Public Procurement, Management, and Disposal of Public Assets

On September 3-4, 2026, National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Lahore organized a two-day workshop on "Public Procurement, Management, and Disposal of Public Assets" for the participants of the 47^th Mid-Career Management Course (MCMC). The workshop was delivered by Dr. Irfan Ahmad, a prominent expert in public procurement and contract management. The first day focused on Public Procurement, with Dr. Ahmad explaining fundamental concepts such as bids, tenders, and relevant rules and regulations. He emphasized the critical importance of transparency, accountability, and competitiveness in public procurement, as well as the need for. clearly defined terms and conditions, including price and rate setting, warranties, guarantees, and the use of technical specifications and standards to ensure quality and compliance. The second day primarily addressed Contract Management. Dr. Ahmad discussed key aspects such as bidder eligibility and qualification requirements, covering relevant experience, past performance, financial strength, human and technical resources, and managerial capability. He also explored concepts like pre-contract review, contract finalization, various contract types (consultancy, goods, works), and overall contract management. A significant part of the second day included a demonstration of the E-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (EPADS), a federal government initiative designed to digitalize the public procurement process.

Each topic was followed by a hands-on exercise and a question-and-answer session. After the discussion on Public Procurement, the class was divided into six groups, each tasked with preparing and presenting a procurement document based on a real-world case. Similarly, the Contract Management discussion was followed by a simulation exercise, where the class split into two groups. Each of these groups further divided into three sub-groups, representing the Contractor, Procuring Agency, and Arbitrators. Dr. Ahmad commended the quality of work and arguments presented by the participants during their presentations. The participants consistently demonstrated keen interest, asking insightful questions that the guest speaker adeptly answered.