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Public Procurement Excellence
June 18, 2018
European Commission supports innovative program for central public procurement
As of September 2018, the WU Executive Academy and Austria's Federal Procurement Agency (FPA) will jointly offer an innovative program for public-procurement professionals from EU member states and COSME countries. The European Commission fully funds the training, which is to be delivered in English, with a view to saving up to 20 billion Euro annually thanks to improved efficiency and more professional procurement practices.
EU member states could save some 20 billion euro a year by reducing their annual public expenditures totaling 2 trillion euro by as little as 1%. Hence, the European Commission launched an initiative in October 2017 to make member states' public spending more efficient. This is to be achieved, inter alia, by helping practitioners and experts working in public procurement develop an even better understanding of how to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
“The European Commission has decided to fund this training program targeted at central purchasing bodies (CPBs) as CPBs can make a substantial contribution to strengthening SMEs, environmentally-friendly purchasing practices and innovative procurement methods. I am convinced that the program will attract professionals from across Europe, given that it is designed effectively and covers all the relevant topics, ranging from contract management to the design of and strategy behind framework contracts. By attending the program, each and every participant can contribute to both improving the procurement practices of the individual member states of the EU and making them more strategic and more SME-oriented in nature,” says Irmfried Schwimann, Deputy Director-General DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs).
Special emphasis on further professionalization
Thanks to the new “Public Procurement Excellence” program offered jointly by the WU Executive Academy and Austria's Federal Procurement Agency, there will, for the first time, be an opportunity for a comprehensive transfer of knowledge in this field.
Prof. Barbara Stöttinger
- Dean of the WU Executive Academy
The fact that the European Commission supports this training program is a testament to its international relevance. The job of public-procurement professionals is particularly challenging, given that they are to accomplish the dual mission of making efficient and prudent use of taxpayers' money and contributing, in as effective a manner as possible, towards policy objectives. The funding will help implement a training program that addresses practical needs by providing participants from EU member states/COSME countries with the latest procurement know-how and by promoting international networking and knowledge sharing among the experts.
Andreas Nemec, Managing Director of Austria's Federal Procurement Agency, adds: “The European Commission’s strategy places special emphasis on the professionalization of public procurement. We are absolutely delighted to join forces with the WU Executive Academy to offer an expert training program that will equip participants with essential methods, tools and skills for state-of-the-art public procurement.”
The “Public Procurement Excellence” program at a glance
Two three-week modules—held from September 24 to October 13, 2018 and from January 14 to January 31, 2019, respectively—will provide participants with an opportunity to enhance their understanding of state-of-the-art tools and approaches for innovative procurement, to benefit from valuable input on how to choose goods and services in an efficient, ecologically sustainable and SME-friendly manner, and to acquire the latest knowledge regarding the EU's procurement directive.
Moreover, they will develop their communication and negotiation skills as well as their e-procurement expertise. In between the modules, participants will work on their own business projects. The faculty will include public-procurement experts and experienced practitioners as well as renowned academics and lecturers of WU Vienna. Classes will take place at the WU Executive Academy in Vienna from Monday to Friday. The language of instruction will be English.
A dedicated platform will provide participants with an additional forum for networking, adding even more lasting value to their training.
Target group
The program is intended for
professionals from EU member states working in public procurement and contracting.
professionals who are to work for planned procurement bodies.
procurers and purchasers working in the context of the EU's COSME program (an initiative to foster the competitiveness of SMEs in the EU).
Prospective participants need to have two to three years of professional experience and a good command of English.
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