Scotland Excel’s Academy scoops prestigious GO Award

The Scotland Excel Academy has been crowned winner of the Emerging Procurement Talent Award at the recent Scottish GO Awards.

The Centre of Expertise for the local government sector launched its Academy two years ago in November 2016 to support learning and development in the public procurement community.

It has since forged close links with seven Scottish university business schools, partnerships with three accredited bodies, become a CMI Assessment Centre, and an approved SQA centre.

Councillor John Shaw, Scotland Excel’s Convener, said: “Scotland’s procurement leaders need a rounded skill set to rise to the challenges of public procurement. So the Academy’s aim is to support the development of multi-disciplined practitioners, with procurement at the core, complemented by leadership and management and project management.

“I am absolutely delighted we have received this GO Award, because there’s no other resource like the Scotland Excel Academy within Scotland’s public procurement landscape. Our approach is to offer the procurement community work-based learning, in partnership with key professional bodies and leading Scottish universities, is ahead of the curve.”

The Academy delivers face-to-face workshops, supported by a virtual learning. It is an approved SQA centre and became the first Chartered Manager Institute (CMI) Chartered Manager (CMgr) Assessment Centre in Scotland in 2017.

Its collaboration with seven Scottish university business schools supports learners across the country, regardless of their location. And its partnership with three professional bodies offers accredited programmes: Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and the Association for Project Management (APM).

Beyond the accredited courses, the Academy also offers practical workshops and thought leadership masterclasses, and encourages peer learning through sharing best practice.