National Professional Certification Programme in Procurement Management for Zimbabwe

To enhance professionalism and strengthen procurement management capacity across the country, the Government of Zimbabwe and ITCILO - in close collaboration with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) and the Southern Africa Public Procurement Training Academy (SAPPTA) - has launched a National Professional Certification Programme in Procurement Management.

This multi-level certification initiative supported national development goals by reinforcing knowledge, skills and attitudes in public procurement and project procurement management through online progressive certification programmes, a training of trainers and an examination question bank.

Through a mix of online and face-to-face learning, the programme has empowered 60 procurement professionals from key government institutions, public authorities, and universities across the country. In addition, 30 future trainers have been prepared to continue advancing professionalization in public procurement management throughout Zimbabwe.

• To ensure a progressive and comprehensive learning experience, the programme is designed as a multi-stage learning journey, supported by advance training technologies and training methodologies for adult learning., covering increasing levels of expertise in public procurement management:
  • Level 1: Introduction to Public Procurement Fundamentals, Principles and Practice
  • Level 2: Procurement Management and Contracts for Goods, Works and Services
  • Level 3: Sustainable public procurement, innovation and advance contracting
  • Training of Trainers: Training Methodologies and Training Design
• An Examination Question Bank has been developed to support the creation of a national examination and accreditation system in the country

Key features include:

• A blended delivery approach, combining dynamic online learning with e-coaching and in-person training sessions.
• Use of interactive adult learning methodologies to maximize engagement and practical understanding.
• A strong performance-based progression system, where participants earn a Certificate of Achievement and qualify to advance to the next level based on assessment results.

The Professional Certification scheme fosters procurement professionalization validating knowledge, skills and attitudes in the following key technical areas:

• Public procurement and project procurement systems, functions, methods and management processes
• Strategic and risk-based planning and agile contracting  approaches
• Procurement cycle management procedures for goods, works and services, including bidding, selection, evaluation and contract management
• Proactive integration of sustainability, resilience and innovation aspects throughout the entire procurement process
• Strategic and advanced contract administration and performance management methods
• Training methodologies and training design related to procurement management, advanced contract management and sustainable public procurement