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Materiel Management National Workshop
A key to ‘respectability’
Mark it in your daybook now! Any materiel management or procurement
specialist who is anyone will need to be at the Ottawa Congress Centre,
May 28 to 30 for the 13th Annual Materiel Management National Workshop (MMNW).
This year’s national workshop is continuing where it’s been headed for the
past several years: bigger, bolder and better. The theme of the event is
Modernizing Service Delivery With Our Partners and nothing could be
more appropriate.
“Materiel and procurement specialists are increasingly seen both
internally and externally as key strategic business partners who are
crucial to effective service delivery,” according to Bob Myers, Chairman
of the 13th Annual National Workshop, Director of Materiel Management and
Contracting for Canadian Heritage and Vice President of Professional
Development for the MMI. “Our community, one that used to be perceived as
chiefly administrative in nature, is increasingly being seen as a primary
knowledge resource, an integral component of business strategy for overall
modern organizational management.”
Public sector business is being recognized as one of the most
influential strategic management functions in service delivery and it is
certainly one of the key bell-weathers for the introduction of
e-government. Modern service delivery demystifies government. Its focus is
transparency, ease of use, relevance and accountability. Frills are
sacrificed for functionality. While these are themes that are all too
familiar for public sector materiel managers and procurement
practitioners, their professional benefit to colleagues and clients hinges
more and more on their ability to be true ‘knowledge workers.’ The value
of our community is developing and maintaining key business relationships
both inside and outside of the organization. This also means that
professional development and professional qualifications have a much
greater emphasis for the effectiveness and career development of
individuals.
The 2002 MMNW concentrates on the practical foundation of materiel
management and procurement professionalism. It offers five overall
streams:
- Business and Partnerships will
explore the range of interactions professionals are developing to
further modern procurement processes and techniques, everything from
sharing risk to common services and the development of formal
public-private partnerships.
- The Building a Strong Community
stream takes a close look at professional qualifications, certification
issues, professional development and career opportunities for public
sector materiel managers and procurement specialists and enhancement of
the status of the overall community.
- Strategic Planning addresses the
integration of planning, purchasing, processing and information needs in
modern public organizations and the strategic role of the community in
meeting organizational and service delivery goals.
- Emerging Trends will examine
procurement methods and techniques in the context of our changing
society and economy, global linkages, technology change, e-commerce and
e-procurement, identifying working dynamics professionals will be facing
as organizations evolve.
- Best Practices – What’s in it for me?
is a stream that is designed to share successes, saving time and money
and offering real world examples of innovative business solutions.
The 2002 National Workshop features an ice-breaker reception on May 28,
a reception and gala dinner on May 29 and a thematic luncheon on May 30.
The May 29 Trade Show has become a particularly popular feature of the
MMNW with 60 exhibits on state-of-the-art products and services,
professional development career opportunities along with interactive
activities and door prizes.
The 13th Annual MMNW also offers its traditional pre-workshop training
component on May 28. This year the pre-workshop is sponsored by the
Professional Development and Certification Program for Procurement,
Materiel Management and Real Property community and will help participants
ensure they have the tools in place to create win-win contracts through
the Statement of work in action: Getting what you want. The
objective of the workshop is to maximize on investments with statements of
work that accurately and effectively reflect government’s often complex
requirements.
“The Annual National Workshop has grown in popularity and
sophistication over the years. It is an incomparable value for
participants. I have no doubt we’ll be sold out very quickly,” says Bob
Myers. “I’m also looking forward to a very well presented and relevant
conference. A solid team of representatives from at least a dozen
departments are working hard at it.”
Registration fees for the two-day workshop range from early bird rates
of $525 for MMI members and $610 for non-members, including all events and
activities. The pre-workshop training costs $325 for members and $410 for
non-members. Blocks of hotel rooms have been set aside for delegates. More
information and registration is available from the Materiel Management
Institute at tel: (613) 725-0980. Participants can also register on-line
at: www.mmi-igm.ca.
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