Government contracts and procurement law

About the course
Government procurement, also called public tendering or public procurement, is the procurement of goods and services on behalf of a public authority (i.e. the government) in order to fulfill its public functions. Government procurement accounts for a substantial part of the global economy and is therefore closely regulated in law to prevent fraud, waste, corruption or local protectionism. This field of law called public procurement regulation is internationally one of the fastest growing areas of legal interest both in practice and academia.

The aim of this three-day course is to cover the important aspects of public procurement, explain the relevant procurement law and what has been achieved with regards to procurement policy, procedures and best practice.

Who will benefit from this course?
- Advocates and attorneys
- Legal advisors
- Legal practitioners
- Government officials (national, provincial and local)
- Anyone who has an interest in government procurement

Course outline
The following topics will be dealt with during the three days:
- The government procurement process and its regulatory framework
- The impact of the constitution on government contracting processes
- Procurement methods and the use of competition
- Fairness and transparency in the negotiation and variation of contracts
- The fair treatment of participating bidders
- The right to reasons and access to information
- Procurement and Black Economic Empowerment
- The availability of remedies to aggrieved parties

Course presenteres

Prof Phoebe Bolton is a professor in Public Law at the University of Stellenbosch. She is the author of a number of publications in the area of government contracts and government procurement, including The Law of Government Procurement in South Africa (LexisNexis Butterworths, South Africa, 2007).

Prof Bolton is the recipient of numerous academic awards, including the CODESRIA prize for the best doctoral thesis produced in Africa in 2006, the Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship, the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary, the DAAD in-country Scholarship and the DAAD Scholarship for Young Academics and Scientists.

Funding from the National Research Foundation is currently enabling her to continue her research in the area of public procurement regulation. A British Academy grant moreover funds a project in partnership with the Public Procurement Research Group at Nottingham University, United Kingdom. The main objective of the project is to raise the academic profile of public procurement regulation in Africa and it includes research and teaching components.

Prof Geo Quinot is a professor in the Department of Public Law at Stellenbosch University. He teaches administrative and constitutional law, but is also involved in the development and teaching of new undergraduate and postgraduate courses on public procurement regulation at the Stellenbosch Law Faculty.

His research focuses on general administrative law, including a particular focus on the regulation of state commercial activity. He is the author of various articles in academic journals and electronic publications such as Juta's Quarterly Review of South African Law, to which he contributes quarterly updates on public procurement law; chapters in book publications; and two recent books, viz. Administrative Law Cases and Materials (Juta & Co, 2008) and State Commercial Activity: A Legal Framework (Juta & Co, 2009). Geo is currently involved in a British Academy-funded project on public procurement regulation in Southern Africa as lead African partner in partnership with the Public Procurement Research Group at the University of Nottingham, with Sue Arrowsmith as project leader.

He studied law at the University of Stellenbosch, where he also obtained his doctorate in 2007 on a dissertation focusing on government contracting, and at the University of Virginia School of Law in the United States as a Fulbright fellow.

Registration details
Programme and venue information:
Signing in will commence at 9am on the first day unless otherwise advised and each day will end at approximately 5pm.

Award of certificate:
A certificate of attendance from UCT will be awarded to those who attend the full three days. Please ensure that you sign the attendance register every day.

Closing date for registration:
One week prior to the course.

Registration and enquiries:
Please contact the Professional Development Project:
Paula Allen on 021 650 5558
Andrea Blaauw on 021 650 5413
Fax:021 650 5513
Email:az.ca.tcu@nella.aluap/az.ca.tcu@wuaalb.aerdna/az.ca.tcu@llafressaw.aneri
OR visit our website: www.lawatwork.uct.ac.za to download the registration form.

Date: 03 June 2015 to 05 June 2015
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Venue: Cape Town
Cost: R7,500 per delegate. The fee includes parking, lunches, course materials.

More info:

Instructions regarding the programme and directions to the venue will be sent to you electronically a week prior to the event.