Competency Module: Legislation and Legal Environment

Description

While not lawyers or representatives of the legal sector, today’s public procurement professional is expected to be well versed in the application of legal limits within the procurement. As such, the aptitude of procurement professionals to comply with legislation, legal principles, and public procurement best practice guidance is critical for not just the success of the function but for the entity as a whole.

Objectives

In order to successfully earn a digital badge, learners must:

• Identify, define, and apply legal terms, concepts, and principles in public procurement functions.
• Distinguish between legislation and regulations governing general procurement, budget and finance, federally funded contracting, and public works and other special procurements.
• Examine the role of the attorney in public procurement and contrast it to the role of the procurement professional.
• Explain how the laws establish the rights and obligations of all parties

Intended Audience

Designed to promote applicable experiences for practitioners working in the public sector, NIGP’s Pathways competency courses empower learners with the ready-to-implement actions they need to succeed in public procurement. This introductory course is designed for:

• Public procurement and central warehouse professionals who serve as assistants, coordinators, buyers, or equivalent functions within their respective entities.
   
• Non-procurement managers and supervisors who are responsible for either the procurement function or staff who provide procurement functions under delegated authority.
   
• Professionals who are employed by governing entities and special authorities (such as K-12 and higher education, publicly-owned utilities, transportation providers, and other publicly-funded or created organizations) that either serve within or manage the procurement function.
   

• Suppliers or representatives of suppliers seeking to understand the public procurement function from a holistic level, including the policies, standards, and procedures by which public entities must function.