A comprehensive program, exploiting established and inexpensive training sources, was designed to ensure that Canadian Government procurement staff had access to the knowledge and skills required for large, capital procurement projects. Studies indicated that gaps existed between perceived and expected staff performance. A review of policies, procedures, and practices produced a list of topics, or knowledge areas, that needed to be mastered by procurement teams. The next step identified where this knowledge could be found. An analysis of the US Project Management Institute's project-management body of knowledge revealed that it dealt with much of the required general knowledge. Thus, by using the PMI pmbok to cover general project-management topics, and concentrating on special and unique areas only, the task of developing a Canadian Government major-procurement body of knowledge was made manageable and less costly. Adopting the PMI pmbok also allowed the PMI's Project Management Professional certification program to be fully exploited.