Assessment brief A proactive strategic procurement operation can give the organisation it represents a competitive advantage by reducing waste in the value chain. Purchasing strategies, however, cannot be developed in isolation; they need to be integrated with corporate strategy to succeed. Provide a critical discussion of the main reasons for the growth in the strategic role of procurement and why in practice this is often difficult to achieve, illustrating your answer with examples where appropriate. Pedagogical aim and expectations:

Relates to Learning Outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of procurement for global organisations operating in complex market environments Locate, synthesise and critically evaluate recent/current information from a wide range of published literature in the area of Project Risk and Procurement Management (2,500 words excluding references. Harvard referencing style)