Publish date: 4 November 2022
Hear what our attendees had to say about their experiences at the HCSA Procurement Development Programme (PDP).
On Monday 3rd October, five of our colleagues made their way down to Nottingham's stunning Eastwood Hall, where they were going to be spending the next five days taking part in the HCSA Procurement Development Programme (PDP).
The programme brings together procurement professionals from NHS Trusts across the country to provide insights into how the procurement function works in other NHS trusts across the UK.
Here is what some of our team had to say:
Lukas Hughes
"One of the main things that I enjoyed during the week was a session on insights into peoples’ personality and preferences, this was underpinned by personality theory from a Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung in which there was four distinct energies exhibited by different people. Prior to the course, we had to fill out an insights preference evaluator which included different scenarios at work and how you would approach them. In the session we received our individual results, my result was a “blue energy” from the four different energies, which made sense to me as I focus on being logical and analytical in the way that I approach work. Also, the week gave me more insights into the tender process within a public setting and I am looking forward to putting this into practise."
Julie Gelder
I went to the HCSA PDP with an open mind not knowing what to expect and it didn’t disappoint. The sessions were interactive and delivered by some amazing people who not only shared their experience but also their journey and what the learnt a long the way. Shaping the future strategy of the NHS is a complex process but I was encouraged to hear more about the Evergreen pilot, the NHSE supplier engagement day and the development of a competency framework which will hopefully bring clarity to roles and pathways to career progression for staff within the LPC. If had to pick a highlight then it was definitely the Stratagem Insights session where I learnt so much about myself and areas for me to reflect on and seek further development. All in all a great learning experience and met so amazing speakers and procurement professionals from across the UK who I will stay in touch with.
Katie Woods
This learning and development experience allowed me to network with Procurement professionals within the NHS nationwide and also gave me the opportunity to listen to some extremely knowledgeable guest speakers. Guest speakers talked to the group on topics such as negotiation, contract management, the power of data, contract law and much more. It is exciting to see the future plans for the NHS and how we as a group of procurement professionals fit into building this future and being the next generation of NHS procurement leaders.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have made professional connections i can liaise with and collaborate with on future projects and opportunities.