Exercising Expert Judgement

Friday, May 20th, 2016

Exercising Expert Judgement

We have been reading some project management literature. In a section on procurement, it refers to tools and techniques and includes the term “expert judgement.” There is no explanation for what it actually means, but it does say it is available from many sources, including consultants. It fails to emphasise that procurement specialists should be capable of exercising expert judgement. What could this mean in practice? Some of our thoughts follow and are open for debate.

  1. People:
    At all stages of procurement, people are involved. Let us concentrate on those who represent the supplier. You will have encountered those who can ‘tell a good story.’ Their presentation is very smooth and well rehearsed. They give all vibes that create a feeling that all is not as it seems. There cannot be any qualification of the feeling, but the judgement should lead too further probing, using well framed questions. At the end of days the judgement comes down to, ‘would I trust this individual.’
  2. Ethical Behaviour:
    Unethical behaviour has been the downfall of procurement specialists for a long time. Judgement is needed when seemingly innocuous ‘offers’ are made by a supplier. It may begin with sample questions about your favourite sport, or how you spend your weekends, or where you have your holidays. Beware the offer to attend a horse racing meeting where you are given ‘notes in an envelope’ to enjoy a gamble. Of course if you win, you keep the winnings. Beware, the offer of a visit to a reference site in an exotic location, paid for by the supplier. The judgement here is simple, refuse the offer and disqualify the supplier from contract awards.
  3. Information given by a supplier:
    Misrepresentation is not a rare trait when some suppliers are bidding for work. The exercise of due diligence should follow thought triggered off by “this doesn’t feel right.” These thoughts will only be triggered when the procurement specialist has extensive experience, unlike these appointed to senior positions who lack real life procurement experience. If they have ‘never done it in earnest’ their thoughts will be naïve and ill-informed.
  4. Commitment:
    This is a key judgement. What is the individuals or teams commitment to the task at hand? There are warning signs. ‘Our staff are not available at weekends other than by special arrangements.’ ‘Our reporting is informal.’ ‘Can you visit our offices?’ The absolute quality of a world-class supplier is their commitment when the going gets tough. That is more than what a contract may say.

We urge procurement specialists to exercise expert judgement. This judgement can be the difference between a very positive relationship and a very poor relationship. Follow your instincts, they are important.