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Procurement Training and e-Learning

MAV is proud to partner with ArcBlue to bring you an annual calendar of workshops and e-learning modules for people working in procurement, contract or project management and purchasing across Local Government.

Access on demand e-learning

eLearning offers a ‘right now’ approach to delivering cost-effective training. The MAV Procurement suite of e-learning covers the end-to-end procurement and contract management lifecycle. Click here for more information

Arrange an inhouse Council hosted procurement workshop

  • Upskill 10 or more participants at one time: Along with sessions that are scheduled throughout the year and hosted by MAV, many councils and organisations have taken up the opportunity to host these sessions in-house, incorporating some of their own procedures and guidance into the training content. In person or virtual Council hosted workshops, are an excellent choice for Councils looking to run inhouse contextualised or business unit specific procurement focused workshops for 10 or more individuals.
  • Scheduling: Councils choose a date and time that work best for attendees.
  • Pricing: Inhouse training is priced at the equivalent of 10 individual enrollments into a MAV hosted workshop (see below). The flat rate means Councils can invite up to 20 participants into a workshop for a capped enrolment fee of 10 participants, effectively halving the cost per head.

Contact us to enquire about an inhouse training session at your Council.

Attend a MAV hosted workshop

The below calendar of facilitator led workshops are designed to provide practical and insightful training on the end-to-end procurement process within a Local Government setting.

  • Upskill 10 or less participants at one time: Our wide range of facilitator led courses are perfect for individuals or Councils seeking to upskill less than 10 staff at any given time.
  • Scheduling: Each course generally runs a minimum of twice a year, and with a 6 month lead time, participants can plan their annual professional development activities well in advance.
  • Pricing: Individual and group registrations are facilitated directly via the registration links below. Payment methods accepted via our online registration portal include EFT and credit card.

Our courses

Below is our course list. You can register for any upcoming training sessions.

Procurement Essentials

Procurement Essentials is designed to introduce essential elements of the procurement process with basic tools and techniques. Workshop delegates will have an understanding of the value of procurement, understand the basic concepts of an effective procurement system and apply a set of principles to most procurement activities.

In Local Government almost all staff are involved in procurement in some way. This course is designed for all council officers, delivering a basic introduction to procurement processes and terminology.

Key course content:

  • What is procurement and why is it important
  • The procurement framework
  • Business needs
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Specification writing
  • Analysing supply markets
  • Strategic sourcing and buying
  • Evaluation models and techniques
  • Legal aspects of procurement
  • Purchase price cost analysis
  • Managing price increases
  • Negotiation
  • Managing suppliers and contracts

Category Management

Develop skills in category management by learning how to assess categories and develop robust category strategies using a variety of tools. The workshop will give a broader understanding of the relationship between category management and procurement, providing the tools and techniques that can be utilised within the process.

This course is designed for procurement officers progressing with Category Management, or if you are a functional area manager and the Council has nominated you as a Category Manager.

Key course content:

  • Role of Category Management in the procurement lifecycle
  • Recognise what Category Management offers as an approach
  • Understand the key elements of a category management process
  • Linking Category Management to the business need
  • Supply market analysis finding and using information
  • Understand the key tools required to develop a category strategy
  • Defining and aligning a category strategy
  • Value drivers in category management to drive opportunities
  • Gaining sponsorship to your category strategy

Supplier Relationship Management

Good contract relationships can be a critical factor in achieving results and delivering value for money in an agile and changing environment. Quality Supplier relationships don’t just happen by chance, they are created through effective planning, with targeted communication and effective contract management before the contract is even awarded. Participants will learn strategies and techniques to successfully manage supplier relationships and contracts.

This course is designed for contract managers of long-term strategic contracts where improved management of the supplier will deliver improvements for Council, and managers of strategic capital projects.

Key course content:

  • Planning for effective supplier relationship management
  • Relationship segmentation tools
  • Defining and understanding power in relationships
  • Opportunity analysis
  • Contractual levers of performance in complex relationships
  • The do’s and don’ts of service level agreements
  • The ‘people element’ of supplier relationships
  • Principles of managing suppliers in complex markets

a photograph of three small parcels sitting on a keyboardProbity in Procurement

Probity is an essential part of procurement and purchasing in Local Government. This program outlines how council funds are under constant scrutiny and uses real examples to demonstrate the many instances of poor management and decision-making by councils in the procurement process.

With IBAC investigations and audit findings consistently identifying issues surrounding probity, this course equips participants undertaking purchasing activities with a set of tools and techniques to manage probity in the procurement process.

This course is recommended for anyone who purchases, manages contracts, raises purchase orders or authorises procurement and contract activity.

Key course content:

  • What is probity and why is it important?
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Danger signs
  • What do we need to get right?
  • Probity in the procurement process
  • What to do as a delegate.

A photograph of a person's hand using a digital pen to write on a tablet deviceSpecification to Evaluation

Many staff find themselves required to manage tenders and quotes without being provided training to understand the process. This course equips participants with a set of tools and techniques to manage sourcing events and their evaluation in a manner that is efficient, accountable and delivers the right outcomes. Participants will move through a number of activities to practise the teaching, culminating in an evaluation activity to cement the process.

This course is suited to any person who manages quotes or tenders, may assist in evaluating quotes or tenders, or oversees staff managing quotes or tenders.

Key course content:

  • Understanding suppliers and the market
  • The business objective
  • Establishing probity
  • Market Research
  • Risk and innovation
  • Establishing weighting and questions in a structured approach
  • Writing the specification
  • Managing the event in the market
  • Evaluation – the correct way
  • Recommendation and feedback.

A photo of a pair of hands holding a light generated globeNegotiation in Local Government

Negotiation is less common in Local Government than many other industries. This program outlines a simple method of approaching negotiation to deliver the desired outcomes. This course introduces the 5, 6, 7 method and provides a sound base for participating in common negotiations encountered in the market.

This course is suitable for staff at any level who are likely to negotiate in their role. This is an introductory course. Further training is available if more advanced skills are needed.

Key course content:

  • An introduction to negotiation
  • Methods of persuasion
  • Negotiation styles
  • Phases of a negotiation
  • Tactics.

A close-up photo of a person's hand writing on paperContract Management Training

This course equips participants with a set of tools and techniques to manage service providers’ performance to deliver optimum value to their organisation. Participants will gain a better understanding of the key aspects of managing contracts and obtain better performance and relationships with contractors and suppliers.

This course is designed for those with authority to conduct or sign-off local government procurement and/or purchasing. It suits contract managers at introductory and intermediate levels.

Key course content:

  • Contract management principles
  • Contract management enablers
  • Contract management Step 1: Planning
  • Contract management Step 2: Management
  • Contract management Step 3: Transition out (including dispute management).

A photograph of two workmen looking at a building under constructionAS4000 (Construction) Contract Management

In the AS4000 Contract Management course, participants will examine a range of topics and issues specific to the management of AS4000 (construction) contracts in a local government setting. The course is aimed at council staff who manage (or oversee staff who manage) an AS4000 contract in the role of ‘superintendent’ or ‘superintendent’s representative’.

The content is suitable for staff who are new or experienced in managing AS4000 contracts. Content includes timeframes for key processes to enable staff to meet critical time periods.

Key course content:

  • An introduction to the AS4000 series
  • Key aspects of the AS4000 (stepping through each clause and understanding its use and impact)
  • The superintendent (understanding the role and responsibilities)
  • Dispute management
  • Timeframes for processes.

An aerial photo of a cityCollaborative Procurement Essentials

Collaboration is a key focus of the State Government and councils are required to consider collaboration in each procurement activity. This course equips participants with a set of tools and techniques to assess whether collaboration is suitable and then to navigate through the many issues to deliver a collaborative procurement event. This course will demystify collaborative procurement, clarify many of the issues and myths that exist, and provide a structured approach to managing collaborative opportunity identification and competing council requirements. By the end of the program, attendees will be able to participate in, or coordinate collaborative procurement activities. More advanced staff will be able to review spend opportunities and identify and prioritise these opportunities. This course is suitable for staff at all levels that may be involved in a collaborative procurement event as a procurement or technical stakeholder.

Key course content:

  • Identifying collaborative procurement opportunities
  • Governance considerations
  • How to approach the opportunity
  • Management Options

A hot air balloon floating over a lush green mountainous landscapeSocial and Sustainable Procurement

This course equips participants with the ability to effectively incorporate social objectives and corporate social responsibility into procurement practice, as part of a triple bottom line approach. It is suitable for staff at all levels who either conduct procurement or wish to improve social and sustainable outcomes.

Key course content:

  • Social and sustainable procurement – contextualised for local government opportunities
  • The legal and policy environment for social and sustainable procurement in Australia
  • International and Australian case studies
  • Opportunity analysis and planning
  • Balancing procurement objectives
  • Different approaches to specifications, evaluation, and performance monitoring
  • Understanding and engaging the supply market
  • Managing and monitoring performance – measuring success
  • Becoming social and sustainable procurement ready – communication and education
  • Creating a program for sustainable change.

You can register for any upcoming training sessions.

Engage with Us

Council specific sessions and package bookings are available. For more information about any of our workshops or e-Learning modules, please contact us.