Date: March 25, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

LIVE WEBINAR:

Negotiation as a Leadership Skill in Public Procurement: Beyond Win-Lose

Negotiation in public procurement is often misunderstood as a transactional or adversarial activity. In reality, effective negotiation is a core leadership skill that directly impacts public trust, supplier performance, compliance, risk mitigation, & long term best value for the public agencies we serve.

This session reframes negotiation as a strategic leadership behavior grounded in integrity, ethics, preparation, emotional intelligence, total cost of ownership, transparency, & accountability — all within the legal & policy frameworks governing California public procurement. Participants will explore how public sector negotiations differ from private sector deal making, & why traditional “win-lose” thinking often undermines outcomes in government contracting.

Using real world public procurement scenarios relevant to California agencies, the session examines how procurement leaders negotiate scope, price, risk allocation, performance expectations, & supplier relationships while remaining compliant, fair, competitive, & focused on overall best value. Special attention is given to negotiating in environments characterized by limited leverage, political & stakeholder pressure, incomplete or imperfect data, protest risk, & heightened public scrutiny.

Attendees will leave with practical frameworks, mindset shifts, & immediately applicable techniques to negotiate with confidence, professionalism, & credibility — even when the answer cannot simply be “yes.”

Participants will learn how to:

• Reframe negotiation as a leadership & risk management function, not merely a contract step
• Apply ethical, transparent negotiation strategies aligned with California public procurement principles
• Navigate difficult conversations with suppliers, internal stakeholders, elected officials, & executive leadership
• Balance speed, compliance, competition, & best value without sacrificing public trust
• Strengthen long term supplier relationships while protecting the agency’s legal, financial, & reputational interests

Presenter: Chris Smith, MBA, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, VCO, VCA, VCARM, CSSYB

Chris Smith is a nationally recognized public procurement leader, speaker, writer, & practitioner with more than two decades of experience across federal, state, & local government, public service, & complex contracting environments. He has served in senior purchasing & procurement leadership roles, supporting diverse agencies & stakeholders while advancing transparency, accountability, competition, & best value outcomes consistent with public sector values.

Chris is known for reframing procurement & negotiation as leadership behaviors rather than transactional functions. His work emphasizes ethical decision making, risk management, collaboration, & trust building in highly regulated, publicly visible, & politically sensitive environments. He brings real world experience managing high impact procurements, crisis driven negotiations, cooperative & leveraged contracts, & supplier relationships under intense public & audit scrutiny.

A passionate educator & mentor, Chris holds multiple professional certifications, including NIGP-CPP & CPPB, & regularly contributes to the growth of procurement professionals by sharing practical tools, leadership insights, & global best practices that align with CAPPO’s mission of promoting excellence, integrity, & professionalism in public procurement.