Training Zone - Overviews

 

7 routes to savings through Buying Solutions Buying Solutions will outline how Public Sector Organisations can obtain best value from their expenditure during these difficult times. We will show you how to access collaborative agreements to boost your economies of scale, utilise tools to improve cash flow and reduce capital expenditure and also take steps to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs within your own departments.  This session is a must for all Heads of Procurement or Finance across all aspects of the UK public sector.

Accessing National Public Sector Contracts Aimed at private sector suppliers, this workshop will illustrate the importance of lower-value (typically below £100,000) contracts as a valuable route to this growing market which spends around £220 billion a year on works, goods and services. Once registered on Supply2.gov.uk, suppliers can use the service to promote their business to the public sector market and access opportunities which can offer a prime route to working with the UK public sector – not only in their local area, but also across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Adding Value to Your Contract Considers ways in which contractors can offer added value, at no extra cost, in their proposals.

Advertising Public Sector Contracts Below the EU Thresholds Aimed at public sector buyers, this workshop provides an overview of the importance of advertising below-threshold contracts and demonstrates how Supply2.gov.uk can be used to achieve internal cost savings whilst achieving best practice with regards to publishing lower-value contract opportunities. Guidance on publishing lower-value contracts directly on the Supply2.gov.uk portal will be provided, along with information on how becoming a partner with Supply2.gov.uk can be of benefit to your local supply chains.

Advice and Support for Small Businesses Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) will be showcasing how the FSB can support the small business community and ensure that they stay in business. The FSB is a membership organisation offering a suite of benefits that will save small businesses money and time. These benefits includes legal and tax advice, FREE business banking, and not forgetting protection insurance from the Inland Revenue and VAT investigation. Through the FSB network, businesses can access local business support and also events and seminars that encourage business to business networking and growth. From as little as £3 per week, small businesses can join the 213,000 existing businesses across the UK that benefit from the FSB’s support. Can you afford not to join?

Alcatel – Running the Standstill Period With some potential changes due in December, this session considers the requirements within the new EU Remedies Directive and the likely implications for the standstill period.

Are you Entitled to a Debrief? What are your rights to a debrief and what should you expect to learn from it.

Contract Management Reporting Looks at the importance of the reporting function within the Contract Management process

Competitive Dialogue – Lessons Learnt Looks at some of the issues identified through previous Competitive Dialogue processes.

Considering the Environment in a Tender Looks at the main areas where environmental considerations can be included in the tender process.

Considering Sustainability in Your Tender When and in what ways should you look to use sustainability issues to support your bid.

Contract Management Reporting Looks at the importance of the reporting function within the Contract Management process.

Debriefing Suppliers Looks at the information required to be provided to bidders during the debriefing process.

Defining Your Weightings Weightings are now a requirement in the tender process and this session looks at the need to consider sub-criteria and to identify pertinent weightings within the process.

Delivering £7 Million Savings – IEWM Regional eAuction Programme The West Midlands eAuction Programme started in 2007 with a small pilot scheme involving three participating authorities. This has now developed to include 10 councils, covering 39 eAuctions, which have secured savings in excess of £13 million. With local government facing increasing pressures to save money, this programme represents a clear example of how collaboration and innovation can secure significant cost savings for the sector.

Do's and Don'ts of Tendering A quick-fire session identifying some issues around the tendering process where quick wins can be achieved.

eAuctions – getting sharper deals for the public sector When managed well, eAuctions can deliver competitive pricing and considerable savings. This session looks at the critical success factors for eAuctions and how the newly created OGC eAuction team can help deliver benefits to public sector organisations.

Evaluation Issues Identifies the key areas to consider in the PQQ and tender evaluation processes in light of the Lianakis ruling.

Fleet – deriving value for money? Demand management Pan-government collaborative framework agreements How OGC can assist you

Implications of the EU Remedies Directive – Public Sector Identifies the key areas of possible challenge if an authority breaches the procurement rules.

Implications of the EU Remedies Directive – Private Sector Identifies the most important changes to the process and looks at the areas where contractors can raise a challenge.

Including Social Issues in a Tender Examines  the main areas where social issues may be addressed through the tender process.

Responding to Selection Criteria Suppliers frequently fail at the Pre Qualification stage of the tendering process. This workshop examines the key areas that most organisations need to address in order to improve their success rate in being invited to tender.

Running a Framework Agreement Mini-competitions, rankings and re-scoring still cause confusion in Frameworks. This presentation addresses these and other issues and aims to simplify the process.

Saving Money on Banking and Insurance Under CSR07 savings targets, local authorities are under increasing pressure to save money by both collaboration and innovation. The West Midlands insurance project in 2009 received a SOPO Award for the participating authorities as an outstanding example of collaborative working, and this project has now gained momentum and recognition nationally. The Banking Services project will deliver around £2 million worth of savings across the West Midlands and presents real opportunities to review current practice and do things differently. This workshop is for both finance and procurement officers who cover banking and insurance projects.

Seeking Added Value Considers how best to draw out added value from bidders.

Selecting Award Criteria The Lianakis and Newham cases have made it more important than ever that the right criteria are chosen for the award process. This session looks at some areas that need to be considered when defining criteria.

Setting KPIs A brief overview of the importance of getting the correct Key Performance Indicators in place before issuing your ITT.

Standard Selection Criteria Reviews the key Selection Criteria identified in the UK regulations.

Understanding Weightings Looks at how weightings and their prominence in tenders can deliver both advantages and disadvantages.

Using Reserved Contracts Considers when organisations can look to use Reserved Contracts to support sponsored workshops.

Using Video as a Business Communication Tool 2010 is the year for online video. By integrating video into your business communications you will raise your company’s online profile and put your business miles ahead of the competition. To push your company to the forefront of bid opportunities, video will become an essential tool within the tender process. We will show you how to make this happen by using a combination of video and social media strategies to transform your business and win contracts.

Your Rights to Information From debriefing to Freedom of Information, suppliers have access to a lot of information. This session explains how to use your rights and improve your chances in the tender process.

Overviews may be subject to change.

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