Public Procurement of Goods and Services Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Officers, Contract 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-110

Before you join: Participants should have basic experience of purchasing, project delivery, contract support, finance controls or public-sector 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

Public procurement teams must obtain goods, services and works that meet operational needs while protecting public funds, maintaining fair competition and creating an auditable decision trail. Weak specifications, unrealistic estimates, unclear evaluation criteria or poorly managed contracts can lead to failed deliveries, supplier disputes, audit findings and reduced public confidence. Procurement staff need to translate programme requirements into defensible sourcing and contract decisions within their applicable legal and institutional rules.

This course develops the working methods used to plan, tender, evaluate, award and manage public contracts. Participants examine procurement planning, market analysis, specifications, terms of reference, works scopes, cost estimates, procurement methods, solicitation documents, bid evaluation, supplier due diligence, contract administration and close-out. The course addresses goods, consulting and non-consulting services, and works procurement, including the distinct risks and controls associated with each category. Participants learn to prepare clear evaluation frameworks, identify non-responsive bids, document decisions and manage changes without compromising competition or value for money.

Instructor-led sessions run over 10 days, from 08:30 to 16:30, with approximately 6.5 contact hours daily. Short technical briefings are combined with public-sector cases, tender-document reviews, evaluation simulations and structured group work. Participants progressively build procurement documentation during the first week, then test, improve and apply it through more complex sourcing and contract-management scenarios in the second week. They leave with a complete, review-ready procurement package for a realistic goods, services or works requirement, supported by templates that can be adapted to their own organisation.

The course suits procurement personnel, programme managers, technical evaluators, contract managers and staff responsible for expenditure controls in government bodies, development programmes, public utilities, NGOs and state-owned enterprises.

What you will be able to do

  • Develop a procurement plan linking requirements, budget, market conditions and procurement milestones
  • Draft technical specifications, terms of reference and works scopes using measurable acceptance criteria
  • Select justified procurement methods using risk, value, competition and urgency assessments
  • Prepare solicitation documents with clear instructions, evaluation criteria and contract conditions
  • Conduct bid opening, preliminary examination and detailed evaluation using documented scoring methods
  • Complete supplier due diligence, conflict-of-interest checks and integrity risk assessments
  • Administer goods, services and works contracts through performance, variation and payment controls
  • Produce and present a complete procurement package with an auditable decision record

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produces stronger tender documentation for goods, services and works requirements
  • Builds confidence in explaining procurement-method and award decisions
  • Improves ability to detect weak specifications and unsuitable evaluation criteria
  • Creates an evidence trail that withstands management and audit review
  • Applies contract controls before delivery, performance or payment issues escalate

For your organisation

  • Reduces failed tenders caused by unclear requirements and inconsistent solicitation documents
  • Improves competition through proportionate qualification and evaluation requirements
  • Strengthens audit readiness with documented decisions, approvals and evaluation records
  • Controls cost and schedule exposure through better contract change procedures
  • Improves supplier performance monitoring for publicly funded goods, services and works

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can apply core public procurement principles to planned purchasing decisions and documentation.

  • Public procurement objectives: economy, efficiency, fairness, transparency and accountability
  • Value for money beyond lowest price: quality, lifecycle cost, risk
  • Delegated authority, segregation of duties and approval control points
  • Procurement file structure supporting audit trails and management review
  • Conflicts of interest, confidentiality obligations and bidder equal treatment
  • Applicable law, donor rules and organisational procurement policies

Participants can produce a procurement plan aligned with operational requirements, funding and delivery milestones.

  • Requirement intake using business need, scope, budget and timing
  • Annual procurement plans linked to project implementation schedules
  • Procurement lead times for preparation, competition, evaluation and approval
  • Packaging decisions: lots, aggregation, unbundling and supplier market access
  • Risk register covering urgency, funding, approvals and supply disruption
  • Milestone plans assigning owners, dependencies and decision dates

Participants can draft neutral, measurable technical specifications for goods procurement.

  • Functional specifications defining required output rather than preferred brands
  • Technical specifications using performance, quality, compatibility and safety criteria
  • Brand references followed by equivalent requirements and verification evidence
  • Inspection, testing, acceptance and rejection criteria for delivered goods
  • Warranty, spare parts, manuals and after-sales service requirements
  • Lifecycle cost factors including energy, maintenance and consumable requirements

Participants can prepare terms of reference that support credible service proposals and performance management.

  • Terms of reference defining objectives, tasks, deliverables and timelines
  • Service outputs distinguished from activities, inputs and unsupported assumptions
  • Key personnel requirements matched to assignment complexity and risks
  • Reporting schedules, review stages and client approval responsibilities
  • Data ownership, confidentiality and intellectual property provisions
  • Quality assurance arrangements for consulting and non-consulting services

Participants can define works requirements and site conditions for competitive, manageable construction procurement.

  • Bills of quantities, drawings and technical specifications working together
  • Site investigations identifying access, utilities, ground conditions and constraints
  • Employer responsibilities for permits, land access and design information
  • Construction milestones, completion criteria and defects notification periods
  • Health, safety, environmental and social requirements within works scope
  • Provisional sums, contingencies and measurable payment item definitions

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

  • Supplier market mapping by capability, location, capacity and concentration
  • Request for information used to test feasibility and market interest
  • Market sounding without giving any supplier an unfair advantage
  • Price drivers for goods, services and construction works
  • Supply-chain risk assessment covering lead times, imports and critical inputs
  • Competition strategy informed by market structure and entry barriers

Participants can select and justify procurement methods suited to value, risk and market conditions.

  • Open competitive bidding as the default public procurement method
  • Request for quotations for low-value, readily available standard requirements
  • Restricted competition justified by capability, security or market conditions
  • Direct contracting controls, justification records and approval requirements
  • Framework agreements for recurring requirements and call-off procedures
  • Two-stage processes for complex requirements requiring solution development

Participants can prepare cost estimates that inform budgets, methods and bid reasonableness reviews.

  • Independent cost estimates built before solicitation document release
  • Historical price analysis adjusted for inflation, quantity and specification changes
  • Should-cost models using labour, materials, overheads and reasonable profit
  • Lifecycle costing for equipment, vehicles and energy-consuming assets
  • Foreign exchange, taxes, duties and price escalation assumptions
  • Budget availability checks before initiating competitive procurement processes

Participants can assemble solicitation documents that give bidders clear, consistent instructions.

  • Instructions to bidders covering submission, validity and bid security
  • Eligibility, qualification and technical requirements separated clearly
  • Evaluation criteria disclosed with scoring methods and weighting
  • Mandatory forms for bid submission, declarations and pricing schedules
  • Contract conditions aligned with scope, allocation of risk and payment
  • Document consistency checks across specifications, schedules and evaluation criteria

Participants can manage the solicitation period while maintaining bidder equality and documented communication.

  • Advertisement content stating opportunity, access route and submission deadline
  • Pre-bid meetings managed through recorded questions and published responses
  • Clarification procedures preventing undisclosed bidder-specific information sharing
  • Addenda controlling changes to scope, criteria and contractual conditions
  • Deadline extensions proportionate to amendment significance and bidder preparation
  • Communication logs preserving dates, recipients, questions and formal responses

Participants can conduct controlled bid receipt, opening and preliminary responsiveness checks.

  • Secure bid receipt procedures protecting confidentiality before opening
  • Bid opening records capturing bidder names, prices and required documents
  • Preliminary examination for signatures, validity, securities and completeness
  • Material versus minor deviations assessed against disclosed requirements
  • Arithmetic correction procedures applied consistently and documented fully
  • Responsiveness determinations separating eligibility, qualification and technical compliance

Participants can evaluate bids using disclosed criteria, scoring records and defensible recommendations.

  • Evaluation committee roles, confidentiality declarations and conflict disclosures
  • Pass-fail technical assessment against mandatory specification requirements
  • Weighted technical scoring using anchored evaluation criteria and evidence
  • Financial evaluation including discounts, corrections and evaluated cost
  • Abnormally low bid analysis requiring credible cost and delivery explanations
  • Evaluation reports documenting findings, scores, rankings and recommendations

Participants can complete proportionate supplier checks and document integrity risk decisions.

  • Eligibility verification using registration, ownership and debarment information
  • Beneficial ownership checks identifying concealed conflicts and prohibited parties
  • Sanctions screening procedures aligned with applicable legal requirements
  • Fraud and corruption red flags during competition and evaluation
  • Due diligence records supporting escalation, mitigation or exclusion decisions
  • Whistleblowing channels and protected reporting within procurement governance

Participants can complete award decisions, bidder notifications and debriefings with procedural fairness.

  • Award recommendation linking evaluation evidence to approval authority decisions
  • Standstill periods and complaint rights under applicable procurement rules
  • Unsuccessful bidder notifications providing required decision information
  • Debriefing meetings explaining evaluation without disclosing protected information
  • Contract award publication requirements and procurement record updates
  • Complaint files documenting allegations, responses, decisions and corrective actions

Participants can control delivery, inspection, acceptance and payment under goods contracts.

  • Kick-off meetings confirming delivery schedules, contacts and reporting arrangements
  • Delivery tracking against purchase orders, shipping documents and milestones
  • Inspection and acceptance certificates tied to specification compliance
  • Non-conformance notices requiring corrective action, replacement or remedy
  • Invoice verification against quantities, acceptance evidence and contract prices
  • Warranty claims, spare parts management and supplier performance records

Participants can manage service contracts through deliverable reviews, performance controls and payment evidence.

  • Inception meetings confirming scope, workplan, personnel and reporting dates
  • Deliverable acceptance criteria applied before approving service payments
  • Key performance indicators for recurring operational service contracts
  • Personnel substitution controls protecting required qualifications and continuity
  • Time-based contracts verified through timesheets, outputs and authorised rates
  • Performance meetings documenting issues, actions, deadlines and responsible parties

Participants can administer works contracts using site records, measurement controls and completion procedures.

  • Site instructions distinguishing authorised directions from informal communications
  • Measurement records supporting interim payment certificates and quantity verification
  • Construction progress reports tracking programme, quality, safety and risks
  • Engineer or contract administrator roles under FIDIC-based arrangements
  • Practical completion, taking-over certificates and outstanding works lists
  • Defects notification management through inspections, notices and final acceptance

Participants can assess contract changes and manage claims through timely, documented procedures.

  • Variation requests tested against scope, authority, budget and competition risks
  • Change control logs recording instruction, valuation, approval and implementation
  • Extension of time assessments using cause, notice and critical path
  • Claims records preserving correspondence, evidence, notices and contractual deadlines
  • Negotiated resolution methods including escalation, mediation and settlement agreements
  • Dispute avoidance through early warnings, meeting records and prompt decisions

Participants can prepare procurement records and reports that support oversight, audit and responsible purchasing goals.

  • Procurement dashboards tracking cycle time, competition and contract performance
  • Audit-ready file checklists covering planning through contract close-out
  • Lessons-learned reviews identifying repeat tender and delivery failures
  • Sustainable procurement criteria proportionate to requirement and market capacity
  • Social value and local participation requirements assessed transparently
  • Records retention schedules protecting procurement evidence and confidential information

Participants can build, review and present a complete public procurement package for a defined goods, services or works requirement.

  • Procurement plan integrating requirements, budget, risks, milestones and approvals
  • Specification, terms of reference or works scope drafted for competition
  • Method selection supported by market analysis and documented justification
  • Solicitation document containing instructions, criteria, forms and contract conditions
  • Evaluation matrix, scoring guidance and bid assessment record prepared
  • Award recommendation and contract-management plan presented for review

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

What you take back to work

  1. Public procurement planning template
  2. Goods specification and services terms-of-reference templates
  3. Works procurement scope checklist
  4. Tender evaluation matrix and scoring guide
  5. Supplier due diligence checklist
  6. Contract administration and variation-control plan

Who should attend

  • Procurement Officers — need defensible methods for planning, tendering and awarding public contracts
  • Contract Managers — require stronger controls over supplier performance, variations and payments
  • Programme Managers — must convert project requirements into timely, compliant procurement actions
  • Technical Evaluators — need consistent approaches to specifications, scoring and evaluation records
  • Finance and Grants Staff — need to verify procurement evidence before committing or releasing funds
  • Internal Auditors — need practical insight into procurement controls, records and common failure points

Skills and tools covered

Procurement planningTender document draftingBid evaluationContract administrationSupplier due diligenceAudit trail management

Tools and standards

UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement, World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, FIDIC Conditions of Contract, ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce procurement rules, methods and documentation standards, followed by case work based on public purchases of equipment, advisory services and construction works. Participants review specifications, identify tender risks, prepare evaluation tools and assess simulated bidder submissions. Group exercises focus on decision records, scoring consistency, clarification handling and contract controls. Trainers provide structured feedback against practical quality criteria. Application planning connects each method to participants' current procurement pipeline and institutional approval process.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic experience of purchasing, project delivery, contract support, finance controls or public-sector administration. They should be comfortable reading procurement documents, comparing supplier submissions and working with budgets or requirements from internal clients. Familiarity with their organisation's procurement rules is useful but not essential. The course does not require legal training, prior use of e-procurement systems, advanced financial modelling or previous responsibility for formal tender evaluations. Participants should bring an example requirement, procurement challenge or recent tender document where organisational policy permits.

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 need basic familiarity with purchasing, project delivery, contract support or public-sector administration. Legal qualifications and previous experience leading formal tenders are not required.

Participants should bring a current or recent procurement requirement, where confidentiality rules allow. They may also bring approved templates, procurement policies or anonymised tender documents for reference.

It is designed for procurement officers, programme staff, technical evaluators, contract managers, finance staff and internal auditors. It is particularly useful for staff managing publicly funded expenditure or donor-financed procurement.

This course focuses on public accountability, fair competition, documented evaluation, approval controls and audit evidence. It covers goods, services and works procurement rather than inventory management, logistics operations or private-sector buying negotiations.

Participants use reusable templates for planning, specifications, evaluation, due diligence and contract administration. The capstone package provides a structured model for preparing an upcoming procurement action.

The first week builds the core procurement package, from planning and requirement definition through solicitation design. The second week focuses on evaluation, award, contract management, audit controls and the final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

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

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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