Procurement That Doesn’t Work

In this quick fix session, we look at the uncomfortable side of procurement.  Not the strategy, but the stuff that trips you up, triggers challenging correspondence from bidders, forces reruns, or leaves you stuck with a contract that never delivers.  In this fast-paced 30 minute session we look at why tenders get challenged, where the risk really sits, and the early warning signs that your process is drifting off track.  It is practical, real-world and designed to help you spot issues before they become expensive problems.

In this session we explore

Why well-intentioned tenders so often unravel — and the hidden fault lines that sit beneath “routine” procurement activity

The moments in a process where risk quietly creeps in, long before anyone talks about challenge, dispute or re-running a competition

How small decisions in design, process and evaluation can have disproportionate consequences — and why these are so often missed at the time

The behaviours and habits that create unnecessary exposure, even when you believe you are doing everything “by the book”

What tends to happen after award when things start to falter — and why the way you respond can either contain risk or rapidly escalate it

Take home points

• A simple “challenge triggers” checklist you can apply to any tender

• Practical ways to strengthen defensibility without adding workload

• Clear guidance on what to tighten before you publish, and what to watch during evaluation and award

This session is for

SBMs, SBLs, CFOs, COOs, contract and procurement managers in maintained schools, academies and MATs.

Lorraine Ashover