The Global Standard
The competency framework for the global procurement and supply profession
Together we’re raising The Standard.
A vital resource for the global procurement and supply community
The Global Standard provides a clear view of the skills, knowledge and competencies leaders and professionals need to demonstrate at all levels. Helping you plan your future with more confidence with a deeper and clearer understanding of the steps you need to take to advance.
Organisations can ensure teams and people have the right behaviours and skills to be ready to tackle challenges whatever they might be.
Together, we power change and continually raise the standard – for ourselves, for our profession and for our society.
A snapshot of the framework
This comprehensive competency framework and career development tool provides a clear view of the skills, knowledge, and competencies required at all levels in the profession, across all sectors, and anywhere in the world.
It is designed to help professionals:
- Prepare for appraisals
- Plan career development and progression
- Structure job applications
By benchmarking your individual capabilities against a globally recognised standard, we can ensure the profession remains equipped for the future.
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Explore The Global Standard
The Global Standard sets out what is expected of professionals working in different bands (or levels) within their organisation: Delivering, Managing, Leading and Influencing.
- Delivering: Operational/tactical, focused on the day to day
- Managing: Managerial, with some complexity
- Leading: Complex, with challenging requirements
- Influencing: Strategic, with a significant level of complexity and challenges
Ethics and behaviours: Ethics and behaviours are embedded into our competency standards as they should run through everything we do and how we behave.
Competency themes
Our 15 competency themes, read in any order, capture the knowledge areas and skills that everyone in our profession needs to demonstrate to deliver best practice.
They’re split into two core areas:
- Enablers – The strategies and skills that enable you to operate effectively (e.g. communication, critical thinking, developing relationships etc.)
- Practices – The application of knowledge to help you perform a skill (e.g. contract management, evaluation and improvement, sourcing etc.) Each of the competency themes is broken down into competency indicators, each with defined competency standards.
For individuals
Helps you understand what is expected of you in your role and the skills you
need to demonstrate to progress.
Using mapped useful resources for each Theme and Band you can confidently prepare for your appraisal with a continuing professional development (CPD) plan.
For Organisations
Helps you assess the effectiveness and efficiency of your teams and departments.
Provides a quality benchmark to help you in developing high-performing teams and a positive working culture.
Helps your recruitment by providing a framework for job descriptions and specifications.
How to access the standard
Are you a member? Login to MyCIPS below to access The Global Standard online
Not a member?
"For the global procurement and supply community to thrive we need to continue to raise the standard of our profession – individually and collectively. The CIPS Global Standard helps you play your role in doing exactly that."
Interested?
If you're interested in learning more about how we can help enhance your teams' capability to deliver strategic and sustainable value throughout your whole organisation, simply follow the link below and fill out a few details. We'll then be in touch to let you know how CIPS can help your team.