Sustainable Procurement Training Course

Duration 10 days 16 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Managers, Category Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-070

Before you join: Participants should understand the basic procurement cycle, including requirements definition, supplier selection, tendering, contracting and supplier management.

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

Procurement decisions affect greenhouse-gas emissions, labour conditions, resource use, supplier resilience and public trust. Buyers are increasingly expected to prove that environmental, social and governance requirements are built into specifications, sourcing decisions, contracts and supplier management—not added after award. The practical challenge is balancing sustainability objectives with cost, quality, delivery, competition law, procurement policy and operational need.

This course develops the methods used to embed sustainability throughout the procurement cycle. Participants interpret ISO 20400 guidance, map spend-related impacts, set category priorities, develop sustainable specifications, assess supplier risks, apply whole-life costing and include measurable sustainability requirements in tenders and contracts. The programme also covers supplier due diligence, human rights screening, circular procurement, emissions data, ethical sourcing and performance reporting. Participants learn to make defensible sourcing recommendations using evidence rather than broad supplier claims.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with procurement cases, tender-document reviews, group analysis, supplier-assessment simulations and individual application planning. Cases reflect common purchasing categories such as facilities management, ICT equipment, construction, fleet, packaging and outsourced services. Across the programme, participants build a sustainable procurement implementation pack for a selected category, including a materiality assessment, sourcing strategy, evaluation model, contract measures and supplier engagement plan. The final capstone requires participants to review and present this pack as they would to a sourcing board.

The course is suited to procurement professionals who already manage sourcing, supplier relationships or category plans and now need practical ways to meet sustainability commitments while maintaining commercial discipline.

What you will be able to do

  • Apply ISO 20400 principles to procurement governance, policy and category decisions
  • Build a spend-based sustainability risk and opportunity assessment for priority categories
  • Develop sustainable specifications using functional requirements, standards and verification criteria
  • Evaluate supplier environmental, social and ethical risks through structured due diligence
  • Calculate whole-life cost models incorporating operating, maintenance, disposal and emissions factors
  • Design weighted tender evaluation criteria for sustainability, quality, price and delivery
  • Draft contract clauses, KPIs and corrective-action processes for supplier sustainability performance
  • Present a category-level sustainable procurement implementation pack to decision-makers

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce credible sustainability requirements without weakening commercial clarity
  • Challenge unsupported supplier claims using evidence and verification methods
  • Build category cases that connect sustainability impacts with sourcing decisions
  • Use whole-life cost reasoning in internal approval and tender evaluation discussions
  • Lead supplier improvement conversations with measurable contractual expectations

For your organisation

  • Improves consistency between sustainability commitments and purchasing decisions
  • Reduces exposure to supplier labour, environmental and ethical misconduct
  • Creates clearer evidence trails for tender awards and supplier oversight
  • Identifies cost, waste and emissions reduction opportunities through whole-life analysis
  • Strengthens supplier performance management against agreed sustainability measures

Course modules

16 modules over 10 days

Participants can position sustainable procurement within policy, governance and commercial decision-making.

  • ISO 20400 principles and their implications for procurement governance
  • Environmental, social and economic sustainability within purchasing decisions
  • Procurement policy clauses linking corporate commitments to sourcing controls
  • Roles of buyers, budget holders, suppliers and sustainability specialists
  • Decision rights and escalation routes for material supplier concerns
  • Business case structure connecting sustainability outcomes, value and risk

Participants can prioritise procurement categories using spend, impact and supplier-risk evidence.

  • Spend cube analysis segmented by category, supplier and business unit
  • Materiality matrix ranking environmental, social and commercial procurement impacts
  • Kraljic Portfolio Matrix adapted for sustainability exposure and supplier power
  • Category heat maps combining spend, emissions, labour and waste indicators
  • Prioritisation criteria distinguishing immediate controls from longer-term improvement opportunities
  • Stakeholder interviews capturing operational needs and sustainability expectations

Participants can conduct proportionate supplier sustainability due diligence before and after award.

  • Supplier risk taxonomy covering environmental, labour, ethics and governance issues
  • Country risk screening using corruption, forced labour and sanctions indicators
  • Due diligence questionnaires structured around policies, evidence and corrective actions
  • Adverse media checks and escalation thresholds for supplier investigations
  • Risk scoring models combining likelihood, severity, control and detectability
  • Document retention requirements supporting audit trails and procurement assurance

Participants can specify and assess responsible labour and ethical sourcing requirements.

  • UN Guiding Principles applied to procurement-related human rights risks
  • Modern slavery indicators within labour-intensive supply chains and subcontracting
  • Supplier code of conduct requirements and flow-down obligations
  • Worker grievance mechanisms, remediation processes and protected reporting channels
  • Audit limitations, worker interviews and evidence triangulation techniques
  • Ethical sourcing controls for recruitment fees, wages and working hours

Participants can identify procurement-related environmental impacts and relevant emissions data needs.

  • GHG Protocol Scope 3 Category 1 purchased goods services
  • Life-cycle stages from raw materials through use and end-of-life
  • Environmental aspects screening for energy, water, waste and biodiversity
  • Product carbon footprints and limits of supplier emissions claims
  • Primary and secondary data sources for category emissions estimates
  • Avoidance, reduction and substitution hierarchy for purchasing decisions

Participants can develop circular procurement requirements for products, assets and services.

  • Circular economy principles: reduce, reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycle
  • Functional procurement specifications replacing prescriptive product requirements
  • Design for disassembly, repairability and spare-parts availability criteria
  • Take-back schemes, reverse logistics and end-of-life supplier obligations
  • Recycled content claims, chain-of-custody evidence and certification checks
  • Product-as-a-service models for equipment, furniture and technology

Participants can write clear, measurable and market-appropriate sustainable procurement specifications.

  • Outcome-based specifications defining required service, performance and sustainability results
  • Mandatory requirements distinguished from scored award criteria and contract KPIs
  • Technical standards referenced without unnecessarily restricting supplier competition
  • Acceptance criteria supported by test methods, records and certifications
  • Market engagement questions testing feasibility before tender publication
  • Specification review checklist for clarity, proportionality and verifiability

Participants can engage markets fairly to test capability and encourage supplier improvement.

  • Prior information notices and requests for information before competition
  • Supplier briefings explaining priority outcomes, evidence and evaluation approach
  • Market sounding protocols protecting equal treatment and confidential information
  • Supplier capability assessments identifying gaps in data, systems and skills
  • Improvement roadmaps with milestones, ownership and support requirements
  • Small supplier participation measures without diluting sustainability expectations

Participants can compare sourcing options using whole-life costs and sustainability value drivers.

  • Whole-life cost model covering acquisition, operation, maintenance and disposal
  • Total cost of ownership assumptions tested against supplier and user data
  • Energy consumption calculations using usage profiles and tariff assumptions
  • Costing waste, downtime, replacement cycles and residual asset value
  • Sensitivity analysis for uncertain prices, volumes and service-life assumptions
  • Value-for-money narratives combining cost, risk, quality and sustainability

Participants can design fair tender evaluation models that reward credible sustainability performance.

  • Evaluation criteria aligned with specifications, contract terms and category priorities
  • Weighted scoring models balancing price, quality, risk and sustainability
  • Behaviourally anchored scoring guidance for evaluator consistency and defensibility
  • Supplier response questions requiring evidence, methods and measurable commitments
  • Abnormally low tender checks covering labour, safety and environmental compliance
  • Moderation procedures documenting consensus scores and evaluation rationale

Participants can test supplier evidence and identify proportionate assurance requirements.

  • Evidence hierarchy distinguishing declarations, certificates, audits and performance records
  • ISO 14001 certificates interpreted alongside site-specific environmental evidence
  • Chain-of-custody certifications matched to relevant material and product claims
  • Third-party audit reports reviewed for scope, findings and corrective actions
  • Data quality checks for baselines, methodology, boundaries and reporting periods
  • Red flags indicating greenwashing, incomplete disclosure or unverifiable claims

Participants can draft enforceable sustainability obligations for supplier contracts and schedules.

  • Contract clauses defining minimum standards, evidence and reporting obligations
  • Flow-down provisions extending requirements to subcontractors and labour agencies
  • Sustainability schedules specifying baselines, targets, milestones and responsible parties
  • Audit rights, access requirements and confidentiality protections for verification
  • Corrective action plans with deadlines, escalation and remediation requirements
  • Remedies linking non-performance to service credits, suspension or termination

Participants can manage supplier sustainability performance through data, review and improvement actions.

  • Supplier scorecards integrating operational, commercial and sustainability performance measures
  • KPIs for emissions, waste, diversity, labour and ethical conduct
  • Baseline setting methods and target trajectories for contract periods
  • Quarterly business reviews structured around evidence, exceptions and decisions
  • Root cause analysis using five whys and corrective-action tracking
  • Supplier development plans balancing support, accountability and commercial consequences

Participants can establish credible procurement sustainability data and reporting processes.

  • Data dictionary defining KPI names, units, boundaries and calculation methods
  • Supplier data collection calendars aligned with contract reporting cycles
  • GHG Protocol data boundaries for purchased goods and services
  • Dashboard design showing category progress, exceptions and improvement actions
  • Claims substantiation files supporting internal reports and external communications
  • Data assurance checks for completeness, accuracy, timeliness and traceability

Participants can plan phased adoption of sustainable procurement methods across procurement teams.

  • Maturity assessment covering policy, people, process, data and supplier management
  • RACI matrix assigning ownership for sourcing, assurance and reporting activities
  • Pilot category selection using impact, readiness and stakeholder sponsorship
  • Training needs analysis for buyers, evaluators, contract managers and users
  • Change communications addressing cost concerns, supplier burden and risk
  • Ninety-day action plan with milestones, resources and governance reviews

Participants can build, review and present a complete sustainable sourcing pack for a priority category.

  • Category profile consolidating spend, stakeholders, suppliers and material impacts
  • Risk and opportunity assessment supported by documented evidence sources
  • Sustainable specification with measurable requirements and verification arrangements
  • Tender evaluation model including weighted sustainability and commercial criteria
  • Whole-life cost comparison and recommended sourcing decision rationale
  • Contract KPI schedule, supplier improvement plan and reporting calendar

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

What you take back to work

  1. Sustainable procurement policy checklist
  2. Category materiality and risk assessment
  3. Sustainable specification template
  4. Whole-life cost model
  5. Supplier due diligence questionnaire
  6. Sustainable category sourcing pack

Who should attend

  • Procurement Managers — need to embed sustainability controls within sourcing and supplier governance
  • Category Managers — need workable sustainability strategies for major spend categories
  • Strategic Buyers — need to translate sustainability requirements into tenders and contracts
  • Supplier Relationship Managers — need to assess, improve and monitor supplier performance
  • Supply Chain Managers — need to reduce supply-chain risks, emissions and resource use
  • ESG and Sustainability Managers — need to work effectively with procurement teams

Skills and tools covered

Sustainable sourcing strategySupplier due diligenceWhole-life costingTender evaluation designContract performance managementScope 3 procurement

Tools and standards

ISO 20400, GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard, Kraljic Portfolio Matrix, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor uses short briefings to introduce standards, sourcing methods and decision tools, followed by facilitated case work drawn from common purchasing categories. Participants analyse supplier evidence, compare tender responses, develop specifications, build simple whole-life cost models and negotiate improvement actions in group simulations. Individual application planning links each method to a live or selected category. Trainer feedback focuses on evidence quality, commercial feasibility, evaluation fairness and contract enforceability. Classroom and live online deliveries use the same core cases, templates and review process.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand the basic procurement cycle, including requirements definition, supplier selection, tendering, contracting and supplier management. At least one year of experience in purchasing, category management, supply chain, contract management or sustainability-related work is recommended. Participants should be comfortable reading supplier proposals, simple cost models and contract schedules. Prior knowledge of carbon accounting, life-cycle assessment, human rights due diligence or ISO standards is not required. The course explains these methods from a procurement user’s perspective rather than training participants as specialist auditors or environmental scientists.

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 routine procurement activities such as sourcing, tendering, contracting or supplier management. Specialist knowledge of carbon accounting, environmental science or human rights auditing is not required.

Bring a current category plan, supplier issue, tender document or sustainability target if one can be shared appropriately. Course templates can also be applied to a case category where workplace material is confidential.

It is designed for procurement, category, supply chain, contract management and sustainability professionals with existing procurement experience. It is particularly useful for people responsible for high-impact spend categories or supplier performance.

This course concentrates on purchasing decisions, supplier selection, tender design, contracting and supplier management. It converts sustainability commitments into procurement controls, evidence requirements and commercially workable actions.

Participants develop a category-level implementation pack using tools introduced during the programme. The pack can support an upcoming tender, contract review, supplier improvement meeting or procurement policy update.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes assessment, specification, sourcing and costing methods; the second week focuses on evaluation, contracting, performance management and the 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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