University of the Sacred Heart Gulu, through its newly established Faculty of Management Science and the department for Community Outreach, has passed out 18 pioneer professionals with certificates in “Current Procurement Strategies in Supply Chain Management in Small and Medium Enterprises”.

The University conducted the training course between 26th and 28th August 2021 at the main campus. The training was facilitated by Mr. Patrick Odida, a certified international procurement professional and the vice-chairman of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply in Uganda.

A study conducted by the University of the Sacred Heart Gulu showed that most Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in northern Uganda do not have an established procurement desk or position in their organizations and these roles are being carried out haphazardly by a cashier, bursar, or even the director. Additionally, businesses, organizations, and Institutions are faced with 2 major challenges of i)ensuring value for money ii) having effective control over expenditures Once these are not properly managed, an organization will incur exorbitant costs of operations. In the training course, persons handling the procurement role were empowered to learn and apply strategic procurement principles in handling purchases and manage logistics. Participants were trained on the following:

i. Supply Chain Management

ii. Procurement Processes

iii. Procurement Planning

iv. Strategic Procurement

v. Tendering

vi. Bids Evaluation, and

vii. Contract Management

Speaking at the closing ceremony on Saturday, the Vice-Chancellor of University of the Sacred Heart Gulu, Rev. Fr. Dr. Jino Okec Mwaka called upon the graduates to always strive to contribute to making Uganda a better country by performing their duties with at-most integrity and commitment, and to always be the best in all that they do. He also called upon everyone to support the University of the Sacred Heart Gulu to continue offering its service and contributing towards creating a healthier society.

Applications to enroll at the University of the Sacred Heart Gulu for the August 2021 intake are currently ongoing. More information can be got on the University website on www.ush.ac.ug.