Government Procurement Regulations and Tendering Training Course

Duration 10 days 16 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Officers, Tender Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-079

Before you join: Participants should have basic experience of purchasing, supplier engagement, tender support, project delivery or contract administration.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Government procurement teams must obtain goods, works and services while meeting statutory duties for fairness, competition, transparency, value for money and public accountability. Weak tender documentation, unclear evaluation criteria, unmanaged conflicts of interest or poor records can lead to supplier challenges, audit findings, delayed projects and contracts that fail to deliver required outcomes. Procurement staff need a disciplined process that can withstand scrutiny from oversight bodies, unsuccessful bidders, auditors and the public.

This course develops the practical knowledge required to plan, run and manage public tenders under a rules-based procurement system. Participants examine the procurement cycle from needs assessment and market analysis through specification development, solicitation, bid receipt, evaluation, award, contract management and supplier performance review. They apply recognised sources including the UNCITRAL Model Law, WTO Government Procurement Agreement principles, OECD public procurement guidance and ISO 20400 sustainable procurement principles, while learning how to align these with applicable local legislation and organisational procedures.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with public-sector cases, document reviews, tender simulations, group decision-making and structured application planning. Participants work with realistic scenarios such as infrastructure works, IT systems, health equipment, professional services and framework agreements. Across the course, they develop components of a tender file, including a procurement plan, evaluation model, solicitation structure, evaluation record and contract performance approach.

The course is suited to procurement personnel who already participate in purchasing or tender processes and now need stronger command of regulated public procurement. It is also relevant to technical evaluators, project managers, finance staff and contract managers whose decisions contribute to defensible tender outcomes.

What you will be able to do

  • Interpret public procurement principles, legal hierarchies and organisational delegations within a tender process
  • Develop a procurement plan using spend, risk, market and delivery analysis
  • Draft outcome-based specifications, qualification requirements and tender instructions
  • Design weighted evaluation criteria, scoring guides and moderation controls
  • Manage tender receipt, clarification, evaluation and award records using defensible procedures
  • Apply conflict-of-interest, confidentiality and anti-corruption controls throughout procurement activities
  • Prepare contract management plans with KPIs, governance arrangements and change controls
  • Produce and present a complete tender strategy and evaluation package for a public requirement

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Prepare tender documentation that is clearer, more consistent and easier to defend
  • Assess supplier bids using structured scoring, moderation and evidence records
  • Recognise procurement risks before publication, evaluation and contract award
  • Contribute confidently to audit responses, supplier debriefings and challenge processes
  • Build a reusable tender file for future public procurement assignments

For your organisation

  • Fewer tender challenges caused by unclear requirements or inconsistent evaluation
  • Stronger audit trails for approvals, conflicts, scoring and award decisions
  • Improved competition through proportionate requirements and accessible solicitation documents
  • Better contract outcomes through measurable KPIs and supplier governance arrangements
  • More consistent application of procurement policy across departments and project teams

Course modules

16 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain how public procurement principles, legal sources and internal authorities shape tender decisions.

  • Public procurement principles: value for money, fairness, transparency and accountability
  • Legal hierarchy from legislation and regulations to policies and procedures
  • UNCITRAL Model Law concepts relevant to competitive public tendering
  • WTO Government Procurement Agreement principles of non-discrimination and transparency
  • Delegated authority, approval thresholds and segregation of procurement duties
  • Audit trails supporting scrutiny by oversight bodies and unsuccessful bidders

Participants can establish governance controls that protect tender integrity and decision accountability.

  • Procurement governance roles: sponsor, buyer, evaluator, approver and contract manager
  • Conflict-of-interest declarations, recusal procedures and register maintenance requirements
  • Confidentiality controls for specifications, bidder information and evaluation materials
  • Gifts, hospitality and post-employment restrictions affecting procurement decisions
  • Three-lines model applied to procurement assurance and internal control
  • Document retention schedules, decision logs and controlled tender communications

Participants can convert a business need into a documented procurement plan and sourcing route.

  • Problem statements distinguishing desired outcomes from proposed supplier solutions
  • Demand aggregation, spend analysis and contract expiry mapping techniques
  • Make-buy analysis and stakeholder requirements mapping for public purchases
  • Procurement plans linking scope, budget, timetable, risks and approvals
  • Risk registers covering delivery, market, legal and reputational exposures
  • Selecting open, selective, framework or direct procurement procedures

Participants can analyse supplier markets and conduct permitted pre-tender engagement fairly.

  • Supply market analysis using supplier segmentation and market maturity indicators
  • Porter's Five Forces applied to concentrated supplier markets
  • Request for information documents gathering capability, capacity and pricing intelligence
  • Pre-market engagement protocols preserving equal treatment among potential bidders
  • Supplier days, questionnaires and published notices managed with recorded disclosures
  • Market sounding findings translated into tender strategy and risk controls

Participants can draft clear, proportionate and non-discriminatory tender requirements.

  • Outcome-based specifications defining service results, users and measurable performance
  • Functional specifications distinguishing mandatory requirements from preferred features
  • Technical standards, equivalents clauses and non-discriminatory brand references
  • Bills of quantities, drawings and scope schedules for works procurements
  • Service-level agreements defining response times, availability and escalation paths
  • Acceptance criteria linking delivered outputs to contract payment milestones

Participants can incorporate proportionate sustainability and social value requirements into tenders.

  • ISO 20400 principles applied to sustainable procurement planning decisions
  • Life-cycle costing beyond purchase price, including operation and disposal
  • Environmental criteria addressing energy, materials, emissions and waste management
  • Social value requirements linked to local policy and contract outcomes
  • Human rights due diligence within supplier selection and contract monitoring
  • Proportionate evidence requirements preventing unnecessary barriers to competition

Participants can structure a solicitation package that supports fair competition and clear evaluation.

  • Tender strategy aligning procedure, lotting, timeline and evaluation approach
  • Lotting decisions balancing supplier access, aggregation benefits and delivery risk
  • Instructions to tenderers specifying submission formats and mandatory documents
  • Conditions of tender distinguishing eligibility, qualification and evaluation requirements
  • Pricing schedules designed for comparison, affordability testing and contract administration
  • Tender calendars allowing realistic response periods, clarifications and approvals

Participants can assess bidder eligibility, capability and integrity using proportionate evidence.

  • Mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds within public procurement rules
  • Financial capacity tests using turnover, liquidity and insurance evidence
  • Technical capacity assessment through references, personnel and delivery resources
  • Beneficial ownership checks, sanctions screening and debarment list reviews
  • Pass-fail qualification criteria separated clearly from scored evaluation criteria
  • Clarification boundaries distinguishing missing evidence from bid improvement

Participants can design transparent evaluation criteria, weightings and scoring guidance.

  • Evaluation criteria directly traceable to published requirements and contract outcomes
  • Weighted scoring models balancing quality, price, risk and sustainability
  • Price evaluation formulas for fixed-price, rate-card and whole-life cost bids
  • Anchored scoring guides describing evidence for each score level
  • Minimum quality thresholds and knock-out criteria applied transparently
  • Sensitivity testing weightings before tender publication identifies unintended incentives

Participants can administer tender communications and bid receipt using controlled, auditable procedures.

  • Publication notices stating scope, procedure, deadlines and access instructions
  • E-procurement portal controls for access, timestamps and version management
  • Clarification logs recording questions, responses and equal bidder disclosure
  • Tender amendments managed through addenda, revised dates and approval records
  • Secure bid receipt procedures preserving confidentiality before opening deadlines
  • Late submissions, withdrawal requests and procedural exceptions documented consistently

Participants can conduct initial bid reviews without compromising equal treatment or competition.

  • Bid opening protocols recording submissions, attendees and opening timestamps
  • Administrative compliance checks against mandatory submission requirements
  • Arithmetic correction rules applied consistently to pricing schedules
  • Material deviation analysis distinguishing minor irregularities from non-responsive bids
  • Clarification requests framed without allowing substantive bid revision
  • Evaluation workplans assigning reviewers, confidentiality controls and decision deadlines

Participants can manage evidence-based bid evaluation, moderation and final ranking.

  • Independent evaluator scoring against published criteria and anchored score descriptions
  • Consensus moderation identifying evidence, score variance and agreed rationales
  • Evaluator notes separating bid evidence from personal assumptions or preferences
  • Abnormally low bid assessment using cost explanations and delivery risk
  • Best-value determination combining technical, financial and whole-life cost results
  • Evaluation reports documenting method, findings, approvals and award recommendation

Participants can complete award processes and supplier communications with defensible records.

  • Award approval papers presenting evaluation results, risks and decision rationale
  • Standstill periods, notification requirements and contract signature controls
  • Unsuccessful bidder debriefings explaining relative strengths and weaknesses
  • Disclosure boundaries protecting commercially sensitive and confidential information
  • Award notices meeting transparency obligations and publication deadlines
  • Procurement file closure checks before contract mobilisation begins

Participants can respond to procurement complaints using evidence, procedural discipline and corrective action.

  • Supplier complaint intake, triage and acknowledgement procedures
  • Challenge assessment against published documents, records and applicable rules
  • Remedies including clarification, re-evaluation, cancellation and re-tendering
  • Litigation holds preserving emails, notes, versions and evaluation materials
  • Root-cause analysis following upheld complaints or audit findings
  • Corrective action plans improving templates, controls and staff guidance

Participants can transfer tender commitments into effective contract governance and supplier management.

  • Contract schedules translating tender commitments into binding performance obligations
  • Kick-off meetings confirming deliverables, contacts, milestones and reporting arrangements
  • KPI dashboards measuring quality, timeliness, cost and user satisfaction
  • Supplier performance reviews using evidence, action logs and escalation routes
  • Change control procedures protecting scope, price, competition and approvals
  • Extensions, variations and renewal decisions assessed against procurement rules

Participants can build, review and present a complete tender strategy and evaluation package for a public procurement requirement.

  • Procurement plan integrating demand, market, risk, budget and approval analysis
  • Tender procedure selection justified against value, complexity and competition conditions
  • Specification, qualification and evaluation criteria aligned through traceability mapping
  • Solicitation timetable covering publication, clarification, evaluation and award milestones
  • Evaluation workbook containing weights, scoring anchors and moderation records
  • Award recommendation supported by an auditable decision and contract management plan

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Public procurement planning template
  2. Tender strategy and timetable model
  3. Outcome-based specification template
  4. Weighted evaluation workbook
  5. Tender evaluation report template
  6. Contract performance management plan

Who should attend

  • Procurement Officers — need defensible methods for planning and administering competitive tenders
  • Tender Managers — coordinate documents, timelines, evaluators and approvals for major procurements
  • Contract Managers — need stronger links between tender commitments and supplier performance
  • Project Managers — define requirements and manage procurement risks within project delivery
  • Technical Evaluators — assess bids consistently against published criteria and scoring rules
  • Finance and Audit Staff — review procurement decisions, approvals and value-for-money evidence

Skills and tools covered

Tender planningEvaluation designPublic procurement complianceBid evaluationContract performance managementSupplier due diligence

Tools and standards

UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement, WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Procurement, ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish rules, methods and decision points, followed by public procurement cases and document-based group work. Participants analyse procurement scenarios, draft tender components, assess sample bids, conduct evaluation moderation and respond to supplier challenge situations. Simulations cover evaluator conduct, clarification management, award decisions and contract performance meetings. Facilitated reviews connect each method to participants' own procurement environment, with time reserved for application planning and peer feedback.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic experience of purchasing, supplier engagement, tender support, project delivery or contract administration. They should understand common procurement terms such as specification, purchase order, contract, supplier and evaluation criteria. Familiarity with their organisation's procurement policy is helpful, but not essential. The course does not require a law degree, prior responsibility for a full tender, advanced financial analysis or experience with a particular e-procurement platform. Participants should bring examples of their organisation's procurement procedures where permitted.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should understand basic purchasing or contract terminology and have some exposure to procurement, projects, finance or supplier management. No legal qualification or previous responsibility for a major tender is required.

Participants should bring a laptop for document work where possible, along with non-confidential examples of procurement policies, tender templates or current procurement challenges. Trainers can provide case materials where organisational documents cannot be shared.

It is designed for procurement officers, tender managers, contract managers, project managers and technical evaluators working within public-sector or publicly funded procurement rules. It also suits audit and finance personnel who review procurement decisions.

General sourcing courses focus primarily on commercial negotiation, category strategy and supplier relationships. This course concentrates on regulated tender processes, equal treatment, auditability, evaluation controls, award decisions and challenge management.

Participants can use the procurement plan, specification, evaluation model and contract management templates on current or upcoming requirements. The methods help teams document decisions consistently and identify compliance risks before they become formal issues.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides approximately 6.5 contact hours. The first part establishes planning, specification and tender design methods; the later part focuses on evaluation, award, contract management, challenges and the final capstone.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.