Certified Procurement Professional

Centre of Professional Excellence (CoPE) under the auspices of NED Academy, NED University of Engineering and Technology in collaboration with the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) organized 5-day training on 'Certified Procurement Professional – Batch 1' from January 15 to 19, 2018. The objectives of the workshop were multi-folded: To acquaint the participants about the public procurement regulations and procedures as governed by SPPRA; to develop adequate skills and exposure to be able to execute the procurement management process for obtaining desirable performance results for works, services and goods; to be able to identify and develop key procurement skills that can be applied in the workplace on daily basis; to be able to understand and successfully apply the procurement cycle from need assessment to contract management; to develop a comprehensive understanding of the role of procurement management professionals throughout the procurement life cycle with focus on performance while adhering to rules; to understand key challenges in the procurement life cycle and how to overcome these while adhering to rules; and to expose the participants to the best procurement management practices around the globe and how to adapt those within our work environments.

In total, 43 participants of public and private sector organizations attended the course. These included deputy superintendents and assistants, Prisons (from all over Sindh), superintendents and regional directors of Karachi districts / interior Sindh, assistant executive engineers, assistant secretaries, account officers, purchase managers, store managers, resident auditors, etc. Few participants from academics also participants. Following key organizations participated in the event: Inspector General of Prisons, Sindh, Secretariat Provincial Ombudsman (Mohtasib), Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, Board of Secondary Education Karachi, Project Management Unit, Livestock & Fisheries Department, Govt. of Sindh, Pakistan Institute of Management, Hinopak Motors Limited, NED University and Hamdard University.

Prof. Rizwan Farooqui (Co-Chair, Department of Civil Eng., Director CoPE and DG Academy, NED University) and Mr Abdul Wahab (Director Procurement, NED University) acted as facilitators in the training.

Lectures, presentations, handouts, in-class exercises, group activities, experiential learning, interactive discussions, Q/A sessions, real life examples from procurements, case studies, internet search, and problem solving were used as learning methodologies to facilitate the participants get the best out of the 5-day training. The sessions also contained a series of practical exercises and real life case studies to impart hands-on skills. Networking hi-teas were used to discuss concepts and practical problems. Pre-test and post-test were conducted to assess the knowledge and skill enhancement via the training. Participants obtaining 70% or more on the end-of-training exam were declared successful.

Body of knowledge covered in the training included: Procurement Governance, Key Incoterms and Procurement Skills, Comparison of SPPRA Rules with Other Rules/ Guidelines (PPRA, World Bank, etc.), The Procurement Cycle - An Overview and Importance, Procurement Planning - The First Step in the Cycle, Preparation of Bidding Documents and NIT, Bid Submission and Opening, Bid Evaluation, Contract Award, Post Award, Contract Management, Redressal of Grievances, Blacklisting, Other Clauses in SPPRA Rules, and Best Procurement Management Practices around the Globe

The training was unanimously evaluated as exceptional and all participants expressed their utmost level of satisfaction with the training content as well as deliverance; in particular, the participants highly appreciated the design of the course that allowed real-time case-based applied learning as well as numerous opportunities for interactive discussions and learning from experience.

At end of the training, Certificate Award Ceremony was held where Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tufail (Pro Vice Chancellor, NED University) was Chief Guest and Prof. Dr. Asif Ahmed Shaikh (Director QEC, NED University) was Guest of Honour. The Chief Guest distributed certificates to the successful participants; prominent among those were Mr. Nazeer Ahmed Qidwai (Director Ombudsman Karachi Central), Mr. Ahmed Jamal Aijazi (Director Ombudsman Karachi East), Mr. Makhdoom Abdul Kareem (Supdt Juvenile Prison Hyderabad) and Dr. Muhammad Aslam Bhutto (Deputy Director QEC NED University). The Chief Guest also awarded Shields of Honour to the two training facilitators. Director CoPE/ DG Academy presented flower bouques to the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour. The ceremony ended with views from the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour and Vote of Thanks by Director CoPE/ DG Academy.