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Description

Buying Professional Services: Defining the Need, Contracting and Managing Delivery

Buy consulting or technical services without discovering the gaps when the deliverable arrives

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

A service is bought on the basis of a promise: the deliverable does not exist at the time of order. An imprecise scope of work is paid for later in variation orders, delays and disagreements about what was included in the price. The client organisation usually notices the gap once most of the assignment has already been consumed.

Two days to secure the purchase of services from the expression of need through to contract closure. The programme covers drafting the scope of work, running the supplier consultation, the clauses that genuinely protect the client and the management of delivery. The running case study concerns a consulting assignment.

Learning objectives

  • Express a service requirement in terms of the expected outcome
  • Draft a scope of work that suppliers can actually work from
  • Organise a consultation and compare offers built on different bases
  • Identify the contractual clauses that secure a service assignment
  • Manage delivery and handle change requests
  • Accept deliverables and close the contract

What makes this programme different

Each participant drafts a scope of work for a consulting assignment and has it reviewed by the group
Deliberately non-comparable offers are brought back to a common basis during the session
Mid-assignment change requests are arbitrated through role-play

Programme

1From Business Need to Scope of Work

Describing an outcome rather than a solution

  • Expressing the need in terms of expected outcomes and constraints
  • Distinguishing between best-efforts and results-based obligations
  • Structuring the scope of work and its annexes
  • Defining deliverables, milestones and acceptance criteria

2Consultation and Supplier Selection

Comparing what is not comparable

  • Identifying and qualifying potential service providers
  • Building a weighted offer evaluation matrix
  • Bringing heterogeneous offers back to a common basis
  • Running a supplier presentation and verifying stated references

3Contracting the Assignment

The clauses that matter in a dispute

  • Aligning the scope of work, general terms and purchase order
  • Framing price, revisions and payment terms
  • Securing ownership of deliverables and confidentiality
  • Providing for handover, penalties and exit conditions

4Managing Delivery and Closing Out

Holding the assignment through to the deliverable

  • Setting up governance forums and control points
  • Handling change requests and their impact on price
  • Accepting deliverables against the agreed acceptance criteria
  • Evaluating the supplier and capturing lessons for future purchases

Who is it for

Project managers, business function owners and occasional buyers required to commission consulting or technical services.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.