Procurement Act - A focus on training
By Dean Fazackerley, LHC Head of Procurement
One of the key messages that came from public sector buyers – in response to the green paper consultation ‘Transforming Public Procurement’, December 2020, and also the white paper that followed – was that the government needed to provide adequate support and training to help authorities with the transition to the new act.
It was pleasing to see the feedback taken on board; this bitesize guide provides a breakdown of the various training options that are available, plus LHC’s guidance on who should make use of this free resource within your organisation.
Knowledge Drops
Knowledge Drops are short, on-demand videos designed to provide a high level overview of the Procurement Act, the principles involved and how to prepare for it. There are six short YouTube videos amounting to 45 minutes of viewing in total.
This is stage one of the training provision offered by the government. LHC’s recommendation is that anyone involved in the design, procurement, evaluation and contract management activities within buying organisations undertake this training offer.
Alongside any internal training or masterclasses, this should be considered a ‘sheep dip’ or broad approach to develop a base level understanding for key stakeholders in the organisation.
If you are a supplier to the public sector, you can also access a series of Knowledge Drop recordings to help inform your organisation of the changes.
The Knowledge Drops have been available since December 2023 and full details can be found on the Government Commercial functional website, here
E-learning
Launched in April, the e-Learning training comprises of ten one-hour online modules designed to provide more details than the Knowledge Drops.
LHC’s understanding is that this training will only be provided to public sector buying organisations, and be delivered through the Government Commercial College (GCC) website. Individuals will need to register themselves with the GCC to access the material.
Due to the more specialised and detailed nature of the training, it is recommended for existing ‘skilled procurement, operational and commercial practitioners’, and will explore key areas of the act such as how the new changes will impact different stages of the procurement and contract management lifecycle.
LHC would recommend the consideration of all procurement staff in your organisation carrying out this training, however, prioritise those that are involved in above-threshold procurements.
You may also want to consider whether some (but not all) modules would be relevant to key stakeholders, such as senior management, leaders and contract managers.
Upon completion, individuals will be awarded a certificate of achievement and e-badge, making it simple and straightforward for organisations to track completion of the training.
Deep Dives
Following the e-Learning modules, Deep Dive webinars with take the practitioner to an expert level of understanding the opportunities of the act and what is required to deliver against it. This training aims to create ‘super users’ both within your organisation and more broadly across the public sector.
The training forms a three-day course, led by an instructor but carried out remotely/virtually and is currently planned for May 2024.
To be eligible for the Deep Dive training, individuals must have completed the e-Learning modules first. Attendees will again receive a certificate of achievement and an e-badge allowing you to easily track completion within your organisation.
Due to the detailed nature of this training, and the time commitments involved, LHC would recommend that this only be undertaken by experienced procurement individuals as it has been advised the Deep Dives will not train on the Procurement Act as such, but address the key differences of the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015 and the new act. Therefore, a detailed understanding of public sector procurement and PCR 2015 is required.
What other support is available?
There is a plethora of advice available and many law and consultancy firms provide free information on a regular basis to help buying organisations prepare for the act. LHC recommends the following links below, many others are also available.
