Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices and Performance of United Nations Agencies in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

This paper presents results from a study on influence of SustainableSupply Chain Practices on performance of UN Agencies in Nairobi,Kenya. The study was guided by the following research objectives:to establish the SSCP adopted by UN agencies in Kenya and theextent to which these practices have been adopted; to determine therelationship between SSCP adopted by UN agencies and theirperformance; and to establish challenges faced by UN agencies inimplementing SSCP. The research adapted a correlation crosssectional research design in collecting data from respondents. Thestudy involved a census of the UN Agencies in Nairobi. The primarytool for collecting data was questionnaires administered by theresearchers to allow for further probing on issues that not unclear to  the respondents. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics,regression analysis, correlation analysis and factor analysis with theaid of SPSS 20.0.Findings from the study revealed that stakeholder engagement,having a diverse supplier network, ensuring suppliers have a sustainablepolicy, good working conditions for employees, employee health andsafety as well as ethical sourcing, production and distribution werehighly adopted. The findings also showed that through adoption ofSSC practices, UN agencies were able to get new marketopportunities, increased their operational as well as productionefficiencies, reduced their costs and improved the organizations ' corporate image. Funding limitation and delays, procurement delays,strains in control, and staff resistance to adopting change were shownto be some of the challenges faced by UN Agencies. It is suggestedthat training of employees, community training and having asustainable policy would help in curbing the challenges. It is evidentfrom the correlation analysis that adopting SSC practices had an effecton performance of these organizations.