Introduction to Commercial

Awareness
This course covers the essentials of pre-sourcing, sourcing and contract management.
Students in Service uniform seated in a classroom working on laptops

Course Information

Level: Awareness
Location: Online (Virtual)
School/Centre: Business Skills Centre
Course Code: ITC
Duration: 3 days 0900-1630
When: On demand

About this course

Please Note: From January 2025 this course will focus on the new legislation that comes into effect on 24th February 2025… The Procurement Act 2023 and The Procurement Regulations 2024.

This course provides an overall awareness of the MOD Commercial Function and how it supports the procurement and contract management of equipment and services.

It introduces how defence works and the MOD/industry landscape. The legal elements of a contract are explained and the implementation of procurement within the department is addressed through consideration of the commercial procurement life cycle.

The phases and activities within the life cycle are presented on an individual basis and practical exercises are employed throughout the course to consolidate learning.

It is set primarily in a MOD context and is part of a suite of MOD courses. It is designed to assist commercial officers progress from an initial awareness of the procurement processes but has wider applicability to non-MOD and wider government employees.

What you will learn

By the end of this course you will

  • Appreciate how the MOD operates and the interaction between the MOD and industry
  • Understand the role of a commercial officer and their key involvement with procurement
  • Understand what procurement entails and appreciate the key phases within the procure-ment life cycle and the conduct of the activities included within the individual phases
  • Appreciate the importance of drafting appropriate strategies and the correct preparation of documentation
  • Understand the implementation of competitive and single source procurement and the process differences

How this course will help your career

This course is recommended for MOD Commercial staff. It will provide you with an awareness and understanding of procurement in the MOD context and identifies the role of commercial staff when engaging in procurement and all aspects that are required to be considered.

It is strongly recommended that attendance is completed within the first 3 months of joining the Commercial Function and no later than 6 months.

It is strongly recommended that students read the Commercial Awareness Guide (available through the Commercial Toolkit) before attending the course.

Entry requirements

Who can attend this course

  • Military
  • MOD civil servants

Before you attend

  • Delegates wishing to book on this course must ensure that prior to booking their personal information in MyHR is up to date including a full work postal address and mail point.
  • The course is currently delivered virtually through MS Teams.

All staff are reminded that attendance on courses should be discussed with their line manager. The course should be marked in their diary and no appointments are to be made during this time. If urgent work requirements arise that mean you are unable to attend then you should advise your line manager and the Defence Academy as soon as possible. Partial attendance is NOT allowed unless it has been approved in advance by the Commercial Training and Education Team. Any No-Shows (where prior notice of non-attendance has not been received) will be investigated and line managers notified when appropriate.

You can also contact the Commercial Training and Education Team (email above) for any reasonable adjustment requests before attending the course.

Additional information

How the course will be taught

  • Online (Virtual)

How you will be assessed

There is no assessment for this course.