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Lesley Bullard - Ministry of Children and Family Development
Previously a social worker, Lesley Bullard has been a Procurement Specialist with the Contract Management Team in the Vancouver Coastal Region's Ministry of Children and Family Development for the past five years. She graduated from the PCMP in February 2008. We interviewed her in Vancouver in late April 2008.
A Broader Perspective
One of the great things about the Procurement and Contract Management Program (PCMP) was training with participants from all ministries in the B.C. government. It's an absolute added benefit and it was great exposure. The courses were very well run. The expectations were clearly defined, and there was a lot of support: it always felt safe to ask any question. There was a lot of sharing of information, and the instructors brought great perspective from the private sector as well as government. The importance of sound vendor-contractor relationships was a focus throughout.
Putting The Pieces Together
The PCMP gave me practical, relevant tools to use at work. It clarified all the steps of the procurement and contract management cycle, and ways of ensuring value for money. It really made sense of the work.
Improving Outcomes
Probably the most significant improved outcome of PCMP is that, on our team, we are more consistently compliant with government core policy; we take care of risk in a more deliberate way. More than 70% of our ministry budget is in contracted services, so there are a lot of dollars to manage and a lot of services that require performance monitoring.
Building a Better Team
Three of us in our unit are now PCMP certified, which brings more voice and expertise to our work. Being PCMP certified also lends a lot of credibility to the work we do. We are able to share our learning with new staff and link theory to practice.
Building the Community Of Practice
The online community of practice that has been developed for PCMP graduates is a really important piece. It's a great opportunity for us to continue to engage in dialogue with colleagues ... it keeps the work "live"!
Lesley Bullard
B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development
(604) 660-6345