$1675 USD per participant

This course is designed for those working in the public sector interested in gaining a comprehensive overview of public procurement and obtaining a professional certification in UN and public procurement, accredited with CIPS. It is also relevant to those new to the procurement function or those who have worked in the function, but have not previously undertaken formal training. Additionally, those in functions that include close interaction with procurement, such as programme and project staff who would like a closer understanding of procurement would find this course relevant.

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Describe the principles of effective procurement, the UN and public procurement process, and the role of procurement strategy
• Understand the activities associated with effective procurement projects
• Conduct procurement planning and stakeholder management
• Write specifications and effective terms of reference (TOR)
• Choose appropriate procurement method (RFQ, ITB, RFP)
• Select advertisement method and type of competition
• Understand dos and don’ts when drafting bidding documents
• Invite and evaluate bids and proposals
• Practice ethics and integrity in procurement
• Understand what rules and procedures apply to UN and public procurement
• Appreciate the relevance of these rules, with particular reference to the procurement process, and why they are there

• The course is designed to be highly interactive.
• Participants will be working on challenging hands-on practical exercises and case studies with peers from other organizations and share best practices in public procurement.
• The course will also provide participants with the opportunity to discuss the different procurement rules and regulations of the various UN and public organisations.
• To be awarded the UNDP/CIPS Level 2 Procurement Certificate students must successfully pass three tests:
• Test I. The Multiple Choise Questionnaire (MCQ) conducted during the training course, where students must answer 100 multiple choice questions of which 80% have to be answered correctly in 2 hours. The MCQ will test the student’s knowledge and understanding of the course syllabus
• Test II. In-class Workbook (ICW). Compulsory in class invididual exercise workbook to be completed during the course. Pass/fail, marked by course tutor(s) during the course.
• Test III. The Work-Based Assignment (WBA) where students are given 8 weeks to complete a short written essay (maximum 3000 words) to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the syllabus and how this can be applied to a practical work-related case.
• Students successfully completing the in-class MCQ and the WBA project will be awareded the dual UNDP/CIPS Level 2 “Introductory Certificate in Purchasing and Supply”.
• For students requiring additional submissions of the work-based assessment (failed first and/or second attempt) the fee for resubmission is USD 250 per submission.

"Overall an excellent course, very relevant to my work"

"There were excellent communication skills and techniques used by the Tutor"

"I would definitely recommend this course to Programme and Project staff"

"I gained a lot of knowledge by taking this course"

"I would like to thank PSO/LRC Colleagues for this wonderful opportunity and wish everyone successful completion of the programme"

Marco Soested has been a tutor on UNDP's training courses for several years and has conducted standard and tailor-made courses for UN system organisations, Governments, and IFI's around the world the last 10 years.

Marco Soested joined UNDP in 1995 and has solid experience in identifying, planning and undertaking large scale procurement on behalf of UNDP, UN, GO and NGO clients world-wide. He has provided procurement related support to the UNDP Country offices in Yemen, Jerusalem and Sudan where he was stationed for a longer period of time. His main expertise lies within the area of procurement, contracting and logistics.

Marco is a regular tutor on our courses on "Introductory Certificate in Public Procurement" (Level 2), Advanced Certificate in Public Procurement (Level 3), "Strategic Diploma in Public Procurement" (Level 4), "Supply Chain Management in Humanitarian Organizations” and “Risk Management in Contracting for Construction Services”.

Since 2004, Marco has worked with the implementation of UNDP’s procurement strategy and applied various analytical tools, such as spend analysis, supply and demand analysis and transaction analysis.

Marco has conducted several field missions on behalf of UNDP to e.g. Zambia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Palestinian Territories, Afghanistan, Russian Federation, where he conducted supplier inspections and assisted UNDP Country Offices with training and capacity development, streamlining of procurement processes, and developing procurement capacities.

Marco is a Danish National and his academic qualifications are in Economics.