This seminar is aimed at all Scottish Public Sector
Personnel involved within public procurement

The public procurement market in Scotland is significant, estimated at around £8 billion a year. It was identified within the Review of Public Procurement in Scotland that practical conformance in procurement is at times inconsistent, despite a strong awareness of EU legislation and OJEU requirements.

This seminar will provide those involved within public sector procurement with an in-depth insight into the legislative framework, how to achieve Best Value, the procurement process, letting high-value tenders and the tender evaluation process.

"I recommend that no-one should be put in charge of
any public project without a demonstrable appreciation
of what is required under EU procurement rules."
Lord Fraser, 'The Holyrood Inquiry'

The importance of skills development among personnel within the public procurement community should not be underestimated because of the inherent relationship between successful procurement and the skill levels of practitioners.

The challenge for all public sector organisations is to ensure that they set and achieve the very highest standards in procurement practice. This seminar is designed to provide a key step towards the achievement of this goal through the development of suitably trained staff.

Developing specialist skills

Those engaged in delivering public procurement are required to carry out a range of activities as part of the procurement function. These are much more extensive than is often assumed, requiring the application of a wide variety of specialist knowledge, skills and expertise.

Through developing the necessary skills procurement staff will avoid bad practice, ensure compliance with the law, improve efficiency and inspire in suppliers and colleagues alike confidence in their professional ability. Understanding and applying the EU rules to the acquisition of goods, works and services, while continuing to comply with the UK Regulations, is a foundation stone to delivering compliant procurement.

This one-day seminar is aimed at delivering not just the basics, but also the more detailed knowledge required to enhance skill levels and increase professionalism.

Principally focused on the EC Treaty rules, the processes required to ensure best practice and the main principles of the EU Directives and Scottish Regulations, the Understanding EU Procurement – A Scottish Perspective seminar provides an overview of the issues impacting on the wider public procurement community in the 21st century.

Understanding EU Procurement – A Scottish Perspective is specifically designed to deliver public procurement training for:

• new entrants to the public procurement community
• personnel who are engaged in delivering public procurement for only part of their time
• personnel who need to refresh their knowledge of procurement regulations
• personnel for whom public procurement is one job among several