CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme (PEP) FAQs
Frequently asked questions about CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme (PEP)
What is the CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme?
The CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme is an independent assessment and award programme that benchmarks procurement functions against world-class procurement standards. It helps organisations measure performance, identify improvement opportunities, and demonstrate procurement excellence.
Who is the Procurement Excellence Programme for?
The programme is designed for organisations of all sizes and sectors that want to assess, benchmark, and improve their procurement and supplier management capabilities against recognised best practice standards.
What are the benefits of the Procurement Excellence Programme?
The programme develops an organisation’s journey to procurement excellence by reviewing the procurement and supplier management procedures, benchmarking the function against Global Standards and providing the fundamental building blocks to enable and develop an effective and agile procurement function.
The programme encourages an organisation to question what you do and how you do it, ensuring that procurement becomes a vital value driver and organisational influencer.
How does the Procurement Excellence Programme work?
At the start of the Programme an organisation will be assigned a CIPS senior assessor, a highly skilled procurement professional who will support and guide in collating the evidence to demonstrate an organisation’s performance against the Five Assessment Dimensions – common aspects to every business: A dedicated leadership and organisation, strategy and policy, people, processes and systems, and performance management.
What awards are available in the Procurement Excellence Programme?
The award is split into two levels:
- The Standard award programme - Demonstrates that procurement has robust and effective governance in place for supply assurance and compliance, and to enable an effective and agile procurement function.
- The Advanced award programme - Signifies how the procurement function is building increasing levels of influence, involvement, and control to accelerate procurement performance and change, and deliver greater value.
There are 4 levels of Award: Standard, Silver, Gold or Platinum
Why should my organisation pursue a Procurement Excellence Programme award?
Achieving a globally recognised CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme award demonstrates your commitment to procurement best practice, provides independent validation of performance, and helps build credibility with stakeholders, suppliers, and customers.
How long is a Procurement Excellence Programme award valid for?
Each award is valid for two years. Organisations can then be reassessed to maintain or improve their award level and continue driving procurement performance and value.
Why choose the CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme?
The CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme is the only independent, comprehensive procurement-specific assessment of its kind. It is built around globally recognised standards and provides a structured framework for continuous improvement and procurement excellence.
