Procurement is a critical and challenging activity in humanitarian logistics and supply management. First, 65 percent of relief operation costs in humanitarian operations are estimated to be related to procurement. Second, procurement requires a systematic approach considering both the short- and long-term impact of purchasing decisions on the affected area. Third, multiple criteria such as cost, quality, delivery time, supplier reliability, or local supply capacity should be considered in procurement decisions. Fourth, new aspects such as digitalisation and environmental sustainability of procurement are also increasingly valued and expected by donors. Therefore, specific skills and capabilities are required from professionals working in the area of procurement in a humanitarian setting. This course intends to provide students the required basic knowledge and capabilities to cope with the competence requirements for procurement experts in humanitarian supply chain.
Objectives
Understand the significance and basic concepts in the area of procurement management
Know the approaches and models, including digitalisation, to support procurement of different types of goods and services
Identify special characteristics of challenges and risks in procurement in humanitarian logistics, and ways to handle and mitigate them
Integrate environmental sustainability conditions into the procurement process
