Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Coordinated procurement contracts may include:
whole of government contracts for goods and services, such as:
accounting and related professional services
travel arrangements, including airlines, hotels, rental cars and booking services
telecommunications
desktop computing
major office machines
other whole of government sourcing arrangements, such as Microsoft Volume Sourcing arrangement.
Cooperative procurement arrangements may include:
portfolio purchasing arrangements
lead agency arrangements
formal and informal opportunities for government organisations to combine their requirements
existing contracts which permit piggy backing arrangements.
Contracts may include:
formal written contracts
standing offers (panels)
multi-use lists and similar arrangements
inter and intra-government agreements
letters of intent
memoranda of understanding and memoranda of agreement
licensing agreements
in-house option directives.
Legislation, policy, requirements and procedures may include:
financial management legislation
government procurement legislation, policy and guidelines
public sector standards
ethics standards
codes of conduct, codes of practice and standards of individual behaviour
environmental purchasing
corporate social responsibility
financial procedures
probity requirements and procedures
procurement procedures specific to coordinated or cooperative procurements, including business rules for the use of these arrangements.
Contract terms and conditions may include:
who may use the cooperative, coordinated procurement agreement and the conditions under which it can be accessed
specifications
contract clauses dealing with:
risk
variations
insurances
notices
disputes
intellectual property
privacy
confidentiality
milestones
payments
breaches
adherence to codes of practice and expected standards of behaviour.
Information and education about the contract may include:
contract notices
contract summaries
other published materials explaining the use of the contract
intranet content
education and awareness sessions
help desk
appointment of an expert for each contract.
Reporting requirements may include:
electronic tendering services and contract advisory services
chief executive instructions or other organisational policy documents
contract-specific reporting arrangements
agency-specific reporting arrangements.
Record keeping requirements may include:
financial management systems
general document filing systems
procurement and contract reporting systems
database systems
central registers or repositories.
Cooperative procurement strategy may include:
research into agencies that may be interested in cooperative contract
business case or other approval documentation to enter into a cooperative procurement contract
meeting plan, minutes or report discussing options with potential partner agencies
written agreement determining agencies' roles and responsibilities in the cooperative procurement
contribution to cooperative scoping study, tender documents, evaluation of tender, negotiation of contract, and management of contract
scoping study.
Negotiations may include:
nature of procurement in terms of:
risk
expenditure
complexity
nature of supply market:
fully competitive
dominated by a few large suppliers
sole supplier
unsophisticated suppliers
rural and remote issues
one-off negotiation versus need to maintain long-term relationship
existing relationship with supplier:
previous negotiations
supplier's business approach to government as client
state of current relationship
political or community sensitivities
skill and experience of negotiating team
balance of power in the negotiations.
Coordinated procurement plan includes:
definition of requirements
risks and appropriate controls
contract terms and conditions
timeframes
expected outcomes.
Procurement documents may include:
strategy for conducting a cooperative procurement
procurement plan
offer evaluation plan
contract negotiation plan
risk management plan
contingency plan
communication and public relations plan
human resource management plan
disposal plan
contract review plan
papers and reports relating to environmental and green issues
industry policy
management strategies for probity issues, such as conflicts of interest or specific probity plan.
Procurement process may include:
procurement planning
risk assessment and management
stakeholder management
communications strategy
request for offer documentation
tender evaluation processes and documents
delegations and approvals
contracts and contract variations
other forms of legal agreements, such as licensing agreements and memoranda of understanding.
Appropriate communication channels may include:
electronic tendering services and contract advisory services
whole of government, portfolio, cross-agency or similar high level procurement committees or groups
procurement practitioner meetings to share information
procurement discussion forums
central agencies acting as information brokers
websites and intranet listings
internal and external personal networking.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to conduct coordinated procurement consistently in accordance with legislative and organisational requirements.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
use research and networking skills to identify existing applicable existing CPCs or similar arrangements that could be used to meet the procurement need
follow the necessary procedures to access goods and services from the CPC
provide reports of usage as required by the CPC
identify procurement situations that might benefit from the establishment of a new CPC and take steps to establish a CPC
negotiate, influence and communicate effectively on procurement issues with staff from other organisations
act as lead for a coordinated procurement process
act within own delegations and promptly refer issues outside delegation to higher authority
uphold probity standards applicable to the procurement process.
Consistency in performance
Competency should be demonstrated by providing evidence of undertaking a range of relevant work tasks in an actual or simulated procurement environment on at least two separate occasions.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
The unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Access may be required to:
legislation, policy, procedures and protocols relating to coordinated procurement and contract management
codes of conduct and codes of practice
workplace scenarios and case studies relating to a range of procurement activities associated with conducting coordinated procurement
case studies that incorporate dilemmas, and probity requirements relating to conducting coordinated procurement.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
questions to assess understanding of relevant legislation and procedures
review of strategies and approaches adopted for conducting coordinated procurement
review of documents, such as CPCs or other similar arrangements, minutes of meetings of cooperative procurement groups, information sessions, records of matching agency needs to available contracts or other documentation prepared by the candidate in a range of contexts
review of stakeholder engagement approaches adopted by the candidate.
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly. Questioning techniques should suit the language and literacy levels of the candidate.
Guidance information for assessment
Evidence must be gathered over time in a range of contexts to ensure the person can achieve the unit outcome and apply the competency in different situations or environments.
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
PSPETHC501B Promote the values and ethos of public service
PSPGOV507A Undertake negotiations
PSPPROC503B Manage contract performance
PSPPROC505A Manage procurement risk
PSPPROC506A Plan to manage a contract
PSPPROC507A Plan for procurement outcomes.