The Pathways to Procurement (PtP) program is an initiative designed to enhance procurement and contract management (PCM) capabilities within the Australian Public Service (APS). It aims to establish a structured and sustainable pathway that supports APS officials who are new to procurement and contract management roles, enabling them to quickly build the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
The program incorporates procurement and contract management training modules developed and delivered by the Department of Finance, a Certificate IV in Procurement and Contracting delivered by a Registered Training Organisation, and additional professional development content.
Upon successful completion of the PtP program, graduates will receive:
- a Certificate IV in Procurement and Contracting and,
- sponsored membership to a Professional Association to continue their development.
The pilot of the PtP Program
Entity Commitments
The pilot of the PtP program is funded by the Department of Finance and is free to APS officials. While there is no cost for entities to enrol their staff in the program, entities are still responsible for covering their staff salaries.
Schedule
The pilot of the PtP program is scheduled to start in February 2025 and will run for 8 weeks. Participants will attend training sessions 2 days a week at Finance’s training facilities at One Canberra Avenue, FORREST ACT 2603. For the remaining 3 days of each week, participants will return to their respective entities.
Below is the schedule for the pilot:
| Week | Days | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Monday 24/02 and Tuesday 25/02 | Finance delivered content |
| Week 2 | Monday 3/03 and Tuesday 4/03 | Cert IV Block 1 |
| Week 3 | Tuesday 11/03 and Wednesday 12/03 | Finance Delivered Content |
| Week 4 | Monday 17/03 and Tuesday 18/03 | Cert IV Block 2 |
| Week 5 | Monday 24/03 and Tuesday 25/03 | Finance Delivered Content |
| Week 6 | Monday 31/03 and Tuesday 1/04 | Cert IV Block 3 |
| Week 7 | Monday 07/04 and Tuesday 08/04 | Finance Delivered Content |
| Week 8 | Monday 14/04 and Tuesday 15/04 | Cert IV Block 4 |
Cohort Size
The maximum intake for the PtP pilot is 20.
Who should apply
We welcome nominations from managers and applications from APS officials themselves who are either transitioning into a PCM role or have been in a PCM role for less than 12 months. We are looking for APS officials that are interested in building their procurement and contract management knowledge and skills and can commit to the program’s calendar.
Nominations
Nominations for the pilot of the PtP program will close on 10 February 2024.
For more information and to nominate please use the following PtP Program (Pilot) Nomination toolkit.
Please contact the Centre of Procurement Excellence at procurementexcellence@finance.gov.au if you have any questions.
