Pre-Forum 2026 Course: Advanced Negotiations

We are excited that you have chosen to apply for the Advanced Negotiations course. This course is designed to move beyond foundational negotiation skills and help experienced procurement professionals deepen their expertise by learning and practicing advanced techniques, while collaborating with peers in the field.

Please review the course description and details below before beginning your application.

Course Description
This in-person, simulation-based course is designed for experienced public procurement professionals that participate in negotiations as part of their role. Participants will practice post-award negotiation strategies in realistic scenarios, focusing on refining scope, pricing, performance terms, and risk allocation. The session also connects negotiation decisions to long-term contract management, ensuring agreements are structured for successful implementation, accountability, and risk management over time.

Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Prepare for post-award negotiations using a structured approach that includes proposal analysis, assessment of appropriate risk allocation, and mapping of interests.
• Assess leverage and constraints when negotiating with a preferred or sole awardee
• Negotiate key contract elements, including scope, pricing, intellectual property, long-term vendor lock-in risks, and performance metrics
• Address common challenges, such as vendor pushback, and internal demands from stakeholders like legal, IT, and elected officials
• Build and preserve productive working relationships with awarded vendors, enabling successful contract performance

Course Location, Time, and Details

The program will be held on Saturday, August 22, from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (lunch included) as an in-person, pre-conference session in Columbus, Ohio, at the Forum event venue (Greater Columbus Convention Center), in advance of NIGP Forum 2026.

Please ensure you are able to attend the full-day program prior to applying, as successful completion requires full participation.

This one-day course is offered at no cost to participants, thanks to the generosity of Partners for Public Good, a nonprofit organization collaborating with NIGP to deliver this program. Please note that travel, lodging, Forum registration, and any other related expenses for attending NIGP Forum in Columbus, Ohio (August 23–26, 2026) are the responsibility of the participant.

If you have further questions, please contact Chanda Carpenter.

Apply

Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 PM ET on July 17, 2026. 

This course has limited capacity, and applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full. Participants will be selected through a committee review process based on role relevance, the strength of their responses to the application’s open-ended questions, and demonstrated experience or foundational knowledge in negotiations.

Applicants will be notified of their status on a rolling basis, typically within approximately two weeks of their application review.

Click here to begin your Application.