(CNS): Robert Tatum has been promoted to director of the Central Procurement Office (CPO), becoming the first Caymanian to head scrutiny of public capital spending projects. Tatum joined the CPO as procurement manager more than seven years ago and became the deputy director in January 2024.
Tatum said in a release about his promotion that as director, he intends to advance the professionalisation of procurement across the public service, build on the technology already supporting the function, and strengthen the CPO’s capacity to assist entities with pre-procurement planning and post-procurement contract management.
“Without procurement, government would not be able to deliver many of its services and obligations to the country. Procurement is the machine that turns public dollars into delivery, and my goal is to ensure that machine is as efficient as possible,” he said. “I am honoured by the confidence placed in me and proud to take public procurement forward as the first Caymanian Director of the CPO.”
Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson said the promotion is well deserved and reflects Tatum’s strong performance, commitment to public service and sustained investment in his professional development. “His appointment as the first Caymanian director of the CPO is an important milestone, and I am confident that he will continue strengthening the public procurement function across government.”
Tatum succeeds Taraq Bashir, who said he was retiring confident that the office and the wider public procurement function will be in very capable hands.
“It has been a pleasure to watch Robert grow and develop since he joined the CPO in 2019. He has consistently invested in his professional development and applied that learning to strengthen our work. Robert has the knowledge, judgement and commitment to lead the office, and I am delighted to see him take on this role,” he added.
Tatum thanked Bashir for his leadership and his commitment to developing Caymanian talent, and Jefferson thanked him for his service.
The new director, who is from Cayman Brac, holds a Master’s in Operations and Supply Chain Management from the University of Liverpool, the MCIPS professional designation from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, and an ILM Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management.
He has also recently completed the International Master’s in Public Procurement Management programme at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, graduating at the top of his class. Tatum was the first Caymanian to undertake the programme and attended with support from a Caribbean Development Bank scholarship.
The course covered the full public procurement cycle, including planning, complaints, sustainable procurement and anti-corruption, while exposing participants to procurement systems used around the world. “One of my key takeaways was that no country has a perfect system and there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” Tatum said in relation to the course.
“What is right for the Cayman Islands must be considered in our own context. The experience expanded my thinking beyond rule-making as the main way to achieve compliance and positive outcomes. I would like us to build a system where compliance is the minimum standard, with clear incentives and benefits for going above and beyond,” he added.