Procurement and Contract Management Profession

The Procurement and Contract Management Profession is building an enduring professional workforce for the Australian Public Service.

Join this Profession

 

The Procurement and Contract Management Profession recognises procurement and contract management as a critical area of expertise; it offers professional development opportunities and is outlining career pathways to support a dynamic and proficient APS workforce.

The Procurement and Contract Management Profession brings together government officials to collaborate with their peers and network with industry and government experts. Together, growing a dedicated and engaged community that efficiently and effectively delivers better outcomes for the government, businesses, and Australian community.  

Procurement and Contract Management Profession Strategy

The Procurement and Contract Management Profession Strategy sets out a clear vision for building a professional, skilled and adaptive workforce across the public service. It outlines practical initiatives to strengthen capability, create structured career pathways and enhance the professionalisation of procurement and contract management. 

The strategy creates a plan to attract, develop and retain specialist talent. This helps ensure best-practice government delivery and addresses the increasing demands of public procurement and contract management.

Read the full Procurement and Contract Management Profession Strategy to learn more.

Head of the Procurement and Contract Management Profession

Co-Head Julia Pickworth, Deputy Secretary of the Industry and Commercialisation Group of the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, and Co-Head Richard Windeyer, Deputy Secretary of the Commercial Group of the Department of Finance, work in tandem to promote and bring together knowledge of Commonwealth procurement and industry-side experience in procurement and contract management.

Who is this Profession suitable for?

Employees who are responsible for contributing to, leading or overseeing APS procurement processes, interested in strengthening your procurement and contract management skills and who are new to procurement or contract management.

Benefits of joining this Profession

  • Regular updates from experts and senior leaders detailing policy updates and new initiatives in procurement and contract management.
  • Events with guest speakers from government and professional associations.
  • In-person networking opportunities encouraging peer dialogue and sharing of innovative practices.

 

For more information, visit the APS Procurement and Contract Management Profession.

Resources

Commonwealth procurement advice, support and services
Supporting officials undertaking Commonwealth procurements, the Department of Finance provides a wealth of supporting tools and templates.
Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Community of Practice
Providing a space for officials to collaborate, share best practice, and hear from industry and government experts, the Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Community of Practice is open to all Commonwealth officials.

Courses

Achieving value for money
This course provides a discussion on value for money, what that means and how it applies when conducting procurement and contract management activities.
Broader Economic Benefits
The Australian Government is committed to building a stronger, more prosperous and resilient economy where Australian businesses can be competitive on a domestic and international level. In this course you will learn about the range of measures that are in place to promote domestic economic growth through procurement.
Contract Management Basics eLearning
This course introduces the essentials of contract management, including the roles, tools, techniques, and methods contract managers use to add value. Participants examine key aspects of managing contracts and obtaining better performance and relationships with contractors and suppliers.
Contract Management in Practice
​This course includes management of the resulting contract to deliver value for money outcomes.
CPR Exemptions and Conditions for Limited Tender
This course provides APS officials with information necessary for applying CPR Exemptions and Conditions for Limited Tender.
Exercising Procurement Delegations
​This course is a high-level overview of the procurement framework as it relates to non-SES delegates. It expands on the roles and responsibilities of non-SES delegates when making decisions and approving procurement activities.
Indigenous Procurement Policy
The primary purpose of the IPP is to stimulate Indigenous entrepreneurship, business and economic development.
Probity and Integrity in Procurement
​This course outlines how government funds are under constant scrutiny and uses real examples to demonstrate instances of poor management and decision-making by APS in the Procurement Lifecycle.  
Procurement and Contract Management Basics
Procurement and Contract Management Basics aims to provide APS employees with an introduction to Commonwealth procurement and fundamental knowledge and skills essential for contract management.
Procurement Basics eLearning
​This course advances procurement capability across the APS; to deliver value for money outcomes from Commonwealth procurement activities; and ensure APS officials understand and acquit their obligations in line with Commonwealth procurement requirements.
Procurement for SES Delegates
​This course is a high-level overview of the procurement lifecycle and provides guidance to SES delegates on their role and responsibilities in each phase, from planning through to contract management.
Procurement in Practice

This is a hands-on practical course. Participants use case studies and scenario-based simulations to plan and conduct procurement from phase 1 to 3 of the Procurement Lifecycle.

Procurement-connected Policies
The Procurement-connected Policies course provides APS officials with a basic understanding of procurement connected policies (PCPs) and their use in the procurement lifecycle.
Writing and Evaluating Tender Criteria
Knowledge and practices relating to delivering effective evaluation outcomes. An essential course for anyone who will be required to sit on an evaluation panel. This course provides a set of tools and techniques to manage sourcing events and their evaluation in a manner that is efficient, accountable and delivers the right outcomes. It includes an overview of the end-to-end evaluation process, including evaluation criteria and scoring methods.
Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Training Suite
This program aims to build the procurement and contracting capabilities of the Australian Public Service as the Commonwealth seeks to deliver more strategic value for money outcomes when undertaking the purchase of goods and services.
Was this page helpful?
Last updated