Master in Public Procurement Management for Sustainable

Development

Distance Learners Guide

Distance Learning Phase, 9h October 2017 26th January 2018

1
Copyright International Labour Organisation
International Training Centre of the ILO - Turin (Italy)
First edition 2007

This publication enjoys copyright on intellectual property, under the terms of protocol 2 of the Annex to the
Universal Convention on Copyright. However, short excerpts of these publications may be reproduced without
authorisation, on condition that the source is mentioned. Any request for reproduction or translation must be
addressed to the International Training Centre of the ILO, Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10 10127 Turin (Italy).

Master in Public Procurement Management for Sustainable Development

The designation employed in publications of the International Training Centre of the ILO, which are in conformity
with the United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein, do not imply the expression of any
opinion whatsoever on the part of the Centre concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory of its
authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers.

The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their
authors, and the publication does not constitute an endorsement by the Centre of the opinions expressed in them.
Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the
International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign
of disapproval.

Sustainable Development Programme

International Training Centre of the ILO

Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10 10127 Turin, Italy
Tel.: +39-011-6936-523
Fax.: +39-011-6936-351
E-mail: master-procurement@itcilo.org
http://masterpublicprocurement.itcilo.org

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction.................... p. 4

2. The distance learning component. p. 5

- Study period
- Objectives
- Modules

3. How to use the distance learning platform.. p. 8

- Technical requirements
- What can you find on the distance learning platform?

4.The distance learning process...........p. 13

- Learning tasks
- The personal work plan

3
 Introduction

Welcome to the distance-learning platform of the Master in Public Procurement Management for
Sustainable Development!

This guide will introduce you to the functioning of the on-line platform and give you some
directions on how to complete successfully the first, self-studying part of the Master programme.

It is important that you read it carefully and keep it at hand!

During the four months of your distance learning, Tutors expert on the topics that you will be
studying will assist you; you should feel free to contact them for any problem related to the
didactic material.

Technical assistance will be available throughout the distance-learning period, to guarantee the
good functioning of the platform.

If you need information that you cannot find on our website or in this guide, you can contact
directly Ms Lesley Cubas, course Assistant, of the Sustainable Development Programme of the
ITC ILO at l.cubas@itcilo.org

4
 The distance learning component
of the joint ITC/ILO - University of Turin
Master in Public Procurement Management for Sustainable
Development"

Study period

Distance Learning Period: 9h October 2017 26th January 2018

Estimated study hours for this Tutor-assisted distance learning period: 210 hours distributed
over 4 calendar months.

During this period, you will have access to the on-line platform through which you will learn
both individually and in a collective way, receiving support from Tutors with expertise in the
subject matters, participating in the forum, using the documentation centre and network.

Objectives

The objective of the distance-learning component of this Maters programme is to provide you
with an understanding of the following topics:

1. Introduction to procurement management:

the framework of the procurement profession: definition, evolution and key objectives of
Public Procurement
the main elements of the institutional set-up for Public Procurement
the environmental framework of Public Procurement: internal environment, market
environment, political environment, procurement-related policies
the main steps of the Public Procurement Cycle, including documenting and reporting
ethics and professionalism in Public Procurement

5
 the main elements of Project Management and their interrelation with the procurement
process

2. Introduction to economics for procurement management:

the information-related problems that affect decision makers in public procurement
(information asymmetries, moral hazard, adverse selection)
introduction to auction theory
financial concepts and tools useful in investment decisions
the main sources of risk in a project and some important financial instruments that can be
used to reduce or hedge them
evaluate the reliability of a tender participant through the analysis of accounting
documents. Introduction to financial statement analysis.

3. Introduction to the legal framework for Public Procurement:

the main institutions fostering (legal) globalization
the main organizational features of those institutions
the interrelationships between these institutions
the basic features of the main instance of regional integration
the environment for international regulation of public procurements.
the key function and the basic structure of contracts the main sources of Contract Law
and the differences between the Common Law and Civil Law jurisdictions.

The Programme and the Modules

The programme is structured in three parts as follows:

I. Distance Learning over the Internet

II. Face to Face Learning at the ITCILO Campus in Turin
III. Preparation and submission of the final dissertation from home

This Guide focuses on the first part of the Masters Programme, where the distance learning
process takes place.
During the distance learning period, you have to study three Modules, referring to the core
subjects considered in this course: law, economics and procurement management.
The three Distance Learning (DL) Modules are:

6
 I. DL Module 1: Introduction to procurement management
II. DL Module 2: Introduction to economics for procurement management
III. DL Module 3: Introduction to the legal framework for public procurement

The timing for the DL phase is as follows:

09 Oct 13 Oct 2017 Registration in the platform and familiarization with the
materials, students, tutors and other administrative issues

DL Module 1: 16 Oct 17 Nov 2017

DL Module 2: 20 Nov 22 Dec 2017
DL Module 3: 02 Jan 26 Jan 2018

DL Written Exam in Turin: Foreseen during the week of 05-09 February 2018

You should start with the Module 1 on the Procurement Management for the first 5 weeks (16
Oct 17 Nov 2017); will follow Module 2 on Economics for Procurement Management for 5
weeks (20 Nov 22 Dec 2017). The DL phase will end with Module 3 on Legal Framework for
Public Procurement (02 Jan 26 Jan 2018).
At the beginning of each module will find on the Platform an Introduction to the Module
detailing the contents of the module and the reference readings for each topic. You will also
receive a Study Plan from your Tutor, which organizes your studying during the learning period
for that Module. Your studying is planned on a weekly basis. At the end of every week (every
Friday) you will receive an assignment from the Tutor, whose objective is to test your learning
during the week. You are supposed to submit your answer by the first day of the following week
usually Monday.

During every Module of the DL phase you will prepare your final assignment for the three
modules. This will give you the opportunity to refresh what you have studied during the previous
three months and be prepared for the DL written exam.

The DL written exam for the three DL Modules will take place in Turin during the second week
of the Face-to-Face Learning phase in Turin (Foreseen during the week of 05-09 February 2018).

Covering these introductory modules will make sure that the group meeting in Turin is
homogeneous from the point of view of the knowledge of the fundamental principles and key
steps of public procurement.

Nonetheless, everyone retains a unique background of experience and knowledge in the

procurement field, thus it is important that you use actively the distance learning platform,

7
reading the assigned material, completing the assignments, interacting with Tutors and sharing
your competencies and your doubts with your fellow students.

Because on-line learning depends significantly on your motivation and personal tenacity to
succeed, your commitment to achieve learning goals is extremely important.

How to use the distance learning platform

Technical requirements for using the platform

During the distance-learning period, contacts with Tutors, fellow students and the downloading
of materials posted online occur through the platform and imply Internet connection. Therefore,
it is extremely important to protect your computer with an antivirus programme that should
always be updated.

If your computer is not equipped with this kind of programme, we recommend you to install
it as soon as possible. Here you will find some of the best brands supplying antivirus
programmes and their web pages (some of them are freeware):

Norton
Panda
McAfee
AVG Free (free for domestic use)
Antivir Personal Edition (free for domestic use)
ClamWin (open source and free of charge)

Please use CHROME, INTERNET EXPLORER or MOZILLA FIREFOX to visualize

correctly the online virtual platform. You can download Internet Explorer from the following
web address:
https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx
You can download Mozilla Firefox from the following web address:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

8
 The Modules and documents contained in the Library section are in PDF format. You will
need Acrobat Reader in order to read them. This programme can be easily downloaded for
free by clicking on the following link and following the instructions displayed on the website:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

How to login the Platform

You can login to the leaning platform from the homepage of the Masters Programme in Public
Procurement Management for Sustainable Development:

https://ecampus.itcilo.org/

By clicking on Login in (located at the top right):

The log in page will open up: insert the username and password that you have received via email.
If you forgot your password, you can click on forgot my password and you will receive an
automatic email on your inbox to re-set it.

To assist you further in this process we have prepared a video on the functionalities of the
platform that you can find it in the following link http://videoconversion.itcilo.org/video.htm

Welcome area

Once you logged in, you will visualise the Welcome area of the learning platform and the
following sessions:

Welcome!
Objectives
Methodology
Structure
Faculty
Directors & Scientific Committee
Requirements

9
You can also check the new messages you have received by clicking on the Envelope. To log-
out of the platform you have to click the session tab carry your name.

You are given few days at mid-October to familiarise with the functionalities of the DL platform
and to download the reference materials for your studying during this phase of the programme.
What can you find on the distance learning session?

Distance learning session contains six section tabs:

1. Overview

2. Objectives

3. Modules: The learning material is grouped and displayed accordingly to the three Modules of
the Master Programme.

Each Module is related to one of the three clusters of the Master course: economics,
procurement management and law.

When you choose to download a document by clicking on it, the document will open in a new
window; you can then save it on your computer.

On each module you will find 6 subgroups as follows:

Introduction: Here you can download the pdf. Document with all relevant details about
the specific module

Study Plan: A detailed documents on how to follow the schedule of each module.

Self-Assessment: It aims to self-evaluate your own level of understanding and knowing

about the topics that will be dealt with during the Distance Learning Phase. It can be
helpful to identify and face your weak points which you should focus more and work on
during the above mentioned stage.

Quiz: A quiz is a short exam that might have a time limit. This exam usually uses
multiple-choice questions, but might incorporate longer form questions depending on the
subject. This tool is available to your DL Tutors in order to gage the comprehension of
the subjects being discussed. You will be able to answer the quiz within the platform and
submit it, within the given time to your respective Tutor. The Tutor will provide further
information and instruction concerning the Quiz to you beforehand.

10
 Technical forum: a virtual classroom. It is a forum where everybody can pose questions
on the study material or start discussions (by clicking on Add a new discussion topic)
on a topic of interest in relation to the subject studied From time to time, Tutors will
also launch new threads of discussion.

Webinar: a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web
using video conferencing software, allowing participants in different locations to see and
hear the presenter, ask questions, share audio, documents and applications with the other
attendees. Indeed the key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements: the ability to
give, receive and discuss information in real-time.

4. Tutors: The tutors will be available for any problem you may encounter during your study.
You may contact them through the chat function of the E-Campus. Please click on the name of
your tutor to access their biography and to contact them.

5. Distance Learning Guide your personal page, for individual use and to manage your learning
activities. In this page you can download this Distance Learners Guide by clicking on it and
saving it on your desktop.

Please also consult the tutorial video on the functionalities of the platform.

What can you find on the Community session?

1. Your profile: In this section you are kindly requested to upload your picture and personal
information.

2. Meeting Point: a space dedicated to interaction and socialisation with your course mates. Just
click on the discussion thread you are interested in to read the messages of your fellow students;
you can add your comment by clicking on Reply to this. You can start a new discussion by
clicking on Start a new conversation.

3. IT Support: whenever you need IT assistance, you can post a message here. This service is
structured as a forum, which means that all students will be able to read your questions and the
related answers. This is meant to avoid repetition of the same questions. Thus, before contacting
the technical assistance, make sure you have read the questions posted by fellow students: you
may find there the solution you need.

11
4. Talk with your Tutor: a private tool of communication with your tutors. When you need
assistance from your Tutor on a specific module or subject, make sure you address the Tutor of
the right cluster, selecting the DL Module you refer to from the opposite menu. This is meant to
avoid confusion and overlapping on different topics.

Sometimes, the same topic can be addressed to from different points of view, e.g. legal and
economic goals of procurement reform processes. If you feel that your doubt needs to be
clarified from more than one viewpoint, you can bring up your question to different Tutors,
and they will explore the matter in all perspectives.

Library

In the Library section you will find useful supplementary documents and interactive
resources to deepen your knowledge of public procurement issues.

Documents: contains further reading resources (articles, tools, guidelines, case

studies, etc.) for student who may want to broaden their understanding of specific
aspects of public procurement. Here you can find also the Optional readings
reference learning materials.

Glossary: section an alphabetic index allows you to browse a glossary of the

most common procurement related terms.

Links and ILO Resources: sections gather a number of websites relevant for
procurement practitioners, accompanied by a short description.

In the Your Stay in Turin section you will find some useful information on the city of Turin
as well as on our ITCILO campus.

12
 The distance learning process

Learning tasks

You are expected to allocate approximately 210 study hours in pursuing the recommended
learning content for the distance-learning period, including the time needed to solve the
mandatory assignments.

Your study during the distance learning consists also in the punctual submission of exercises
and 1 assignment for each module, according to the study plan established and indicated in
each distance learning module introduction. The Tutors and the Scientific Committee will
evaluate your assignments and will grade them.

The grades of the assignments will make up 40% while your active participation in the
forums will count for 10% and the written examination -which will take place within two
weeks after your arrival in Turin- for 50% of the mark given for the distance learning part.

In order to achieve a satisfactory result and be admitted to the residential training phase, you are
expected to:

complete every module of the on-line phase, including the activities, exercises and
learning assessments
actively participate in the discussion forums
read the guidance about the assignments, complete and submit them before the deadline.
Answering the questions, as well as discussing and interacting with all platform users and
broadening your knowledge through the Library will facilitate your training and allow you to
better benefit from the residential training.

The personal work plan

The distance learning does not follow a rigidly framed schedule and allows you to organise your
study as you wish. However, it is recommended that you formulate as early as possible your
study plan in a realistic manner.

13
Because on-line learning depends significantly on your motivation and personal tenacity to
succeed, it is important that you make the commitment to achieve the learning goals. First of all,
we suggest you:

To organize your schedule and decide the most suitable time for studying. Decide how
many hours per day or per week you will allocate to studying (we recommend you to
allocate approximately 15 - 20 hours per week for reading prescribed contents and
solving related exercises).
To undertake assessment activities. This will help you to learn and to apply your
knowledge to daily working situations.
To analyse case studies. This will help you to link theory to practice by encouraging you
to work out your own solutions.
To undertake assignments, send them to the Tutors on time and receive feedback from
them.

Upon completion of your distance study requirements and within one-two weeks after
arrival in Turin you will sit for a written examination on the three prescribed disciplines of
the distance learning period. You are expected to pass this examination. If not successful, you
will sit for the exam again within 7-15 days from the first test.

Remember to:

Seek support from Tutors and colleagues. This support will allow you to overcome
isolation and geographical barriers by interacting, asking for advices and taking decisions
on the best solutions for you.
Enhance interaction with other learners and Tutors. In this way, you will network, share
your knowledge and experience, and develop a better understanding of public
procurement.
Establish links with your occupational experience.
Use your knowledge and skills to formulate working hypotheses: consider which results
could be obtained if the concepts showed in learning materials were applied. Also take
into account possible problems, difficulties and obstacles.
Keep records of your opinions, ideas and doubts submitted to Tutors.
Try to answer questions included in the learning units text before continuing your
reading. Express your ideas.
Consult documents in the Library section, as it will be very useful to deepen your
knowledge on different authors points of view.

Good luck!

14