Responsible Procurement

Procurement is a strategic activity for most organisations and is focused on generating value, rather than solely reducing costs. The commercial backdrop for procurement is becoming increasingly difficult with rising resource scarcity and market concentration, while systemic societal issues of environmental degradation and social inequalities deepen, creating conditions for procurement to both generate, and destroy value.

In this two-day course, the participants will explore procurement’s changing responsibilities in contemporary organisations; consider its future potential to contribute positive change beyond shareholder value; and take a critical look at ‘how did we get here?’ and the consequences of not paying attention to the ‘why, what, where, who, and how’ of procurement and sourcing decisions.

Teaching will be interactive providing opportunities for learners to reflect on and share their own experiences through case studies, group activities, and thought experiments. The latest procurement research will be used in the sessions to consider the evidence and emerging debates on responsible procurement.