Available online at www.HEFJournal.org Journal of Human, Earth, and Future Vol. 1, No. 1, March, 2020 20 Assessing Decentralized Contract Life Cycle Management Issues and Challenges Gracious Jean Ampumuza 1 * , Wilson Okaka 1 , Peter W. Obanda 1 , Titus Bitek Watmon 1 1 Kyambogo University, P. O. Box 1, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda Received 28 December 2019; Revised 23 February 2020; Accepted 26 February 2020; Published 01 March 2020 Abstract This article examines the influence of contract life cycle management on procurement performance of Local Governments in Uganda using Bugiri District as the case study. The three specific objectives of this study were to: examine the influence of contract creation on procurement performance; to assess the influence of contract execution on procurement performance and lastly, to determine the influence of contract analysis on procurement performance. The researcher employed a descriptive case study research design. Using a researcher’s made five point Likert scale questionnaire, data was collected from a sample of respondents. Seventy (70) respondents out of a population of eighty (80) were selected using purposive and random sampling techniques (response rate of 94.3%). Data was analyzed using means and the regression analysis. Findings revealed that; the extent to which contract creation predicts performance was low (r 2 = 0.36, Sig. Value= 0.000); the extent to which contract execution influences procurement performance was low (r 2 = 0.34, Sig. Value = 0.003) and lastly, the extent to which contract analysis influences procurement performance was moderate (r 2 =0.44, Sig. Value = 0.001). On the other hand, findings revealed that contract management at Bugiri District local government in Uganda highly and positively influences procurement performance (R 2 = 0.779 Sig. Value= 0.000). This implies that where each of these variables; contract creation, execution and analysis are handled separately, each has a low influence on procurement performance. However if handled wholesomely, results show that high procurement performance (78%) will be achieved. In light of this, the researcher therefore concludes that; practioneers, managers and civil servants at Bugiri District should adopt a holistic approach in contract management, if procurement performance is to be maximized. Keywords: Contract Life Cycle Management; Procurement; Contract Creation; Contract Execution; Contract Analysis; Service Delivery. 1. Introduction In a bid to improve service delivery and enhance good governance, it is a government policy to involve contractors or suppliers in one way or another to support in providing services, products and works to meet its intended requirements at a decentralised level in Uganda. In several African countries, few articles have rigorously analyzed and empirically tested the factors that actually affect a government agency’s decision to manage contracts. Within the relatively scarce empirical evidence on contracting decisions and management [1, 2], there is yet little information on the effectiveness of contract management specific to public procurement. In Uganda Public procurement was centralized and carried out by Crown Agents on behalf of government in 1964; Central Tender Board Regulations * Corresponding author: graciousampumuza@gmail.com http://dx.doi.org/10. 28991/HEF-2020-01-01-03  This is an open access article under the CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). © Authors retain all copyrights.