BUSN 3640

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the theory, approaches, principles and practices of public-sector partnering and procurement. There is a marked increase in the use of outsourcing and partnering in the financing, design, development, operation and maintenance of large-scale capital and social initiatives by governments at all levels in Canada (and overseas). The capacity and capability of government and non-government organizations to work collaboratively, effectively and efficiently on these large, high-cost and very high-impact initiatives is often the difference between a success and failure. With so much at stake for governments, citizens, organizations and stakeholders, it is imperative that the theory, approaches, principles and practices used meet the demands of this highly complex and important work. The course content straddles the areas of supply chain management, project-based procurement and public/private partnering. As such, it builds on students’ previous knowledge of both supply chain management and project management.