PRCH3020 Public Sector by

Week 1: ¡OH CANADA !

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-01-17 23:55:39 UTC

I never expected to start learning about the public sector in Canada, especially being a person from another country, I guess I have wondered many times in the background if we need to know that or how it would benefit us as supply chain students. This first week has been a pleasant surprise to know that it is valuable information interchangeable with the knowledge previously studied in the semesters. I think that every day makes us realize that the government is only there to make laws and impart justice. Still, other important agents make the development of towns and populations possible and there is also an organized and technical process behind the acquisition of materials that give life to education, transportation and connectivity projects. I am very excited to start this class!

Week 2: The Piggybacked

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-01-18 00:01:05 UTC

I feel that by associating concepts with everyday things, I can learn them more easily. This week, the concept that I memorized the most was piggybacked purchasing, it's like when you go out partying with your friends. And you are the one in charge of hiring Uber, since you are the one who arranged the Uber contract for 50 dollars then your friends can benefit from riding in the same Uber enjoying the comfort and the route of this car. From now on, I will ask my friends if they want a piggybacked Uber.

Week 3: Public VS Private

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-01-18 00:10:00 UTC

I always see in the news how public companies collaborate with private companies for certain purposes that can benefit both. Today I learned that the broader public sector procurement is the correct name for this practice. It is important to recognize that local and national governments cannot do everything alone and that in most occasions the private sector must be a support in terms of resources, information and people. If we think about it, private and public entities share many things - maximizing efficiency, employees, rules, structures, etc. They differ minimally in their funding, decision-making and objectives. Yet, they feel similar but different and provide a firm structure that allows governments to continue to grow and provide for the well-being of the community.

Week 4: SILEX project - Exciting new opportunity

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-01-26 03:37:16 UTC

I won't lie, I'm a little nervous about this new project. During my career, I have not had the experience of working with anything related to inventory, so all this barcode and SKU relationship takes me by surprise, but I am very excited, and I think it is a unique opportunity to learn new things that will help me add to my resume. Will I get to speak in front of people who represent the City of London? The nerves!

Week 5: 6 requirements for a legally binding contract

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-01 20:30:26 UTC

To have an INTERNATION, both parties must initiate a legal relationship, money or service would be the CONSIDERATION. If we want to establish a negotiation, an OFFER must be made by one of the parties involved and an ACCEPTANCE must result in both parties agreeing to their various terms. It would not be a contract without a LEGAL PURPOSE, since the law must give us its blessing, even more so when both parties are people with LEGAL CAPACITY and with full awareness of the commitment made.

Week 6: Integrity in public procurement

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-01 21:00:26 UTC

Integrity and transparency in public procurement is perhaps one of the most critical issues facing the public sector. I come from a country where much of the taxpayers' money is not being used to benefit our cities because there is no investment in good public services, education or infrastructure. Citizens have a right to trust their governments and expect them to invest in assets that make life easier for all citizens. Although we know that no matter how much effort is made, in reality, things are not very transparent as there is always room for corruption in all governments, it is up to all of us as citizens to demand that this is fully respected.

Week 7: Case Study Analysis- Hamildon city is in serious problems!

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-01 21:15:27 UTC

Doing the case study put me in perspective. Things that we normally take for granted, such as having trucks to plow the roads, may not be available at some point because there have been failures that the purchasing department has not been able to identify in time, such as the lack of windshield wipers. These can be seen as small details that make a big difference, and things get complicated when lives are at risk and business is affected. At the end of the day, the most important thing is always to find the best way to mitigate risk and avoid potential setbacks.

Week 8: Procurement Specifications-The devil is in the details

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-01 22:03:39 UTC

Haven't you ever made a mistake by not insisting on rigorous detail? In these procurement processes, where large amounts of money are moved with large projects, it is very important to consider the details that must be taken into account to deliver good results. Colours, weight, certifications, dimensions, materials, technology, etc. are part of the long list of specifications that make details matter a lot in the end. Therefore, it never hurts to think about the additional details that may be important and that are often forgotten by customers who put their trust in suppliers.

Week 9: Qualified or not?

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-16 00:34:19 UTC

It could be said that proposing to compete for a public contract would be just making a long list of requirements and marking what has already been done and what has not, but is that enough? I believe that the teams in charge of making these proposals should put themselves in the shoes of their potential or future clients, what things are most important to them? What weighs most in your evaluation process? What things can stand out the most in an accumulation of infinite proposals? The added value is important because you can meet the requirements, but are you the right one? we'll see.

Week 10: My Code of Ethics is ...

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-16 00:56:42 UTC

Acting ethically has become the least of concerns for both public and private corporations. Amid the need to work, gain experience and survive in the troubled world we no longer have the freedom to change our decisions to work for companies that are not environmentally responsible, that do not promote child labour and don't have corrupt policies or political lobbies because we have been conditioned that that is the way the world works. Could my ethical code override my need to belong to the world around me? My ethics are so strong that on a personal level, I always can do the right thing. If our commitment to society would be to be able to spread to the community the correct way of doing things, denounce what is wrong and take care of our values, we would have been successful.

Week 11: Team work!

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-03-16 13:38:18 UTC

I am very grateful to have found a good team for the SILEX project, however, I am a little disappointed because the information we have available to work with is not enough and that is very frustrating. We will do what is in our power to give our best but I consider this unmotivating.

Week 12: Presentation Day!

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-04-09 18:15:45 UTC

It is so crazy that we are already at this point in the semester! I felt nervous at first and speaking in a short time was complicated because I am not a person of few words, in fact speaking too much took away some points (lol) in the same way it was a good experience working with my colleagues that I got to know a little further

Week 13: No class and no speaker

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-04-09 18:23:02 UTC

I had great expectations that we would be able to listen to the presenter from Western University but he could not appear due to personal situations. I have learned a lot from the current classes and it would have been great to have a different point of view from another expert.

Week 14: bye bye!

n_salcedodelahoz2 — 2024-04-11 14:32:25 UTC

Our last week! I feel like very little time has passed since we started and how we have come far. I must say that this was one of the best classes of the semester, teacher Sarah has been more than excellent in everything she has taught us and I want to highlight the passion with which she teaches us and all the tools she uses to make learning much more easy such as the use of questionnaires, technological tools and case studies. Thank you so much!