Capacity building is an essential part of any procurement strengthening programme and the delivery of procurement training is therefore a key component of any capacity building initiative. A programme of basic training will provide an essential platform for longer term professional development initiatives.
Crown Agents has a proven track record in preparing and delivering training on public procurement to both the public and private sectors. We have developed and presented training on national procurement procedures to public officials throughout the world, including in several African countries. This has been supplemented by training in specialist subjects, such as procurement audit and investigation. We also regularly train private sector companies on bidding skills and have been delivering training on bidding for World Bank financed contracts on behalf of the UK Department of Trade and Industry for more than ten years.
Our approach ranges from individual mentoring and support through to the development of comprehensive training materials, covering all aspects of a national procurement system. This would be designed to meet the needs of all relevant public and private sector stakeholders.
Crown Agents has been managing training events in the UK and overseas for over 30 years. In the UK we manage more than 60 courses each year for nearly 1,000 delegates in a range of subjects, including Procurement and Supply Chain Management. Our procurement courses include a range of subjects from the strategic management of procurement to operational skills such as tender design, evaluation and contract management. These are supplemented by international courses and country specific courses, which are custom designed to meet the needs of individual clients. Our most recent international course on "Managing Risk in Procurement" was held in Accra in November 2010, attracting more than 50 delegates from across Africa.