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This module provided a brief but thorough summary of the management of relationships with suppliers following contract award. Maintaining the relationship and guaranteeing seamless operations are equally important as choosing the right vendor 🤝. Quite simple, but unquestionably crucial information to remember for future duties.

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The focus of this week was preparing for the presentation and finishing our SILEx report 🎤. Holding the working period in class was a good idea because it enabled our group to review the report and make sure everything was in line with the instructions and rubrics.

Our team did a respectable job presenting at the rehearsal, and we sent in the report and presentation slides on time (✅). However, we later discovered that we had somewhat strayed from the main subject 😅. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile learning opportunity, and we received insightful feedback from the professor  that will help us improve before the final presentation. Overall, things started to come together, and while the pressure is starting to build, it's satisfying to watch things come together 💪. The live customer presentation for the top teams sounds tough, and I'm excited (and a little worried 😬) for April 1st!

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Undoubtedly, this module opened my eyes 👀. Reading about genuine incidents, such as the COVID benefit fraud and the institution's principal's misuse of $50,000 in school funds, made it clear how grave violations of ethics can become. Reading about ethics in principle is one thing, but these tales gave the repercussions a very apparent sense of actuality ♼️.

A thorough grasp of how difficult moral choices may be, especially when dealing with positions involving sensitive obligations or access to money, was provided by the chapter readings and ethical situations 💼. Videos on corruption and conflicts of interest also made everything easier to understand.All things considered, this week served as a helpful reminder that morals are an essential component of effectively overseeing projects and are not merely an extra. All of these will undoubtedly be put into consideration when creating the SILEx report.

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In any competitive bidding procedure, it is essential to assess suppliers and establish suitable selection criteria, which was the primary objective of this session. I acquired a better understanding of complex competitive bidding processes from what I read in Chapter 5, and the piece titled "Canadian Bidders Challenge Technical Requirements" offered a fascinating perspective on how bids can at times contest technical criteria. Observing how this actually occurs in real life was made much easier through the case study, and I will surely use this information when I working on the SILEx report.

I was surprised to learn how comprehensive the process for choosing suppliers and evaluation criteria are. Selecting the most rapid or least expensive choice isn't the only consideration; professional aptitude, project requirements, and previous work are also important considerations. I am now having an improved awareness of how crucial these choices are for the project's success thanks to this module.

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I learned how important it is to precisely establish the areas of work and specifications in any construction or projects environment thanks to this module. I must admit that before this, I struggled to comprehend the distinction between the two, but since I've gone through the readings, lecture slides, and sample documents, I do. While a scope of work outlines what must be done and who is liable, the specifications focus more on the technical specifics and material.

It additionally made me realize how important these records are to preventing disputes or misunderstandings during a project. This is undoubtedly something that should be kept in mind whenever preparing the SILEx report. All in all, a useful module that complements our present-day research.

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This module gave a clear illustration of how competitive bidding functions in practical situations. I became more aware of how comprehensive and organized these materials are after reading RFP 20-46, focusing particular attention to page 29. It's beginning to make sense now how everything ties together, and the SILEx instruction and the chapter reading worked together nicely. Although there's a lot of material here, I am beginning to realize the importance these procedures are to the planning of projects.

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There were no lectures this week; it was all about teamwork. All of us arrived prepared with our very own case studies on Hamildon's Wiper Blades if you didn't, you lost grades)

In class, the professor allowed us to work on the Group Executive Summary, which is a little draft of a business report. It must include the current problem, two or three alternatives, the criteria used to make the selection, our final suggestion, and our plan of action. The experience was almost like having a consultation with your buddies in real life 😅.Attendance was important since the professor also stopped by to see how each group was doing and to offer a few tips and comments. It was a zero for that section if you failed to show up. Not a joke.

Additionally, I realized that the midterm report is worth 20% (divided into 10% individual and 10% group), so this is certainly not the week to take things easy!

We have a little break next week as it's reading week 🙌. We return with Module 7: Competition Bidding after that. To continue following course, you must study Chapter 4, the procurement article, and the accompanying slides.

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This week's lesson focused on rules, contracts, and that Ron Engineering drama! 😅 The professor proceeded with a comprehensive legal examination of the many legal structures that govern government contracting, including the common law, legislation, and ordinances.

The Law of Agency, that is simply the fancy word for "the purchaser (agent) can act upon behalf of the company (principal)," was something we discussed. But what if you commit a mistake as an agent? Yes, you might be sued directly. 🫠 The six primary elements of contract law—intention, offer, acceptance, consideration, legality, and legal capacity—were then discussed. That bar anecdote about "Mr. Luck-D Rama" was hilarious, lol. For example, you cannot win the lotto and then promise somebody $5,000 while your're high. The task for the students was to find actual instances of RFP/RFT as Contract A and RFO as Contract B on the Bids and Tenders website in London. Additionally, I prepared for next week's Executive Summary group activity and started to catch up on the Hamildon's Wiper Blades case for the individual analytical project, which is due this week 😬.

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First things first, the professor said, "long time no see," which really set the tone and made it feel like we had been around for ages. We immediately moved on to risk management, which was far more fascinating than I had anticipated. We started by examining the three major hazards linked to public procurement: financial losses, legal concerns, and health and safety. It's kind of crazy how much may go wrong in public sector supply chain matters if you're failing to pay attention. From ownership (such as copyrights and licenses) to knowledge protection, health and safety, funding, scheduling, and more, the professor walked us through the various hazards associated with public sector supply chain management. So many layers! Up until today, I was unaware of the sheer number of regulations and standards governing public contracting. Examples of actual court cases, such as Inzola v. Brampton, and information concerning WE Charity scandals were also included 👀.

The group exercise, "But It Was Only a $1000 Job!" followed. Everyone brought a laptop, and we were required to respond to four questions and have group discussions. It was laid back; there was no submission, purely conversation and energy.

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Module 3, which addressed the Broader Public Sector (BPS) Directive and Trade Agreements, was the main topic of discussion this week. Although I was unable to attend class this time, I took the time to sure to check the Module 3 PowerPoint slides and the lecture content that was uploaded under Content on FOL.

Given my absence from class, I found the BPS Directive to be an extremely important component of public procurement. It is basically a set of guidelines that Ontario's public sector organizations have to stick to in order to make sure that their procurement processes are fair, honest, and open. Everything must be performed correctly and unbiased because public funds are being spent. Additionally, the professor reminded us to Prepare for the upcoming FOL Quiz by studying Modules 1–3.

Continue working on the reflections for our module, which is this one!

Although being unable to attend class, I found the material provided to be quite helpful and understood the primary concepts. I was excited to get back on track for the following week!

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The focus of this week's lesson(module 2)  was cooperative purchasing and public agencies. The session was full and, to be honest, quite fascinating. The PowerPoint slides from Module 2, which helped us figure out what public organizations are and how they collaborate to purchase products and services more efficiently, were reviewed in Chapter 6. Municipal, Academic, School Boards, and Healthcare (MASH) entities were discussed, along with how they're all classified as governmental entities. The concept of joint purchasing was what caught my interest the most. Additionally, the professor gave us a rundown of the SILEX Project and reminded us of the SILEX Introduction Meeting, which will take conducted on Zoom on Monday, January 20, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. and for this week prof made us clear to read chapter 6, reviewing ppt files and bringing laptop. Then we had a group work presentation and No grades were awarded to anyone who did not attend class. Additionally, we were reminded to begin working on the second module reflections as of this moment, I suppose. To be honest, I enjoy the fact that the class is becoming more participatory; it's not merely reading and lectures anymore; we're collaborating together, doing practical scenarios, and getting prepared for the SILEX project.

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The semester's first class went quite well. Since it was the first day, almost everyone turned up, and I believe that most of us were anxious to get started—and perhaps slightly anxious. A pleasant surprise was that getting to class was not difficult because of the beautiful weather.

We were given an introduction to public procurement in class. We started by reviewing Chapter 1 and the PowerPoint slides from Module 1, which provided us an overview of public purchasing, particularly as it relates to private sector purchasing. I was particularly struck by the "7 Rs" of public procurement—basically ensuring that you're receiving the right products from the right supplier at the right moment. I was unaware of the amount of both legal and administrative work that goes into public procurement.

We also discussed the need for open and equitable, and honest public procurement, which makes sense considering that money from taxpayers are involved. compared to private sector purchasing, it is far more regulated, and the media and the public put a lot of strain on it to be handled correctly. In addition to that, we introduced ourselves to one another through a fun icebreaker exercise. Given that it was our first time sitting as a class, it helped ease some of the anxiety. Getting to know several of my classmates was enjoyable, and I think we'll get along well in our futures.