Course Content

Because this training takes a whole-lifecycle approach to supplier diversity, the content is structured into three parts, as follows:

Part 1: The business context of supplier diversity:
The pluralistic nature of diverse suppliers and the common characteristics that diverse suppliers have in common. How traditional procurement and supplier management practices need to change to access diversity's value.

 Part 2: Supplier diversity and strategic sourcing:
Refine the sourcing model and engage diverse suppliers constructively, openly, and unbiasedly from sourcing to contracting.

 Part 3: Managing diverse suppliers:

Conducting onboarding and management in a way that nurtures the value that diversity brings to the business-to-business relationship. Implement off-boarding in a way that considers and protects both parties' short- and longer-term interests.

Throughout the course, the all-important behavioural and soft skills that are needed for working with diverse suppliers are addressed in context, for example, when writing requirements, defining selection criteria, negotiating, and giving feedback right through to being an effective business coach during the manage phase of a relationship.

Learning objectives

As a result of completing this training, participants will be able to:

• Translate diversity & inclusion strategy into procurement objectives and target benefits for driving supplier diversity.
• Describe a range of characteristics that are typical of a diverse supplier in terms of their business maturity and operation characteristics.
• Identify and develop an appreciation of the barriers that diverse suppliers may face when taking part in procurement-led sourcing initiatives.
• Develop and implement changes to how sourcing projects are structured and run (from project set-up, market research, shortlisting and selection to negotiation and contracting) so that diverse suppliers can compete and be considered fairly and equitably.
• Describe and discuss the challenges that are faced by diverse suppliers that make it through the selection process.
• Review and revise how diverse suppliers are on-boarded and managed so that traditional areas of focus, such as performance and risk management, are balanced with activities that nurture and grow the suppliers’ ability to deliver value.
• Examine and implement changes that consider the implications of contract termination with a diverse supplier and what this means for doing business responsibly.
• Adopt and use the behaviours and soft skills needed to help diverse suppliers build business maturity and strengthen their resilience.

How is it delivered?

To make this training relevant and easily embedded, our approach is to examine the strategic sourcing lifecycle through the eyes of a diverse supplier – every difficulty they face, every barrier they have to overcome as a result of procurement and supplier management actions and behaviours are considered from the suppliers’ vantage point and challenged to identify a better way: Not just for diverse suppliers, but for all suppliers.

Our delivery model for this training uses three engagement activities:

Workshop: Interactive, structured instructor led discussion and practice (virtually or in-person).

Application: Students apply course content to the job by completing a defined set of assignments, which will lead to the development of a refreshed sourcing and supplier management model that is diverse supplier friendly.

Coaching: To accompany the assignment activities, we provide 1:1 support coaching to each course participant.

What you will get?

• To support the instructor-led workshop, this course also includes the following:
  Course reference materials.
• Supplier diversity checklists and templates.
• Access to individualised coaching.