Training Courses

Training Overview

Training programmes in procurement have been devised to meet the needs of Headteachers, Governors, Bursars, Premises Managers and other involved with purchasing services, supplies or goods.

Course Application Form

Download a generic application form here

Latest Training Courses (Please click the title to expand)

• The New Contract Procedure Rules for Schools
   
  • The new contract procedure rules for schools which will come into force on April 1st 2010 are now available. The main change is in the low value threshold which has increased from £10,000 to £20,000 before requiring you to advertise schemes on SCMS

    The 2010 Contracts Procedure Rules have some new features and signing up for the free session below is advisable for all bursars, finance officers and others who procure goods and services.

    The session will be delivered primarily by Philip Robson, Team Leader, Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development, Iain Dunn, Category Manager, Corporate Procurement and Ian Westlake, Procurement Officer, Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development,

    It will cover the details of the revisions to the rules alongside case studies. Also included will be an in depth look at the contracts schools should use, how to access and use them. Finally, we will give an overview of the training that Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development can provide to support you in the implementation of the new contract Procedure Rules.

    Dates

    New dates will be announced for the Autumn term in the near future.

    Contact: Sheila Goodwin:

    sheila.goodwin@educationleeds.co.uk Tel: (0113) 2475596

     

• In House Training and Support

  • The Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development Team are offering training and support on a one to one basis or to small groups on the main aspects of procurement.  This can be delivered at your school or at Merrion House.  The topics covered are:
    
    Procurement Systems and Document Familiarisation
    SCMS (Suppliers and Contract Management System) and CIS (Contract Information System) and their uses in the procurement process are here to stay!
    
    We will also be looking at making compliant buying decisions, preferred suppliers, framework contracts and approved lists - what are they and how they differ from each other, how to use them and more importantly where to find them.
    
    The sessions will be run by Ian Westlake, Trainee Procurement Officer, The Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development Team.
    
    Support and advice in writing specifications  This looks at what should be included in the specification, ie the background to the project, the Leeds policies and procedures, services to be provided and monitoring arrangements.  Also included in this session will be the criteria used for evaluating quotations and the scoring mechanism.  It is advisable for schools to have a specification to write before contacting the Commissioning, Procurement and Business Development Team.
    
    Support and advice in monitoring contracts  These arrangements must be written into the specification and should include the arrangements for monitoring the service such as progress meetings, client access and handling disputes with existing contractors.
    
    The Contracts Register  The contract procedure rules (CPRs) state that 'The Headteacher shall keep a contracts register setting down details of the contracts awarded in the preceding twelve months insluding the basis on which those contracts were awarded...'  Guidance will be given in setting up the register and what it should include.
    
    The Procurement Plan  The Contract procedure rules (CPRs) state that 'for every financial year, the school must publish a procurement plan setting out its current contracts and contracts to be procured over £10,000 in value for the forthcoming financial year, including details as to how any devolved capital is to be allocated'.  Guidance and advice will be given to set up the register.
    
    Quotation Documents and SCMS  Quotations over £20,000 and under £100,000, need to be advertised on SCMS.  There is a suite of documents that need to be completed before the quotation is published on SCMS.  They include the specification, evaluation criteria, the pricing schedule and the terms and conditions.  Advice and guidance is given on completing the forms and uploading them on to SCMS.
    
    How to search the procurement systems (SCMS and CIS) for framework contracts and approved lists and how to use them effectively.
    
    For further details or to arrange support please contact Sheila Goodwin on 0113 2475596 or e-mail sheila.goodwin@educationleeds.co.uk or Ian Westlake on 0113 2475268 or e-mail ian.westlake@educationleeds.co.uk

Documents that are used in training sessions are available here