North West Centre of Excellence Procurement Training Programme

The Programme

The NWCE is offering a new procurement training programme, aimed primarily at lawyers, procurement officers and other senior managers with an interest in procurement.
The training is intended to help improve understanding of the rules and regulations that apply to procurement, in particular, how they can be best interpreted to gain value for money and provide the flexibility to meet the current demand for further collaboration and joint working.
It is important that the procurement rules and regulations that govern local authorities are used to add value rather than hinder efficiency progress. The training programme will do just that by looking at the interpretation of legislation in a positive manner and building up a toolkit that will achieve value for money whilst still complying with the legislation and the requirement for probity when dealing with the public purse.
The first of the six modules will be on July 12, with the second module on September 13. The remaining four modules will be held from October through to January 2008.
Training will be a mixture of prepared information, case studies, discussion and exercises. The programme content is flexible and can be adapted to pick up the issues of the day.
A working folder will be provided which will build up into a useful working tool and reference document.
A maximum of 24 delegates is recommended for each module. To enrol, click the links below. There will be no charge for attendance but the NWCE reserves the right to charge £100 for non-attendance.

12.07.2007     Module One - Procurement and Regulatory Background

13.09.2007     Module Two - Procurement processes, including E procurement

11.10.2007     Module Three - Managing Relationships, Collaboration and Partnering
 
13.11.2007     Module Four - Specification, Evaluation and Award   

13.12.2007     Module Five - Designing, implementing and managing contracts and Supply Chain Management

15.01.2008 Module Six - Internal management of Procurement   

Course Tutor

Peter Howarth is an experienced consultant and trainer who runs bespoke courses through his company SBV as well as courses on behalf of the 4Ps, BiP, IDeA and other conference and training providers. Independent clients include local authorities, other public sector organisations and private sector clients.
He is also currently the chief executive of the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) He was previously in local government having worked for Suffolk County Council where he was director of strategic management closely with borough and district councils on a number of policy and process issues ranging from regeneration to communication. He also spent three years working with the IDeA as an advisor and is an associate of the 4Ps.
He is passionate about the role that local authorities can play in their communities and believes that good procurement can help deliver the effective services and community benefits that everyone desires.