The Value of Professional Certification

1
The Value ofProfessional Certification

• Virginias 20th Public Procurement Forum 2008
• Norma Hall, CPPO, CPPB, CPM
• Chair, Universal Public Purchasing Certification
  Council (UPPCC)
• And
• Program Manager for Training, Strategic Planning
  and Performance Measures for SC Materials
  Management Office

2
Introduction

• Welcome
• Session Overview
• About Professional Certification
• Benefits and Trends
• Certification Programs
• UPPCC Programs, CPPB CPPO
• Questions Discussion

3
About Certification

• Definition
• Professional Benchmark
• Standard of Qualifications
• Demonstration of Knowledge, Competence
• Other Professions
• Real Estate, Certified Residential Specialist
  (CRS)
• Risk, Certified Property Casualty Underwriter
  (CPCU)
• Accounting, Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

4
Benefits of Certification

• Benefits
• Personal
• Increased Self-Confidence
• The Profession
• Professional Recognition
• Corporate
• Increased Credibility
• Increased Knowledge

5
Benefits of Certification

• Earning Potential
• 20 Increase for Males and 33 Increase for
  Females (Purchasing Magazine)
• 30 Increase for Certified Professional Purchaser
  Credential, (Canadian)
• Advancements
• Agency Promotions
• External Opportunities
• A Competitive Edge
• Professional Respect Recognition
• Procurement Colleagues
• Other Fields Finance, Academic, Sales

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Excerpts from the 2007 NIGP Compensation Study.

• Purchasing Directors earn on average 25 more if
  they hold the CPPO
• 37 of all procurement heads are required to have
  a certification before hiring

7
Excerpts from the 2007 NIGP Compensation Study.

• 24 of agencies require an agency head to obtain
  certification after employment
• Purchasing Managers earn on average 11 more if
  they hold the CPPO

8
Certification Trends

• Trends
• Numbers Increasing Nationally
• 52 of South Carolina NIGP Members (2008)
• 39 of Virginia NIGP Members (2008)
• Job Announcements
• Public, CPPO and CPPB
• Private, C.P.M., CPSM, and others
• Federal, CPCM, CFCM, CCCM

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Certification Programs

• National Contract Management Association
• Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM)
• Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)
• Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM)
• Institute for Supply Management
• Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.)
• Accredited Purchasing Practitioner (A.P.P.)
• Certified Professional in Supply Management
  (CPSM)
• Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
• Graduate Diploma (FCIPS)
• Certificate Programs in Purchasing and Supply

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Certification Programs

• Purchasing Management Assoc. of Canada
• Certified Professional Purchaser (C.P.P.)
• American Prod. Inventory Control Society
• Certified in Production and Inventory Management
  (CPIM)
• Certified in Integrated Resource Management
  (CIRM)
• Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory
  Management (CFPIM)

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Certification Programs

• Construction Specifications Institute
• Construction Document Technologist (CDT)
• Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)
• Certified Construction Contract Administrator
  (CCCA)
• Certified Construction Product Representative
  (CCPR)
• American Contract Compliance Association
• Certified Compliance Administrator
• Masters Certificate

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Certification Trends

• Trends
• NIGP Survey, 2002
• 74 of Agencies Require or Desire Certification
• State Specific Designations Increasing
• NIGP Survey, 1999
• 50 of Agencies Desire Certification
• State Specific Designations
• Shifting Paradigm of Purchasing
• Glorified Clerk to Certified Professional
• Rick Grimm, CPPO, CEO of NIGP

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Maintaining Balance
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Goals of Certification

• Increases professionalism in a field of practice
  by
• Identifying a Body of Knowledge
• Establishing a specific level of knowledge and
  experience
• 3rd Party verification of qualifications

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Who is the UPPCC?

• Created in 1978 by NIGP and NASPO
• Composed of 2 separate volunteer bodies
• The Governing Board
• The Board of Examiners

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UPPCC Composition

• Governing Board
• 3 - NIGP
• 3 - NASPO
• 2 advisory members
• 2 academicians
• NIGP NASPO Executive Directors

• Board of Examiners
• 4 - NIGP
• 4 - NASPO
• 2 per org CAPPO, FAPPO, NAEP NPI
• 2 advisory members
• Prometric

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UPPCC Certification Programs

• Supported by
• Higher Education
• Various State Certification Programs
• Canada, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon

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UPPCC Certification Offerings

• Certified Public Purchasing Officer
  (CPPO)
• Supervisors of public purchasers/buyers OR
• Managers of public purchasing function
• First certification issued in 1964
• Certified Professional
  Public Buyer (CPPB)
• Perform public purchasing functions (buyers)
• Non-managerial or supervisory
• First certificate (under PPB certificate program)
  issued in 1979
• First CPPB certification issued in 1991
• Candidate Handbook pg. 7

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UPPCC Certification Programs

• Only globally recognized certifications
  specifically designed for government purchasing
  professionals
• Global recognition provides for greater career
  mobility

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Certification Programs Eligibility Schedules

• CPPO
• Schedule A CPPB Cert
• Schedule B Bachelors
• Schedule C Masters

• CPPB
• Schedule A HS/GED
• Schedule B Associates
• Schedule C Bachelors
• Schedule D Masters
• Candidate Handbook p.6

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Documentation Formal Education

• Official Sealed Transcript issued by College or
  University
• Document only highest level achieved

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Documentation Purchasing Experience

• Full-time, paid employment only (gt 30 hrs weekly)
• Employment Dates
• Position Titles to match position descriptions
• Official Position Descriptions (required)
• Working Position Descriptions (if needed)

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Documentation Coursework

• Higher Ed Level
• Procurement-Related Topics
• 3 credit hrs 24 contact hours
• Formal sealed transcript as documentation
• Candidate Handbook p.6

• Other Coursework
• Procurement-Specific Topics
• 1 classroom hour 1 contact hour
• Completion certificates as documentation

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Examination Format

• Single computer-based assessment
• Based on 2008 UPPCC Body of Knowledge
• 175 multiple-choice questions
• 3.5 hours of testing time
• Candidate Handbook p.20

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Side-by-side Exam Comparison

• CPPB Exam
• Administrative 19
• Procurement Req 17
• Bids Prop 20
• Supplier Analyst 8
• Negotiations 3
• Contract Award 18
• Relationships 9
• Materials Mgmt 2
• HR 2
• Forecasting 2

• CPPO Exam
• Administrative 15
• Procurement Req 8
• Bids Prop 10
• Supplier Analyst 7
• Negotiations 8
• Contract Award 10
• Relationships 15
• Materials Mgmt 3
• HR 14
• Forecasting 10

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Certification Programs

• Virginia State Certification
• Virginia Contracting Associate Officer (VCA)
• 10 of job in procurement related activities no
  prior work experience, DPS or Agency eVA E-mall
  and QuickQuote classes/training desired High
  School diploma or GED required VCA three-day
  Procurement Cycle class achieve 75 or higher on
  exam

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Certification Programs

• Virginia Contracting Officer (VCO)
• 50 of job in procurement related activities one
  year experience in position or VCA and six
  months Associates degree with six college credit
  hours in purchasing courses or 48 hours in
  purchasing seminars through other acceptable
  resources in 2009 Associates degree will be
  required VCO Block I IV achieve 75 or higher
  on exam

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Other State Programs

• New Jersey
• Registered Public Purchasing Officer (RPPO)
• Texas
• Certified Texas Public Purchaser (CTPP)
• Certified Texas Procurement Manager (CTPM)
• Oregon
• OR Procurement Basic Certificate (OPBC)
• OR Procurement Advanced Certificate (OPAC)

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State Programs

• South Carolina
• Level I Certification
• Introduction to Public Procurement (3 days)
• SC Procurement Code in a Nutshell (1/2 day)
• MMO Business Practices (1 day)
• SC Procurement Ethics BCB Legal Counsel (1/2
  day)
• SC Standard Terms and Conditions for Contracts
  MMO (1 day)

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South Carolina (continued)

• Level II Certification
• All Level I Courses plus
• Planning, Scheduling, and Requirements Analysis
  (3 days)
• Sourcing in the Public Sector (3 days)
• Specification Writing (1 day)
• Contract Administration MMO (1 day)
• Legal Aspects of Procurement MMO (1 day)
• SC RFP Process MMO (1 day)

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South Carolina (continued)

• Level III Certification
• All Level I and II Courses plus
• The Fundamentals of Leadership and Management in
  Public Procurement (2 days)
• Selection of two (2 day) Courses from NIGPs LEAP
  Curriculum or other Acceptable 2 day Courses

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Putting it All Together

• Program Selection
• Do Your Research
• Read the Application Materials
• Studying
• Group, Individual
• Put in Your Time
• Take Courses
• Obtain Study Material

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Putting it All Together

• Test Preparation
• Proper Rest
• Know the Location
• Arrive Early
• Follow Instructions
• Taking the Test
• Be Confident, Youve Studied Right?
• Take off Your Agency Hat
• Discount Answers, Select Most Right
• Move On Past Tough Questions
• Double Check Answers
• Do not Go Back and Change Your Answers

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Putting it All Together

• After You Attain Certification
• Assist Others
• Coworkers, Colleagues
• Use the Certification
• Business Cards
• Letters
• Solicitations

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Putting it All Together

• The true mark of a professional can be measured
  by how much they give back to their profession.
• Robert Sheridan, CPPO, C.P.M.
• Past President, NIGP

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Putting it All Together

• Your job title is just a label. Leader is a
  reputation . and you personally have to earn
  it.
• Price Prichett

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• I am thinking about relocating out of state.
• a nationally recognized credential like CPPB,
  gives me that flexibility and mobility
• CPPB-Procurement Analyst
• FLORIDA

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• a validation of my skills and experience
• a demonstration of my commitment to the
  profession
• the opportunity for career mobility.
• CPPB-Education
  Officer
• MARYLAND

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• to encourage and motivate my employees
• to lead them to excellence by example.
• CPPO-Watershed Manager
• GEORGIA

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• because UPPCC Certifications are widely
  recognized in the public buying profession and
  may provide future opportunities.
• CPPBSenior Buyer
• VIRGINIA

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Why UPPCC certification?

• An ultimate goal for me. It gives me pride,
  credibility and a tremendous feeling of
  accomplishment.
• It gives me more confidence to speak more
  boldly and with authority.
• CPPOBid Contracting Coordinator
• WASHINGTON

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• one step closer to a management position.
• CPPBSenior Buyer
• ONTARIO, CANADA

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• will open many doors to positions and
  networking that will be beneficial to career
  goals and aspirations.
• It is my duty to serve as a model and encourage
  others to do the same.
• CPPBContracting Specialist
• VIRGINIA

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• Most, if not all positions in procurement prefer
  one who is certified as it assures an employer
  that one is knowledgeable in their profession.
• CPPBProcurement Manager
• SOUTH CAROLINA

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• It will greatly impact my career
• employers see this certification as evidence of
  an individual who strives to increase their
  knowledge and be current on procurement trends.
• CPPOProcurement Specialist II
• CALIFORNIA

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Why UPPCC Certification?

• UPPCC certification gives me freedom.
• It provides me the opportunity to consider
  positions in other jurisdictions, in other
  statesand in other countries.
• CPPBPurchasing Agent III
• IOWA

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• Questions ?