to improve project cost performance?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around project cost performance. For managers and practitioners within Gombe State, the study provides practical insight into how procurement method selection can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on quantity surveying by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Gombe State, focusing specifically on how procurement method selection relates to project cost performance within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.