S5. Category Management

The Aim

The aim is to provide delegates with an awareness of the process of Category Management and to determine ways in which this can improve public buying efficiency and effectiveness within the confines of the Public Contracts regulations.

Who Should Attend

The module is aimed at staff at all levels, including Strategic Directors and Senior Managers who have a strategic procurement responsibility. It is applicable to procurement professionals who have a centralised procurement role as well as those from a wide range of business disciplines who have a devolved procurement responsibility. Those disciplines include finance, legal, compliance, audit, engineering, design, project management, construction, ICT, social care, purchasing, procurement, and commercial/contracts. Those who will benefit most will have a current or planned need to improve procurement efficiency and effectiveness at a strategic level in order to derive budget cost savings against the background of central government pressures on future budgets and will be able to drive change in processes.

The Facilitation Method

The consultative facilitation method is based on the Kolb learning cycle and incorporates a balanced mixture of a didactic approach and practical exercises. The structure is consistent with the skills framework for Procurement Project in Local Government in ensuring that Levels 1 and 2 (Understanding & Knowledge) are covered within the programme thus providing a firm base upon which the delegates can build their practical experience to reach Level 3 (Expertise). The event is facilitated throughout by an experienced consultant/trainer with an extensive background in public procurement at central government and local government level using syndicate work, highly interactive plenary discussion groups and easily understood case studies. The event is designed to cater for a group of thirty delegates working in groups of 5 or 6. Copies of the training material are provided in the form of a workbook.

The Learning Outcomes

By the end of this awareness seminar, delegates will have been afforded an opportunity to:

• gain an understanding the definition of the term Category Management (CM),
• identify the potential benefits of CM in the public sector
• gain an appreciation of relevant public tendering rules - PCR No 5 Jan 2006
• review CM as a structured process,
• determine a range of principles to decide whether and where CM is appropriate in the public sector,
• understand how to set up a CM strategy,
• determine required changes in process, procedures and skills sets against the background of current processes

Duration

The event is scheduled for 1 day.

Content

• Category Management – a definition
• The benefits of CM in the Commercial Sector Coffee
• Outline of the Public Contracts Regulations (No 5 of 31st Jan 2006)
• Public buying and competitive thresholds
• Contract duration and value estimation
• Procedures - Open, Restricted, Negotiated and Competitive Dialogue
• 6 Steps of Category Management – a structured process
• Stakeholder Management - Facilitator input + syndicate work
• Category Catalogue and Classification
• Facilitator input + syndicate work
• Strategic Sourcing
• Facilitator input + syndicate work
• Buyer/Supplier Relationship Management
• Facilitator input + syndicate work
• Proactive monitoring and management
• Facilitator input + syndicate work
• Re- structuring contracts & agreements
• Facilitator input + syndicate work
• Gap analysis
• Practical work based on delegate’s pre-work
• Setting up CM in Local Authorities
• Action planning
• Process change
• Procedure change
• Required skills sets
• Review & close