Skip to content
Institute For Oil & Gas Training
OGI-1159 New

Contract Fraud & Procurement Irregularities in Tendering Training Course

Duration
5 days
CPD hours
15
Language
English
Next date
05 Oct 2026
View dates & register Download brochure

We use your details only to answer this enquiry. See our privacy policy.

Overview

Contract Fraud & Procurement Irregularities is a specialist training course from Institute For Oil & Gas Training designed to strengthen the ability of oil and gas professionals to prevent, identify, investigate and respond to procurement fraud across tendering, contracting and supplier management activities. The course addresses the financial, operational, governance and compliance risks created when procurement controls are weakened by bid rigging, collusive tendering, kickbacks and bribery, conflict of interest, split purchase orders, unjustified change orders, cost inflation, phantom deliveries and supplier favouritism.

Oil and gas procurement involves high-value contracts, technically complex scopes, multiple approval stages, extensive supplier networks and significant interfaces between engineering, projects, operations, finance, procurement and commercial teams. These characteristics create control points that require disciplined oversight. Contract fraud can occur before a tender is issued, during bid evaluation, at contract award, through contract administration or after supplier invoices have been approved. Procurement irregularities can also emerge through apparently legitimate transactions that become problematic when viewed across several contracts, purchase orders, suppliers or approval periods.

This course develops a practical understanding of how procurement fraud schemes are structured and how warning signs appear within tender documentation, supplier records, commercial evaluations, purchase orders, invoices, contract amendments and payment data. Participants examine how apparently isolated anomalies can form part of wider patterns involving inflated pricing, inappropriate supplier relationships, concealed conflicts of interest, false supporting documentation or coordinated bidding behaviour.

The programme places particular emphasis on the procurement lifecycle within oil and gas organisations. Participants examine procurement planning, prequalification, tender preparation, bidder communications, bid opening, technical and commercial evaluation, contract award, purchase order controls, variation management, supplier performance, invoice verification and contract closeout. The approach connects compliance requirements with practical procurement decisions rather than treating fraud as an issue limited to internal audit or legal departments.

Bid rigging and collusive tendering receive detailed attention because procurement teams need to distinguish legitimate competitive behaviour from patterns that warrant escalation. The course examines indicators such as unusual bid similarities, suspicious pricing patterns, unexplained bidder withdrawal, repeated winning patterns, coordinated market behaviour and relationships between competing suppliers. The OECD identifies bid rigging as conduct in which firms expected to compete conspire to raise prices or reduce the quality of goods, services or works, and its 2025 guidance highlights tender design, red flags and reporting considerations.

The course also addresses internal procurement risks. Conflict of interest, supplier favouritism, undisclosed relationships and inappropriate influence can compromise tender integrity even where documentation appears complete. Participants learn how to assess declarations, approval trails, evaluation records and supplier interactions from a control perspective.

Contract administration is another major focus. Unjustified change orders, repeated scope adjustments, emergency procurement, split purchase orders and unexplained cost movements can weaken commercial controls. Participants learn how to identify circumstances requiring deeper review and how to establish evidence trails that support management action, internal investigations and appropriate escalation.

The course also connects fraud prevention with established compliance frameworks. ISO 37001:2025 provides requirements and guidance for anti-bribery management systems covering prevention, detection and response to bribery, while ISO 37003:2025 provides guidance for managing fraud risk across prevention, detection, response and continual improvement. ISO 37301:2021 provides a broader compliance management system framework.

Institute For Oil & Gas Training delivers the programme for professionals who need practical capability across procurement governance, contract controls, fraud risk identification and compliance assurance. The result is a stronger understanding of how procurement irregularities develop, how evidence is assessed and how organisations strengthen controls before losses, disputes or regulatory exposure escalate.

Objectives

  • Identify the principal forms of Contract Fraud & Procurement Irregularities affecting oil and gas procurement and contracting activities

  • Recognise bid rigging and collusive tendering indicators across competitive procurement processes

  • Analyse procurement risks associated with kickbacks and bribery

  • Identify actual and potential conflict of interest situations within tendering and contract management

  • Detect supplier favouritism through procurement records, evaluation decisions and supplier histories

  • Recognise split purchase orders and other purchasing patterns that weaken approval controls

  • Assess unjustified change orders and repeated contract variations as potential control concerns

  • Identify indicators of cost inflation across tenders, purchase orders, invoices and contract amendments

  • Detect phantom deliveries and weaknesses in goods receipt and service verification processes

  • Strengthen supplier due diligence and procurement integrity controls

  • Apply fraud risk thinking throughout the procurement lifecycle

  • Analyse procurement documentation and transaction trails for irregular patterns

  • Improve coordination between procurement, finance, contracts, internal audit, compliance and legal functions

  • Develop stronger escalation and reporting practices for suspected procurement irregularities

  • Understand the relevance of recognised anti-bribery, fraud control, compliance and whistleblowing standards

  • Strengthen preventive controls around tendering, contract award, purchase orders and contract administration

  • Support more effective fraud investigations through structured evidence gathering and documentation

  • Improve organisational readiness to respond to procurement fraud allegations and control failures

  • Strengthen professional judgement when evaluating procurement anomalies and supplier conduct

  • Establish practical approaches for embedding procurement integrity into routine commercial governance

Training methodology

Institute For Oil & Gas Training uses a practical, corporate-focused methodology built around realistic oil and gas procurement scenarios. The delivery combines instructor-led analysis with case studies, procurement simulations, group exercises, document reviews and structured discussions.

Participants work through tender scenarios involving multiple bidders, conflicting commercial information and incomplete documentation. These exercises require participants to assess whether observed behaviours represent ordinary procurement risk, control weakness or indicators requiring investigation.

Case studies examine bid rigging, collusive tendering, kickbacks and bribery, conflict of interest, supplier favouritism and contract manipulation. Participants analyse tender histories, evaluation records, purchase orders, invoices, supplier profiles and change requests to identify anomalies and establish appropriate control responses.

Procurement simulations place participants in realistic decision-making situations. Groups review a procurement event from planning through contract award and identify points where fraud risks can enter the process. The exercises demonstrate how segregation of duties, approval controls, competitive tendering, supplier due diligence and documentation standards work together.

The course also uses fraud red flag analysis. Participants learn to distinguish individual anomalies from recurring patterns by examining supplier behaviour, pricing movements, transaction sequences and contract changes. This approach supports stronger professional judgement without assuming that every irregularity represents confirmed fraud.

Scenario-based exercises cover split purchase orders, unexplained emergency purchases, phantom deliveries, inflated invoices and unjustified change orders. Participants assess the evidence available and determine appropriate escalation, documentation and control responses.

The methodology also integrates regulatory and recognised standards into practical procurement situations. ISO 37001:2025 focuses on anti-bribery management systems, ISO 37003:2025 addresses fraud control management systems, ISO 37301:2021 addresses compliance management systems and ISO 37002:2021 provides guidance for whistleblowing management systems.

Organisational impact

The course strengthens the organisation's ability to identify procurement risks before they develop into financial losses, contractual disputes or broader compliance concerns. Participants return to their functions with a clearer understanding of how fraud risks can enter procurement processes and how preventive and detective controls operate across the procurement lifecycle.

Improved detection of bid rigging and collusive tendering supports stronger tender governance. Procurement teams gain a more structured approach to reviewing bidder behaviour, pricing patterns, tender submissions and market interactions. The OECD 2025 guidance specifically addresses tender design, indicators of collusion and reporting of suspected bid rigging, with its principles also relevant to private procurement entities.

Stronger controls around supplier selection reduce exposure to supplier favouritism and undisclosed conflicts of interest. Organisations gain greater visibility over approval responsibilities, supplier relationships, evaluation decisions and exceptions to standard procurement procedures.

The course also supports better cost control. Participants learn to identify patterns involving cost inflation, repeated variations, split purchase orders and unjustified change orders. These controls help management challenge unsupported commercial movements and strengthen accountability for contract amendments.

Improved invoice and delivery verification helps address phantom deliveries and unsupported supplier claims. Participants understand the importance of connecting purchase orders, receiving records, service confirmations, contract terms and invoices before payment approval.

The programme supports stronger anti-bribery and fraud governance. ISO 37001:2025 provides a structured framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving anti-bribery management systems, including measures covering prevention, detection and response.

ISO 37003:2025 provides guidance across the fraud risk lifecycle, including prevention, detection, response and continual improvement. Its scope includes internal and external fraud risks and supports structured fraud control arrangements.

ISO 37301:2021 provides a broader compliance management system framework that organisations can use to establish, evaluate, maintain and improve compliance processes.

For organisations with UK exposure, the UK Bribery Act 2010 provides an important reference point for anti-bribery controls, including the corporate offence relating to failure to prevent bribery by associated persons. UK Government guidance identifies proportionality, top-level commitment, risk assessment, due diligence, communication, and monitoring and review as six core principles for bribery prevention procedures.

The overall organisational impact is stronger procurement governance, clearer accountability, more consistent control execution and improved coordination between commercial and assurance functions.

Personal impact

Participants develop practical capability in recognising procurement fraud indicators within the documents and transactions they encounter in their roles. Rather than viewing fraud as an isolated investigation function, they learn how procurement professionals, contract managers, finance teams and operational personnel contribute to prevention and early detection.

The course strengthens commercial awareness by showing how tender prices, supplier behaviour, purchase orders, contract amendments, delivery records and invoices connect. Participants develop a broader view of procurement transactions and learn to identify inconsistencies that require further review.

Professionals responsible for tendering gain stronger skills in designing and reviewing competitive procurement processes. They develop greater awareness of bid rigging, collusive tendering and supplier coordination risks.

Contract professionals strengthen their ability to scrutinise change orders, contract variations, pricing adjustments, claims and supplier performance. Finance professionals improve their ability to connect procurement records with payment controls and identify anomalies requiring investigation.

Compliance and internal audit professionals gain a more detailed understanding of procurement-specific fraud schemes. They learn how procurement controls operate in practice and how evidence can be organised to support investigations and management reporting.

Participants also strengthen communication skills when escalating concerns. The course focuses on evidence-based reporting, clear documentation and appropriate escalation rather than unsupported allegations.

The programme develops professional judgement in assessing red flags. Participants learn to distinguish a control weakness from a potential irregularity and a potential irregularity from evidence requiring formal investigation.

The course also introduces recognised approaches to reporting wrongdoing. ISO 37002:2021 provides guidance for whistleblowing management systems based on trust, impartiality and protection, covering the receipt, assessment, addressing and conclusion of reports of wrongdoing.

These capabilities support career development across procurement, contracts, commercial management, finance, audit, compliance, risk and governance functions.

Who should attend

  • Procurement Managers and Heads of Procurement who need stronger controls over tendering, supplier selection and purchasing activities

  • Contract Managers and Contract Administrators who manage commercial obligations, variations, claims and supplier performance

  • Supply Chain Managers who oversee supplier relationships and procurement governance across operational activities

  • Commercial Managers who assess tender values, contract pricing, variations and commercial exposure

  • Procurement Officers who participate directly in sourcing, tender evaluation, purchase order creation and supplier administration

  • Finance Managers and Financial Controllers who need to strengthen controls connecting procurement transactions with payment processes

  • Internal Auditors who review procurement controls, supplier transactions and contract governance

  • Compliance Officers who monitor fraud, bribery, conflicts of interest and procurement integrity risks

  • Risk Managers who assess fraud exposure and control effectiveness across commercial processes

  • Fraud Investigation Professionals who require stronger understanding of procurement-specific fraud schemes and evidence trails

  • Legal and Corporate Governance Professionals who support investigations, contractual controls and compliance responses

  • Project Managers who approve or influence procurement decisions, project variations and supplier performance

  • Operations Managers who verify deliveries, services, work completion and supplier performance

  • Senior Managers and Directors who hold accountability for procurement governance, commercial integrity and organisational risk

  • Joint Venture and Partnership Professionals who need stronger oversight of procurement integrity across shared operations and contracting arrangements

Course outline

This module establishes the foundations of Contract Fraud & Procurement Irregularities within oil and gas procurement. It examines how fraud risks arise across procurement planning, sourcing, prequalification, tendering, evaluation and contract award. Participants develop a structured understanding of fraud schemes, control weaknesses and red flags.

  1. OECD Bid Rigging Guidelines

    • The OECD 2025 Guidelines address prevention, detection and reporting of bid rigging in public procurement.

    • The guidance identifies forms of collusion including cover bidding, bid suppression, bid rotation and market allocation.

    • The principles are also relevant to private procurement entities conducting competitive tenders.

    • The guidance supports stronger tender design and identification of suspicious bidding patterns.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Identify common procurement fraud schemes

    • Recognise indicators of bid rigging and collusive tendering

    • Assess tender processes for control weaknesses

    • Identify procurement stages exposed to fraud risk

    • Apply structured red flag analysis to tender documentation

    • Strengthen tender integrity controls

This module examines the relationship between procurement fraud, bribery, improper influence and conflicts of interest. It focuses on supplier relationships, employee conduct, due diligence, gifts and hospitality, undisclosed interests and decision-making controls.

  1. ISO 37001:2025

    • ISO 37001:2025 establishes requirements and guidance for anti-bribery management systems.

    • The standard covers prevention, detection and response to bribery.

    • It applies across public, private and not-for-profit organisations.

    • It supports structured anti-bribery policies, due diligence, controls, training, monitoring and improvement.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Identify bribery risks within procurement activities

    • Recognise indicators of kickbacks and improper influence

    • Assess conflict of interest risks

    • Strengthen supplier due diligence practices

    • Apply appropriate controls around gifts, hospitality and supplier relationships

    • Improve anti-bribery awareness within procurement teams

This module focuses on transactional irregularities that can weaken procurement controls after supplier selection. Participants examine split purchase orders, cost inflation, duplicate transactions, unsupported pricing and unjustified change orders.

  1. ISO 37003:2025

    • ISO 37003:2025 provides guidance for developing and maintaining a fraud control management system.

    • The standard addresses fraud prevention, detection, response and continual improvement.

    • It covers internal and external fraud risks and supports structured fraud risk management.

    • It provides a relevant framework for strengthening controls around procurement and commercial transactions.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Detect split purchase order patterns

    • Identify indicators of cost inflation

    • Review change orders for control concerns

    • Distinguish justified commercial changes from unsupported amendments

    • Strengthen purchase order approval controls

    • Improve documentation and escalation of transaction anomalies

This module examines fraud risks that arise between contract execution, delivery confirmation, invoicing and payment. Participants focus on phantom deliveries, unsupported service confirmations, inaccurate quantities, duplicate invoices and weaknesses in three-way control processes.

  1. ISO 37301:2021

    • ISO 37301:2021 provides requirements and guidance for establishing, developing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining and improving compliance management systems.

    • The standard is designed for organisations across different sectors and organisational structures.

    • It supports governance, transparency, accountability and systematic compliance processes.

    • Its principles provide a structured basis for strengthening procurement compliance controls.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Identify phantom delivery indicators

    • Review invoice and receiving documentation for inconsistencies

    • Strengthen payment verification controls

    • Connect contract terms with purchase orders and invoices

    • Identify weaknesses in segregation of duties

    • Improve compliance monitoring across procurement transactions

This module brings together the course concepts through practical investigation and response scenarios. Participants examine how organisations should document concerns, preserve evidence, assess allegations, escalate suspected fraud and strengthen controls after an incident.

  1. ISO 37002:2021

    • ISO 37002:2021 provides guidelines for establishing and maintaining effective whistleblowing management systems.

    • The framework is based on trust, impartiality and protection.

    • It covers receiving, assessing, addressing and concluding reports of wrongdoing.

    • The guidance applies across public, private and not-for-profit organisations.

    Learning Outcomes

    • Structure procurement fraud concerns for appropriate escalation

    • Identify relevant evidence and documentation

    • Apply systematic approaches to suspected fraud investigations

    • Strengthen whistleblowing and reporting controls

    • Develop corrective and preventive actions following identified irregularities

    • Connect procurement controls with broader fraud and compliance management systems

    • Support stronger organisational responses to contract fraud and procurement irregularities

Certificate

Attendees receive a Certificate of Completion from Institute For Oil & Gas Training upon finishing the course. The certificate is issued to participants who meet the course attendance requirement and complete the full programme.

Course dates

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,800

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,800

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,800

  • Europe

    Middle East

    Asia

    Africa

    North America

    Online

    Fee: £3,800

Fees include tuition, course materials and refreshments. Need different dates or a different city? Ask about your preferred date.

Frequently asked questions

What is Contract Fraud & Procurement Irregularities training?

Contract Fraud & Procurement Irregularities training focuses on identifying, preventing and responding to fraud and control weaknesses across oil and gas tendering, procurement and contract management. The course covers bid rigging, collusive tendering, bribery, conflicts of interest, split purchase orders, cost inflation, phantom deliveries and unjustified change orders.

Who should attend this procurement fraud course?

The course is designed for procurement, contracts, commercial, finance, internal audit, compliance, risk, legal, supply chain, project and operations professionals. It is suitable for managers, specialists and senior personnel responsible for procurement integrity and commercial governance.

How is the course delivered?

Institute For Oil & Gas Training uses case studies, practical scenarios, procurement simulations, document analysis, group exercises and structured discussions. Participants apply fraud detection and control concepts to realistic oil and gas procurement situations.

What will participants learn about bid rigging and collusive tendering?

Participants learn how bid rigging and collusive tendering can affect competitive procurement and how suspicious bidding patterns can be identified. The course examines tender design, bidder behaviour, pricing patterns, supplier relationships and escalation procedures.

What certificate is provided after completing the course?

Attendees receive a Certificate of Completion from Institute For Oil & Gas Training upon finishing the course and meeting the required attendance requirement.

Next: 05 Oct 2026

4 dates available

Register Now

Related training courses

Get the training calendar in your inbox

New courses, dates and industry insight. No more than twice a month.