Procurement and MaterialsProcurement of Professional and Consulting Services
Buying expertise is harder than buying goods because the thing purchased does not exist yet, quality is judged by the person least able to assess it, and the cheapest bid is frequently the most expensive outcome. This course covers doing it well. Delegates work through defining a requirement in terms of the outcome rather than the days, evaluation methods that weigh quality properly against price, and assessing proposed teams including the substitution problem after award. Fee structures are covered: time based, fixed price, retainer and outcome linked, with the incentives each creates. Deliverable definition and acceptance follow. The course closes on managing a consulting engagement, on knowledge transfer and on avoiding permanent dependency.
Course objectives
- Define a services requirement by outcome rather than by days
- Design evaluation that weighs quality properly against price
- Assess proposed teams and prevent substitution after award
- Select a fee structure and understand the incentives it creates
- Define deliverables and acceptance criteria for intangible work
- Manage an engagement and hold it to the agreed scope
- Secure knowledge transfer and avoid permanent dependency
Who should attend
- Procurement staff buying professional services
- Budget holders commissioning consultants
- Public sector procurement practitioners
- Project managers engaging specialist support
- Consultants seeking to understand buyer requirements
Course outline
- 01Buying something that does not exist yet
- 02Defining the requirement by outcome
- 03Evaluation weighting quality against price
- 04Assessing teams and preventing substitution
- 05Fee structures and their incentives
- 06Deliverable definition and acceptance
- 07Managing the engagement
- 08Knowledge transfer and avoiding dependency
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 to 23 September 2026 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |
| 5 to 7 October 2026 | Durban, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 13 to 15 January 2027 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 1 to 3 February 2027 | Gaborone, Botswana | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |