Start a conversation ↗

Description

Sustainable Procurement: Embedding Criteria, Assessing Suppliers and Driving Progress

Moving from published commitments to criteria that genuinely influence supplier selection

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

The organisation publishes a responsible procurement policy, yet tenders are still decided on price and lead time alone. Buyers lack verifiable criteria, suppliers respond with statements of intent, and no one is able to turn a broad commitment into an enforceable requirement within a tender document.

Two days to make responsible procurement operational: identifying the issues specific to each category, writing verifiable requirements, weighting criteria in bid analysis and monitoring commitments once the contract is signed. The programme builds on an existing policy and is designed for buyers already in post.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the environmental and social issues associated with each procurement category
  • Translate a responsible procurement policy into verifiable requirements
  • Embed weighted criteria into bid analysis
  • Assess supplier responses beyond statements of intent
  • Monitor commitments made after contract award

What makes this programme different

Criteria are drafted for a procurement category brought by the participant
Standard supplier responses are examined to separate evidence from intention
A supplier improvement plan is built with its own monitoring milestones

Programme

1From Commitments to Purchasing Decisions

Where procurement affects the organisation's footprint

  • Assess the share of the footprint carried by suppliers
  • Identify procurement categories with environmental or social exposure
  • Connect corporate policy to purchasing decisions
  • Identify the expectations of clients and contracting authorities

2Writing Verifiable Requirements

Moving beyond declarative wording

  • Draft a requirement that can be checked rather than a broad commitment
  • Select the evidence and supporting documents expected
  • Position the value and the limits of labels and certifications
  • Avoid requirements that smaller suppliers cannot realistically meet

3Selecting and Making Trade-Offs

Giving the criterion real weight in the decision

  • Weight criteria without stripping price of its importance
  • Analyse a supplier response and spot unsupported claims
  • Balance immediate cost against whole-life cost
  • Justify the decision to the internal client and to senior management

4Driving Supplier Improvement

What happens after the contract is signed

  • Formalise commitments within the contract
  • Build an improvement plan with shared milestones
  • Organise audits and site visits
  • Track indicators and address identified gaps

Who is it for

Buyers and procurement managers, together with sustainability leads involved in defining criteria and monitoring supplier performance.

Prerequisites

Practical experience of running tenders and analysing bids is required.

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.