procurement
WE WANT TRAINED PEOPLE, BUT NO ONE HAS THE TIME TO TRAIN THEM. WE WANT EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WITHOUT PROVIDING THEM ADEQUATE ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE TO BUILD THE SKILL SETS REQUIRED.
mirror images of each other. Furthermore, these directors are vying for the same resources, which means the same candidates might compete in multiple, almost-identical competitions. Yearly collective staffing would put an end to this, and standards must be created and decided upon across government for each PG level, perhaps even using the certification program standards as the measurements for certain levels. For example, level one certification could be a standard used for the PG04 level. One competition per year for each level, using these standards, would create a pool of available PGs for all departments to choose from. This would not only lead to efficiencies in time and effort, it would also lead to standardizing the PG levels and an increased focus to the certification program, giving more credibility to our group as professionals.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
A vibrant, strategic procurement group can mean the difference between average achievements and truly outstanding corporate performance. PGs are uniquely positioned between the corporation’ s comptrollership functions and their clients’ operational needs, giving them knowledge and information other groups may not have. We can see consistent needs across the organization that can be met through strategic, effective, creative and agile procurement solutions. Organizations must acknowledge the vital role their PGs play in the organization’ s success and instil in their PG teams a sense of their value and criticality. Investing in PGs will empower and motivate them to achieve greatness.
Management must also ensure appropriate training for PGs. Access to and frequency of mandatory PG training courses has improved in recent years, but management often struggles to ensure employees are given adequate time and funding to complete them. We want trained people, but no one has the time to train them. We want experienced people without providing them adequate on-the-job experience to build the skill sets required. Our day-to-day operational requirements are so demanding that it can seem impossible to set aside time for training, but this attitude is short-sighted. With the skill set demanded of a PG changing, increasing training and education is more important than ever. Investment in our people will pay back in terms of their technical skills on the job, and also in their job satisfaction and decision to remain in the PG stream throughout their career.
We need to invest heavily in programs such as the Public Services and Procurement Canada Intern Officer( PSPC IO) Training program, a long-standing program with obvious and proven success. Such programs provide the critical training and experience to grow PG employees and prepare them to take on procurement positions. Investing in this type of prestigious occupational training will help resolve the shortage in PGs, ensure PGs of the future are ready to meet our new demands and entice more people to join the PG group.
Alternate learning opportunities must also be provided. Assignments within departments are excellent ways to invest in PGs and help grow their skill sets, benefitting each individual but also the organization as a whole. More secondments between departments would give employees the opportunity to learn about procurement in a variety of organizations. Wellversed, experienced PGs with a wealth of broad experiences will bring success to the whole community. Mentoring is also an excellent learning opportunity, for both the mentor and the mentee. A mentoring relationship is incredibly useful in sharing lessons learned among PGs and facilitating the transfer of corporate knowledge and memory. Investment in our people should continue with a commitment to informal learning opportunities such as job shadowing,“ lunch and learn”-type presentations and reading to stay current with developments in the procurement world. Perhaps PGs could be offered professional days to work on their Candidate Achievement Records for the certification program, or take on stretch assignments. Finally, consideration must be given to the many employees who are satisfied at their current levels and don’ t wish to
LOOKING FOR PUBLIC SECTOR SUPPLY CHAIN TRAINING?
The Supply Chain Management Association( SCMA) is Canada’ s largest professional supply chain association and has over 2,000 public sector members.
While supply chain skills are transferable from one sector to another, those in the public sector have added components of regulation, transparency and defensible decision-making not found in the private sector.
SCMA’ s Supply Chain Management Professional( SCMP) designation program includes a seven-week course on public sector procurement, and SCMA will be launching additional new public sector workshops and courses in 2017.
SCMA continuously collaborates with other organizations, such as the Canadian Public Procurement Council and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, to identify and address knowledge and training gaps in the public procurement field.
For more information about SCMA’ s programs, visit: SCMA. com.
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