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Description

Procurement of Professional Services: Scoping, Sourcing and Assessing Value

Buying consulting, engineering or training when the deliverable cannot be weighed

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

With professional services, the buyer compares neither technical specifications nor catalogue references: the purchase is a promise carried by individuals. The requirement is often vague, the internal stakeholder already has a consultant in mind, effort days serve as the unit of measure and quality only becomes visible after the fact.

Two days to professionalise this category: turning an imprecise request into a clear scope of work, running a sourcing exercise that allows genuinely different approaches to be compared, assessing the proposed team members and building a contract that protects the deliverables. The cases covered span consulting, engineering and training assignments.

Learning objectives

  • Turn an imprecise request into a workable scope of work
  • Define deliverables and verifiable acceptance criteria
  • Run a sourcing exercise that allows different approaches to be compared
  • Assess the relevance and availability of the proposed team members
  • Frame intellectual property and confidentiality provisions
  • Manage delivery and assess the value obtained

What makes this programme different

The scope of work is written for an assignment the participant is genuinely about to launch
Consulting firms' proposals are analysed line by line
An assessment grid for proposed consultants is built and then tested in a simulated pitch

Programme

1A Purchase That Cannot Be Compared Like Any Other

Buying a promise and a team

  • Identify what sets professional services apart from other purchases
  • Understand the internal stakeholder's role and relationship with the provider
  • Recognise the risks of dependency and automatic renewal
  • Map your professional services spend

2Scoping the Requirement and the Deliverables

Writing down what is truly expected

  • Have the expected outcome expressed rather than the method
  • Define deliverables and their acceptance criteria
  • Set the scope, the counterparts and the expected effort
  • Distinguish best-efforts commitments from outcome commitments

3Sourcing and Selecting

Comparing approaches and teams

  • Design a sourcing process open to different approaches
  • Analyse a proposal and its cost structure
  • Assess the consultants actually assigned to the assignment
  • Run a pitch session and differentiate between bidders

4Contracting and Managing Delivery

Protecting deliverables and monitoring the assignment

  • Frame intellectual property and confidentiality provisions
  • Plan for the replacement of a consultant and continuity of the assignment
  • Organise milestone reviews and the approval of deliverables
  • Assess the value obtained and capture lessons for the next assignment

Who is it for

Buyers and internal stakeholders as well as department heads engaging consulting firms or engineering and training providers.

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.