Making More Informed Decisions about Public Sector Sourcing and Competitive Bidding

Instructor Insight: A Q&A with Lynda Allair

Beginning July 15, Lynda Allair will join OpenEd as instructor for the upcoming Sourcing and Competitive Bidding course.

With over 40 years of experience as a public sector procurement leader, Lynda brings a vast array of experience to this course. In 1995, she received her Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) designation from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC) and previously served as president of the Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA).

Lynda spoke with us to explain how this course might be relevant for anyone seeking to advance their skills or better understand the public sector sourcing process.

Who might be interested in or benefit from this course?

Sourcing by public sector entities is a sometimes challenging and complex process filled with rules, regulations, procedures, court decisions, conflict of interest prohibitions, and issues that can complicate and confound the lives of government officials charged with procurement responsibilities. This course is intended for those who want to learn how to navigate the process and increase their understanding of the concept of public sector sourcing.

How is the subject matter of this course relevant to the current job market?

Although the current job market and work environment may be leveraging technology to realize efficiencies in processes, procurement practitioners are still required to know and understand the basic processes and apply their knowledge and skills. The work may be executed somewhat differently than in the past, but the foundational knowledge required can neither be ignored nor forfeited. The current job market only puts more pressure on the procurement practitioner to stay on top of trends and ensure that they remain up to the challenges of the future.

What will be the key takeaways from the course?

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the public sector sourcing process—including pre-sourcing planning, needs assessment, procurement strategies and various methodologies, specifications development, scope of work and deliverables development, value analysis application, and life-cycle considerations. Participants will also investigate the development of contract performance measurements and contract close-out.

How is this course relevant for people who don’t work in a school board environment?

Although this course will address requirements specific to both the education and health care sectors based on the Ontario Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive, this constitutes only a very small portion of the content. Most of the content is based on global best practices utilized throughout the public sector sourcing process in compliance with over-arching legislation, common law, and Canadian trade agreements.

This classroom-based course runs from Monday, July 15 to Friday, July 19. It can be taken as a standalone course for professional development or applied towards the Certificate in Supply Chain Management for Public Procurement.