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We started the course with a fun icebreaker, lining up by birth month without speaking. It was a great way to connect with classmates and find things in common. Our professor, with years of public procurement experience, introduced herself and explained what public sector purchasing is all about. It was a strong and engaging start to the course.

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This week, I learned that public procurement is essential at all government levels federal, provincial, municipal, and even public agencies are involved. It’s funded by taxes, and different agencies often work together. I found out that collaboration in procurement has both benefits and challenges. We also did a group assignment where we picked a public agency to research and submitted our presentation on FOL.

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In Module 2, we learned about the Broader Public Sector (BPS), which includes organizations like hospitals, schools, and other groups that receive large amounts of government funding often in the millions. These organizations must follow specific rules when spending public money.

The BPS directive focuses on fairness, transparency, and accountability. This means their purchasing process should be open and clear so everyone has equal access and can trust that public funds are used properly.

We also did a class activity to help us better understand how the BPS rules work in real situations. One surprising thing I learned was that not all groups have to follow the BPS directive exactly. Some, like municipalities, have exceptions.

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In this module, we focused on risk management, which is crucial in public procurement because it involves spending government money. We learned that risk is measured by looking at two things: how severe the impact could be and how likely it is to happen.

There are different ways to handle risk we can avoid it, transfer it, or manage it directly. Insurance and bonds are often used when danger is present to help protect against financial loss.

We also explored different real-life situations involving risk. One case that stood out was titled “But it was only a $1,000 job,” which showed how even small projects can carry serious risks if not handled properly.

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In Module 4, we looked at the Toronto scandal, which showed why the BPS rules were created to keep public spending honest and fair.

We learned about how agents and principals work together in contracts, and that both have responsibilities.

I also learned the six things that make a contract valid ( Offer, Acceptance, Consideration, Capacity, intent, and Legality), the importance of avoiding mistakes, and that you can’t subcontract unless the contract says so.

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today we had an In-class group activity.

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In this module, we learned about competitive bidding, which ensures openness, fairness, and transparency in public procurement. If competitive bidding doesn’t work, it’s allowed to go directly to a known supplier, but it must be well documented for audit purposes. We also explored different types of bidding documents such as RFI, RFQ, RFT, RFP, RFEOI, and RFPQ. A video we watched explained the 17 steps involved in the tendering process, highlighting how organized and detailed it needs to be.

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In this module, we learned how important it is to have clear specifications and a well-defined scope of work, especially for construction projects where large amounts of money are spent, like road building. Every request must be reviewed by the manager to make sure all details are correct and consistent. Specifications help describe what the product or service should look like and how it should perform, including design and technical requirements. The scope of work explains what needs to be done and what results are expected. During class, we practiced creating a scope of work using sample projects.

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In this module, we learned about how to choose the right supplier using set rules, which are decided before sending out the Request for Proposal (RFP). We talked about how to pick the best supplier for the job.

We also learned about the different steps in the proposal process, like before the proposal, when the bids are open, and after the bid closes. The whole process can take up to 45 days.

One interesting part was the “debrief,” where bidders are told why they won or lost, and how they performed. Even if a supplier offers a cheaper price, they can’t be chosen if they don’t meet the needed requirements.

In class, we checked some examples of supplier requirements and also made our own, making sure the total score adds up to 100%. We also learned that the evaluation team is not allowed to talk to bidders during the process.

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In Module 10, we learned that ethics are about doing the right thing. In public procurement, it’s important to use public money properly and avoid dishonest behavior. This includes not buying things for personal use, not accepting gifts from suppliers, and not making secret deals.

We also talked about how leaders should set a good example, have rules to follow, and take action when someone acts unethically.

In class, we looked at real-life examples to understand how to deal with these situations.

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We spent the class working in groups on the Silex project and continued doing our research

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Group In-class Silex project presentation

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In module 13, A contract is a legal agreement between two parties. For a contract to be valid, it needs an offer and acceptance, clear intent, something of value (consideration), and both parties must have the legal ability to enter into it.

There are different types of contracts in public procurement, such as purchase orders, blanket purchase orders, service level agreements, and master service agreements.

Supplier management helps make sure that suppliers deliver quality goods and services. An evergreen contract means regular, ongoing purchases.

We can measure how well suppliers are performing in both formal and informal ways. Working in public procurement is similar to a customer service role because we build and maintain relationships.

Debriefing is part of keeping good communication with suppliers and is also required under BPS (Broader Public Sector) guidelines.

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It was our final class, and we dedicated it to reviewing all the course modules in preparation for the reflection projects. It was a great way to revisit key concepts and connect everything we’ve learned throughout the course.