Flash Player 9
Version Test
Download Flash
Layle Larusson - Ministry of Transportation
LAYLE LARUSSON
A PCMP graduate in February 2007, Layle Larusson began working with the B.C. government in 2003 as a procurement specialist with purchasing services in Labour and Citizens' Services. Since 2007, she has been Manager, Marine Branch, B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, principally dealing with multi-million-dollar contracts for inland ferries and contracts for social programs with BC Ferries. We interviewed her in Victoria in late December 2008.
The right expertise for the job
Procurement and contract management are a big part of what we do. We are a small branch, so we often use contractors to provide technical expertise and help us meet our goals. The PCMP was one of the reasons I got this job. The contract management and procurement principles are so entwined with everything we do.
The PCMP helped me improve my understanding of how these things work, and gave me more confidence when dealing with contractors.
The importance of relationships
I took away from the PCMP, and from the follow-up courses I've done, the importance of the relationship with the contractor. If you develop a relationship around a contract, suddenly the contract is not so daunting. That's been really helpful.
Thinking differently
I also liked how the PCMP taught me to think differently about contracts. It gave me the tools to think about things like transparency, due diligence, and decisions that are best for government. But a lot of the focus in the program is not black and white; it's not right and wrong. That's fascinating about procurement: when there's case law around something, the road is pretty much set, in that there are rights and wrongs, but in lots of respects, there is not one right way. Quite often, it involves innovative thinking - and realizing that. I used to be wary about the rights and wrongs, as some things can be a minefield, but the PCMP gave me the knowledge and tools to explore how I might think through different situations. Sometimes it's just a matter of thinking of what would work best.
The value of learning from peers
The PCMP was very valuable for learning from other people. It's interesting to hear what other people are doing, and how they're implementing some innovative ideas.
I took the half-day 501 refresher course recently, and I really enjoyed that. Things change. I find it hard in my day-to-day work to find the time to stay up to date, even with the PCMP online library.
Layle Larusson
B.C. Ministry of Transportation
(250) 356-0738