CPE Speakers Bureau
Providing Presentation to Regional, State and National Events Upcoming PresentationsOur Procurement Leaders are available (free of charge) for your regional and national conferences and meetings. CPE brings unique perspectives from in-the-know innovators that lift procurement to new heights.
CONTACT: Amy@centerprocurement.org to schedule CPE for your event
RFPs as Part of Procurement Excellence
Writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) can be a daunting task; however, selecting the best supplier team is one of THE most important steps in delivering successful project outcomes. This session will explain the elements that make up a “High-Performing RFP” and the importance of positioning your organization as a “Client of Choice” to attract the most qualified suppliers. We share specific tips for different project types to help you approach your next RFP with confidence and ease.
Stuck in a Low Bid World?
Recommendations to Adopt Next Practices TODAY
Let’s cut straight to the chase: low bid procurement is extremely risky and has far reaching negative impacts to many parts of our work. As a result, quality decreases and the owner receives an inferior product. We are at a crossroads: continue the status quo on project procurement or make the change to leverage expertise. Through real examples and practical advice, procurement professionals can learn to become the industry’s “client of choice.”
Developing a High-Performing Statement of Work
Developing a clear Statement of Work (SOW) can be challenging. Some SOWs are vague and lack critical details; others have requirements that are overly prescriptive or limit the ability for suppliers to bring innovative ideas. The core elements of a High-Performing SOW will also be shared along with tangible examples from a variety of projects (e.g., IT/Software, Design/Construction, Facilities & Operations, Business and Professional Services, and more.)
The Practical Guide to Effective Supplier Evaluations
We’ve all seen the job posting which seems as if it were written for a specific candidate…it’s frustrating because you don’t have a chance when the outcome is predetermined! Unfortunately, suppliers often feel the same way about Owner RFPs and Evaluation Procedures. This session includes a lively discussion on five specific changes that will make your next evaluation process faster, leaner, and easier.
Navigating the Perilous Waters of Administration & Procurement Scheduling
This hands-on presentation will cover a range of topics in RFP Administration including detailed recommendations on “RFP Scheduling” (key procurement activities and recommended timelines) along with a range of RFP Administration activities, such as managing vendor pre-bid meetings, responding to vendor RFIs, coordinating vendor interviews & demonstrations, handling vendor debriefings, and facilitating our internal business units throughout the entire RFP process!
Creating Win-Win Partnerships Between Procurement & Your Internal Customers
This engaging presentation will explain how procurement professionals can use best practices to enable a successful acquisition experience for all. We will provide practical steps, checklists / considerations, and soft-skills needed to help clients prepare their SOWs and RFPs. We’ll address common concerns like: What does your client need (& want) to know? How can procurement add the most value when working with internal user groups? How do you navigate disagreements, either between the internal customer and/or procurement regulations? Learn how procurement can be a value creator for the great public good.
Vendor Debriefings: Out of the Multiverse of Madness
There are few things more frustrating to your industry partners than submitting a proposal… and not getting quality feedback. An effective supplier debriefing tells the industry that the owner is responsive, wants to hire the best, and seeks quality proposal packages. Don’t let your organization be known as the black hole of proposal submissions! We provide four strategies to make your next vendor debriefing meeting a mind-bendingly refreshing experience for all involved.
Share Your Project Budget (and Leave the Sneaking to Hobbits)
We’ve all seen the job posting which seems as if it were written for a specific candidate…it’s frustrating because you don’t have a chance when the outcome is predetermined! Unfortunately, suppliers often feel the same way about Owner RFPs and Evaluation Procedures. This session includes a lively discussion on five specific changes that will make your next evaluation process faster, leaner, and easier.
Practical Leadership Skills for Procurement Professionals
Research studies across hundreds of procurement organizations and thousands of projects has shown that the effective procurement leader is the consummate “people-centric” professional. Whether we are developing strategic objectives with our organization’s leadership, preparing the next major acquisition, forming evaluation committees, or engaging with the vendor community, leadership skills are crucial (and are often underdeveloped). Learn how to navigate the complexities of inter-personal dynamics that people bring to the table when participating on your next acquisition.
Our Procurement Leaders are available (free of charge) for your regional and national conferences & meetings
The Center for Procurement Excellence Speakers Bureau improves the effectiveness of public and private procurement through education, research, resources, and firsthand experience. No matter where you sit at the table, CPE brings unique perspectives from in-the-know innovators that lift procurement to new heights.
CPE’s Speakers Bureau provides the “best-in-class” content that enables procurement professionals to learn how to deliver Better Projects with Better RFPs without the typical conference presentation “sales” hype.
Check out our list of sample topics below and find the best fit for your next event! We also are actively engaging with other organizations to provide half-day and full-day RFP training events.
Relevant Topics for Today’s Procurement Professionals
RFPs as Part of Procurement Excellence
Your Subtitle Goes Here
Writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) can be a daunting task; however, selecting the best supplier team is one of THE most important steps in delivering successful project outcomes. This session will explain the elements that make up a “High-Performing RFP” and the importance of positioning your organization as a “Client of Choice” to attract the most qualified suppliers. We share specific tips for different project types to help you approach your next RFP with confidence and ease.
Stuck in a Low Bid World? Recommendations to Adopt Next Practices TODAY
Your Subtitle Goes Here
Let’s cut straight to the chase: low bid procurement is extremely risky and has far-reaching negative impacts to many parts of our work. As a result, quality decreases and the owner receives an inferior product. We are at a crossroads: continue the status quo on project procurement or make the change to leverage expertise. Through real examples and practical advice, procurement professionals can learn to become the industry’s “client of choice.”
Insights for Effective Market Research & Developing a High-Performing Statement of Work
Your Subtitle Goes Here
Developing a clear Statement of Work (SOW) can be challenging. Some SOWs are vague and lack critical details; others have requirements that are overly prescriptive or limit the ability for suppliers to bring innovative ideas. The core elements of a High-Performing SOW will also be shared along with tangible examples from a variety of projects (e.g., IT/Software, Design/Construction, Facilities & Operations, Business and Professional Services, and more.)
The Practical Guide to Effective Supplier Evaluations
Your Subtitle Goes Here
We’ve all seen the job posting which seems as if it were written for a specific candidate…it’s frustrating because you don’t have a chance when the outcome is predetermined! Unfortunately, suppliers often feel the same way about Owner RFPs and Evaluation Procedures. This session includes a lively discussion on five specific changes that will make your next evaluation process faster, leaner, and easier.
Navigating the Perilous Waters of RFP Administration and Procurement Scheduling
Your Subtitle Goes Here
This hands-on presentation will cover a range of topics in RFP Administration including detailed recommendations on “RFP Scheduling” (key procurement activities and recommended timelines) along with a range of RFP Administration activities, such as managing vendor pre-bid meetings, responding to vendor RFIs, coordinating vendor interviews & demonstrations, handling vendor debriefings, and facilitating our internal business units throughout the entire RFP process!
Creating Win-Win Partnerships Between Procurement and Your Internal Customers
Your Subtitle Goes Here
This engaging presentation will explain how procurement professionals can use best practices to enable a successful acquisition experience for all. We will provide practical steps, checklists / considerations, and soft-skills needed to help clients prepare their SOWs and RFPs. We’ll address common concerns like: What does your client need (& want) to know? How can procurement add the most value when working with internal user groups? How do you navigate disagreements, either between the internal customer and/or procurement regulations? Learn how procurement can be a value creator for the great public good.
Vendor Debriefings: Out of the Multiverse of Madness
Your Subtitle Goes Here
There are few things more frustrating to your industry partners than submitting a proposal… and not getting quality feedback. An effective supplier debriefing tells the industry that the owner is responsive, wants to hire the best, and seeks quality proposal packages. Don’t let your organization be known as the black hole of proposal submissions! We provide four strategies to make your next vendor debriefing meeting a mind-bendingly refreshing experience for all involved.
Share Your Project Budget (and Leave the Sneaking to Hobbits)
Your Subtitle Goes Here
To share or not to share your budget… that is the question! CPE’s research across thousands of procurements has shown that developing a clear statement of work can do more than almost anything else to entice the industry’s top suppliers in your projects. And the budget is one of the crucial pieces that many organizations leave out. Our recommendation: if your project has a budget, share it. Put it right into the solicitation docs, up front, where everyone can see it. And we know there are a lot of concerns with this (what about inflated bid prices? won’t the suppliers take advantage of us?) Attend this presentation to learn how this best practice can change the course of your organization!
Practical Leadership Skills for Procurement Professionals
Your Subtitle Goes Here
Research studies across hundreds of procurement organizations and thousands of projects has shown that the effective procurement leader is the consummate “people-centric” professional. Whether we are developing strategic objectives with our organization’s leadership, preparing the next major acquisition, forming evaluation committees, or engaging with the vendor community, leadership skills are crucial (and are often underdeveloped). Learn how to navigate the complexities of inter-personal dynamics that people bring to the table when participating on your next acquisition.
The RFP Doctors
Presentations
Upcoming Presentations
Your Subtitle Goes Here
Speaking Date | Event Sponsor | Event Name | Presentation Topic | RFP Doctor |
5/15/23 | Dallas/ Fort Worth Chapter NIGP | Lone Star Conference | Dr. Jake Smithwick | |
5/25/23 | Chapter Meeting of MN NIGP | MN NIGP | Stuck in a Low Bid World? Recommendations to Adopt Next Practices TODAY | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
Past Presentations
Your Subtitle Goes Here
Speaking Date | Event Sponsor | Event Name | Presentation Topic | RFP Doctor |
5/15/2023 | Dallas/ Fort Worth Chapter NIGP | Lone Star Conference | Dr. Jake Smithwick | |
2/17/23 | North Texas Emerging Procurement Officials (NEPO) | North Texas Emerging Procurement Officials (NEPO) | A Primer for Procurement Professionals on Alternative Delivery Methods for Capital Projects | Dr. Brian Lines |
7/14/23 | Oklahoma Procurment Training | OMES Procurment Training Webinar | Insights for Effective Market Research & Developing a High-Performing Statement of Work. | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
8/30/23 | Oklahoma Procurment Training | OMES Procurment Training Webinar | Creating Win-Win Partnerships Between Procurement and Your Internal Customers. | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
9/27/2022 | Oklahoma Procurment Training | OMES Procurment Training Webinar | Vendor Debriefings: Out of the Multiverse of Madness. | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
Summer 2022 | North Central Texas Council of Governments | New and Emerging Procurement Professionals Roundtable | Better RFPs = Better Projects | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
3/11/2022 | Montana NIGP | Annual Conference | Project Management for Procurement Professionals | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
3/11/2022 | Montana NIGP | Annual Conference | Procurement Optimization and Getting it to Stick | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
3/10/2022 | Montana NIGP | Annual Conference | Advancing Procurement Excellence Panel | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
12/2/2021 | Rocky Mountain NIGP | Winter Conference | Vendor Debriefings: Out of the Multiverse of Madness | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
10/20/2021 | National Procurement Institute | 2021 Annual Conference | Supplier Debriefings: An Opportunity for Procurement Excellence | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
10/6/2021 | Iowa Public Procurement Association | Fall Forum | Buyers Guide to Market Research | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
10/6/2021 | Iowa Public Procurement Association | Fall Forum | How to Develop an Effective Statement of Work | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
9/23/2021 | NIGP Washington Chapter | 2021 Fall Conference | Market Research & Developing a High-Performing Statement of Work | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
9/23/2021 | NIGP Washington Chapter | 2021 Fall Conference | Leading Collaboration across Procurement & Business Units: Success at Seattle City Light | Kim Rayray, Seattle City Light |
9/23/2021 | NIGP Washington Chapter | 2021 Fall Conference | Information Technology RFP Best Practices | Dr. Brian Lines |
9/16/2021 | Central Ohio IFMA | Chapter Meeting | Creating and Managing an Effective Vendor Pre-Qualification Program | Dr. Jake Smithwick |
9/9/2021 | Washington Finance Officers Association | 2021 Virtual Conference – Pre-Conf Training | Better RFPs = Better Projects -Organizing a High-Performing RFP | Dr. Brian Lines |
9/9/2021 | Washington Finance Officers Association | 2021 Virtual Conference – Pre-Conf Training | Better RFPs = Better Projects -Statements of Work | Dr. Brian Lines |
9/9/2021 | Washington Finance Officers Association | 2021 Virtual Conference – Pre-Conf Training | Better RFPs = Better Projects -Evaluations | Dr. Brian Lines |