Procurement is increasingly becoming an integral part of any organisation’s efforts to reduce cost and increase efficiency. For this reason, procurement managers are constantly under pressure to remain agile enough to move towards this change. The Rausing Executive Development Centre (REDC) at LUMS successfully conducted a 4-day programme on Public Sector Procurement Management from June 11 - 14, 2019 for general administrators, procurement managers and officers with varied levels of experience. The programme highlighted how procurement expertise can transform the business and foster effective collaborations in the public sector.
Led by Programme Directors, Dr. Shakeel Sadiq Jajja and Dr. Jamshed H. Khan, and supported in teaching by Dr. Zehra Waheed, the programme familiarised participants with the approaches for effective implementation and understanding of the procurement life cycle, along with annual procurement planning and amendments to the PPRA. Further propositions were dispensed on relevant topics such as, bid evaluations, contract management and conducting market analysis for successful, long-term partnerships in the public sector. Industry expert Mr. Shahid Hussain, Managing Director PPRA, joined in as a speaker to share his views on the differences between Punjab and Federal PPRA Rules.
Participation of senior to mid-level procurement managers in the public sector from varying industries including banking, utilities, oil, gas and energy etc. provided valuable networking opportunities. Adopting a hands-on approach, the participants were immersed in case studies from leading companies to explore various procurement methods, practices and tools used for improving associated trade-offs which enhanced their learning experience.
Nauman Qaiser a participant at the programme and Director Legal TEVTA, highlighted how the programme provided value to him, saying, “The programme enlists the comprehensive picture of procurement in a stage-wise manner through a case study method. I can now focus on contract vetting and dispute resolution in a better way while keeping myself within the legal boundary.” Another participant, Malik Afzal Ayub, Manager HR Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power, also expressed his satisfaction, “A rigorous programme where one can learn a lot about procurement rules and practices in a stringent manner. Additionally, it gives a 360-degree perspective in terms of philosophy, theory and practice.”
