When choosing strategies and tactics, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the end goal - in fact, this week’s guest advocates always starting with the end in mind. That ensures that a technique is never applied for its own sake, but rather for the outcomes it will deliver for the business or public agency.

In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Martin Stevenson. Martin is the very recently retired Enterprise Project and Procurement Manager for the California Department of Water Resources. Although he didn’t finish his career in procurement, he spent many decades there with State Control Agencies (DGS and CDT) and Engineering-based agencies (Caltrans and DWR). Martin has multiple procurement and project certifications - including Certified Public Procurement Officer, NIGP Certified Procurement Professional, ISM Certified Purchasing Manager, ISM Certified Professional in Supply Management, and Project Management Professional. 

In this conversation, Martin shares his point of view about how procurement professionals can be set up for success with the right training, tools, and techniques:

Where procurement professionals can turn for information and support If they want to develop themselves by developing their skills 

Why it is important to emphasize techniques rather than processes - and which techniques he thinks are most effective

How to ensure the technique procurement chooses is the right one for the situation

Why procurement needs to be exposed to many different ideas and concepts