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Demand Management

Purpose

With local authorities under increasing pressure, demand management represents a significant untapped opportunity for achieving savings and better value for money. However, managing the demand for goods and services, rather than simply seeking to obtain them at the best possible price, often requires a culture change which can be challenging to achieve in practice.

This interactive workshop will explore the concept of demand management, draw out the barriers to it and look at the practical steps organisations can take to embed it in the way they commission, procure and manage contracts.

Aim and objectives

  • Explore and come to a common understanding of what demand management means and how it can be applied in a procurement context

  • Identify the barriers to effective demand management and develop ideas for how they can be overcome

  • Learn about good practice in demand management in a procurement context

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is focused on staff in corporate procurement, commissioning and service teams who have responsibility for developing strategies, designing specifications and managing contracts.

All members of the wider procurement network are encouraged and welcome, as this will provide diversity in perspectives and discussion on the day.

What will I get out of it?

  • Deeper understanding of the concept of demand management and what it means in a procurement context

  • Chance to share experiences and learn from others

  • Ideas to take back to your organisations to embed demand management

        

Project Development and Control

Purpose

The Procurement process benefits from a project based approach.  The purpose of the Project Development and Control workshop is to provide Procurement and Procurement related  professionals with some insight into how they can implement project management tools and techniques to more effectively manage their tendering and procurement activities.

Aims and Objective

At the end of this course learners will be able to develop a business case, a project plan and manage the delivery of the plan.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop will benefit individuals within the organisation, with tangible outputs from the day.

For those that are involved in delivering projects or project based work, you will gain an insight to the popular project management approaches and documents that you may need to create or may be expected to input to. 

An insight is provided into a different method by which to plan and deliver procurement activities making the running of these much more effective.

Prior project management knowledge is not required for this course as you will be taken through the basics of several models and tools and techniques. 

What will you get out of it?

  • Project management tools and techniques which will assist you in planning and developing your Procurement activities

  • Insight to a variety of Project Management models (PRINCE2, Agile, etc) and the means to select the most appropriate model depending on the project

  • Clarity on the language, tools and jargon Project Managers use to increase you comfort level when managing / working with Project Managers.


Contract and Supplier Management

Purpose

Procurement Professional acknowledge the importance of Contract and Supplier Management (CSM) activities to build excellent partnerships, drive greater value and introduce innovative practices in contracts and frameworks.  Even with this acknowledgement however, it is an aspect of our role that continues to be neglected in favour of our Business As Usual activities.

Aims and Objectives 

  • Re-emphasise the value of CSM

  • Establish the key opportunities for and detractors to CSM

  • Provide the means for a dialogue across the public sector to consider solutions to these opportunities and detractors

  • Give an insight into the tools and techniques that can be used to initiate and run a healthy CSM process within your organisation

  • To showcase and discuss examples of Best Practice

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop would best be attended by those who already have a strong understanding of CSM thus allowing the session to focus on how to overcome the key detractors as opposed to taking learners through CSM concepts.

The outputs from the day will inform future CSM workshops and as such, this would be suited to procurement professionals across the Centres of Procurement Expertise and within the public sector bodies that they represent and who can influence the organisations’ CSM approach.

What will you get out of it?

  • Access to other Public Sector Procurement Professionals to discuss all matters CSM

  • Hear from thought leaders on good CSM practices

  • Practical tools and techniques for identifying CSM detractors and opportunities

  • Support in creating a CSM organisational action plan

  • The opportunity to share and benefit from good practice examples


Working with Stakeholders

Purpose

Our stakeholder network is critical to effective service delivery and in achieving the objectives we set. It can be a complex environment to navigate, as often different stakeholder groups appear to conflict the need of one another. We require effective working relationships for our own professional growth, and to enable us to deliver the best service possible to customers. This interactive workshop will provide techniques to get the best from stakeholder relationships, with tools that can then be applied in your own organisations on return.

Aims

  • To understand your stakeholders needs and how they relate to service & strategic objectives

  • To establish a collective experience from internal stakeholders

  • To provide methods for managing stakeholder challenges

Objectives

  • Work through practical tools and techniques in individual and group sessions

  • Explore real-life challenges and best practice examples

  • Reflect on learning, and share best practice examples

  • Provide attendees with post-course materials to transfer learning to the workplace

Who is this course for?

The course is focussed at corporate procurement professionals, with the responsibility of managing external stakeholder relationships. The course would be best attended by a level of management that has the responsibility to transfer learning back to the workplace, after the course.

All members of the wider procurement network are encouraged and welcome, as this will provide diversity in perspectives and discussion on the day.

What will I get out of it?

  • Fresh insight into your colleagues’ strengths and needs

  • A collective understanding of how to create best value for your customers

  • Access to professionals in the wider procurement network

  • Applied techniques to take back to your respective organisations