Seminar Focus (Chaired by DAVID McWILLIAMS)

The Forum on Public Procurement, which represents many Irish public sector buyers and suppliers, proposes to open a debate on how small but significant changes in the public procurement process can assist in restoring economic confidence, generate economic activity and offer innovative solutions benefitting the procurement professionals, Irish suppliers and ultimately the taxpayer.

Public Procurement is worth in the region of €15 billion annually and supports some 250,000 jobs in Ireland, making it an integral and vital component of our society.

A host of Irish companies are now experiencing major difficulties in ensuring their survival and in accessing public contracts in the home market due to increased competition, diminishing markets ‐public and private ‐and ever changing goalposts.

Operators are facing stark choices as they strive to survive; the suppliers attempting to continue to offer quality services at competitive prices and still retain jobs; the buyers to achieve extraordinarily low costs and even better value for money.

The essential fact is that public procurement cannot remain aloof, isolated and unchanged by the circumstances impacting daily on the economy. Now is the opportune time to identify suitable strategies for successfully delivering contracts while providing the impetus to generate improved market activity and stabilize employment.

This one‐day Conference, to be chaired by David McWilliams, will examine the potential opportunities that public procurement can offer in contributing to the stabilisation of Irish business and the creation of new jobs, while at the same time delivering vital public services of high quality.

Panel of Experts

Darragh O’Brien, T.D., Deputy Chair of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee
Pat Delaney, Director, IBEC
Billy Noone, Department of Finance
Emmett Devlin, Procurement Officer, South Dublin County Council
Tony Redmond, Procurement Manager, Railway Procurement Agency
Cecil Ryan, Regional Managing Director – Europe, OCS
Padraig Twomey, Group Procurement Manager, Bord Gáis Eireann

Speakers

	CHAIRED BY DAVID McWILLIAMS
	Enda Kenny, T.D., Leader of Fine Gael – member of Dáil Eireann since 1975. President of the EU Council of trade Ministers, 1996. Member of the Advisory Council of the European Movement – Ireland. Leader of Fine Gael since June 2002 and Vice‐President of the European People’s Party since March 2006 and reelected in November 2009.
	Colm McCarthy is a graduate in Economics of University College Dublin and of the University of Essex. He has worked at the Economic and Social Research Institute, the Central Bank of Ireland, and with the economic consulting firm DKM. Since 2005, he has been lecturing in Economics at UCD.
	Dr. Peter Brennan, Chairman, Dublin Chambers/Director, Bid Management Services. He has a unique mix of public and private sector experience at both national and international level over a 40 year period. He is a recognised expert in public capital projects and policy development, and has a solid track record in securing public and EU funding for projects. Peter is President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce and is Chair of its Infrastructure and Transport Committee.
	Niall Bohan studied economics in Trinity College Dublin and College of Europe, Bruges. He then worked as a teaching assistant in the College of Europe and researcher in the Centre for European Policy Studies. Since May 2009, he leads the DG MARKT team working on the economic evaluation of EU procuremen policy and e‐procurement.
	Sally Collier is OGC’s Executive Director of Policy and Capability and member of the OGC Board. Her current portfolio includes leading a programme of Procurement Capability Reviews (PCRs) in central government to assess and benchmark capability and effectiveness: covering the spectrum of procurement activity from commodity procurement to complex projects.
	Vincent Campbell, Director, NPPOU, OPW since March 2009. He spent the previous 8 years as Director of Corporate Services in OPW with responsibility for HR and Finance and for some 20 different strategic areas providing support to the other business units throughout OPW. He has an MBS in Strategic Management from TCD and he is completing an MBS in Strategic Procurement in DCU.
	Stephen Hughes – Manager, International Public Procurement, Enterprise Ireland. Following 13 years overseas with Enterprise Ireland, where for the final 3 years as Director Northern Europe, Stephen returned to Ireland in August 2009 to lead on the establishment of International Public Procurement Team.
	Lionel McCarthy – CEO, Forum on Public Procurement in Ireland Lionel has over 25 years experience in procurement having worked as a senior buyer and more recently as a consultant in the field. He is regular contributor at procurement events passionately promoting the practical application of the law.

Agenda

9:00	Registration and Coffee
9:50	David McWilliams Chairman’s Welcome and Official Opening
10:00	Enda Kenny, T.D., Leader of Fine Gael Keynote Address: Stimulating the Irish Economy
10.20	Colm McCarthy, Lecturer in Economics, UCD Macro policy and expenditure control
10:40	Niall Bohan, Head of Unit, Public Procurement European Commission Brussels Common challenges in European public procurement
11:00	Dr. Peter Brennan, President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce / Director, Bid Management Services Using procurement to generate business opportunities
11:20	Coffee/Networking
11:40	Sally Collier, OGC’s Executive Director of Policy and Capability UK initiatives delivering success
12:10	Vincent Campbell, Director, NPPOU, Office of Public Works Implementing procurement reform
12:40	Q & A Session
13.00	LUNCH
14:00	Speakers: Cecil Ryan, Regional Managing Director Europe - OCS Tony Redmond, Procurement Manager, RPA Should Ireland have a Procurement Ombudsman?
14:40	Stephen Hughes, Enterprise Ireland Developing suppliers internationally to supply locally
15:00	Lionel McCarthy, CEO, Forum on Public Procurement Essential ingredients for a dynamic procurement market
15:20	Coffee/Networking
15:40	Expert Panel – Questions and Answers Session
16:40	Chairman’s Summary
17:00	Close of Conference

THE ORGANISERS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE PROGRAMME WITHOUT NOTICE.

Who should attend?

This event is aimed at the public sector and the supply market including but not limited to the following:

Chief Executive Officers
Purchasing Managers
Senior Public Officials
Marketing Managers
Specialist Buyers
Teams responsible for Tender Responses
Sales Managers
Specifiers
Account Managers

Payment Details

The fee per delegate, including lunch, is as follows:

FPP members: €295(plus VAT @ 21.5% = €356.95)
Non-members: €375 (plus VAT @ 21.5% = €453.75)

A 10% reduction will apply for 2nd and each subsequent attendee.

Booking Form

Once you book, we will be in contact regarding payment.

If you'd prefer, you can book by fax. See this brochure and booking form.

NOTE: All cancellations must be received in writing. 50% of the conference fee is payable where delegates cancel more than 14 days prior to the conference. Cancellations received within 14 days will be liable for the full fee. Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the event.