How to build effective commercial governance, culture and capability in your school trust
Trusts that are commercially astute negotiate
strong contracts and have effective commercial governance, giving them a
distinct advantage. This is much more strategically important than just cost
control. Suppliers often have a fundamental impact on school operations and
pupil welfare. In addition, getting best value-for-money from suppliers allows
more of your scarce funds to be spent in other priority areas, like teaching.
This masterclass examines the role that trustees
and trust leaders should play in building effective commercial governance,
culture and capability, and gives you practical guidance and support.
Who
is it for?
- Trustees
- Chief executives
- Chief finance and operations officers
- Governance professionals
Please
note that this course is not aimed at qualified procurement specialists in any
of these roles. If you are looking for a more advanced course, you might be
interested in the companion masterclass, getting to grips with the new
Procurement Act 2023.
What
you will gain
This
course will give you:
- An
understanding of the big picture, the role procurement plays in the success of
your schools, and delivering social value through procurement and suppliers
- Practical
tips for long term planning and formulating a commercial strategy, considering
organisational culture and how it impacts decision making and governance
- Knowledge
of the components of commercial governance. an overview of the procurement and
contract management regulatory requirements, and the laws applicable to trusts
- Guidance
on where senior leadership should focus their attention and the critical
factors you need to get right
- An
understanding of how to evaluate your trust’s commercial governance and
practice
Meet
your seminar leader
Walter Akers, Founder and
CEO, In2 the Bargain Limited
Guest
contributors
Samira Sadeghi, Director of Trust
Governance, CST
David Shields, CEO, Value Match
Achieving great commercial outcomes requires long
term planning, a well thought out commercial strategy and effective governance
over the whole contracting lifecycle, and all these components ultimately flow
from good leadership. This three-part course gives you insights into best
practice for commercial governance.
Session
one: Commercial governance and the regulatory requirements for trusts
- Commercial aspects of trust governance
including commercial strategy
- The laws and regulations that apply to trust
procurement and supplier management
- DfE’s guidance and what trusts are expected to
do in different circumstances, and what best practice in governance looks like
- The tole of trustees and senior leaders in
commercial governance
Session
two: Commercial culture and decision making
- Organisational culture and behaviours and how
this impacts decision making, specifically in the context of procurement and
supplier management
- The role of trustees and senior leaders in
setting the tone at the top and impacting culture throughout the trust
- The context and theory of organisational
culture and how it fits within the control environment, impacting commercial
decisions
Session
three: Getting more from your suppliers – social value, the environment and
pupils
- Expanding our ambition and looking at how we
can get more from procurement and suppliers
- A look at what leading trusts are doing to
deliver greater social value, impacting the local environment and economy,
whilst achieving great value for money
- Learning from real life examples covering areas
of significant spend for all school trusts, exploring the potential for
apprenticeships; volunteering opportunities; utilising small-medium enterprises
(SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) in supply chains;
responsible employment practices; diversity and inclusion initiatives; and the
environment
You may also be interested in CST’s…
Effective contract management masterclass
Risk assurance masterclass
Establishing next-gen governance masterclass
