Scottish procurement and commercial competency framework

Process (How): Planning- Pre-Market Engagement

Alternative Routes to Market [back to list]

Theme:

There are several potential routes to market particularly suited to major, unique, or complex procurements and/or longer-term programmes. It includes consideration of early market engagement with suppliers, to determine alternative options and the art of the possible i.e. competitive dialogue, innovative partnerships, dynamic purchasing, and single source options.

Why it matters:

For large-scale complex projects should be limited in use but continuously explored. They benefit public projects allowing for ideas, innovation, and strong stakeholder engagement to meet complex or bespoke client needs where market solutions may not be evident, or where technology or markets are constantly changing and evolving.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Undertakes research and analysis to support teams to identify the best routes to market.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Conducts research and analysis, to support decision-making on the best route to market for specific procurements and assists in completing relevant documentation.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Delivering

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Selects elements of alternative routes to market in line with agreed project plans, activities, and timelines, on an exception rather than the rule basis.
• Advises on data, support, supply base, and supply chain analysis to assess the markets in advance of talking to suppliers.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Managing

Level 4 – Expert:

• Under delegated authority leads on specialist routes to market procurements for large-scale projects, including establishing baselines, key stakeholder engagement strategies, and applies the correct process to commence the procurement.
• Applies regulations and ensures the approach taken is open, transparent, and fair.
• In competitive dialogues ensures timelines are structured to manage cost and time effectively, preventing restrictions for key participants.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Leading

Level 5 – Leader:

• Defines and influences the organisation’s approach, position, and policy for the use of specialist routes to market for large-scale complex projects, ensuring alignment and compliance with legislation.
• Shapes innovative approaches to specification development and procurement engagement with stakeholders, putting in place processes for ensuring the appropriate number of suppliers are included in the dialogue and managing the cost of bidding.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Influencing

Analysis and Use of Evidence [back to list]

Theme:

Understanding, sourcing, analysing, and interpreting information (qualitative and/or quantitative) to make evidence-based recommendations and decisions. Some examples of information gathered and analysed may be spend data (both current and historical, contract compliance, price variations, costs, competitiveness, and sources of spend), external market conditions (and how they impact supply, demand, capability, flexibility, and economic approach) and responses to consultations and other requests for information.

Why it matters:

Analysis and use of evidence allows evidence-based decision making for procurement strategies, policies and achieving value for money outcomes in procurement delivery. It helps procurement to make better recommendations that will drive cost, value, efficiency and other benefits. Highlights opportunities for collaboration and other targeted procurement-related initiatives. Can also be applied to monitoring the impact of mergers, acquisitions and other changes in the market and supply chain, recommending robust responses based on sound analysis.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Supports research, and contributes to information collection and analysis under supervision.
• Under guidance can identify a range of social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legislative, and ethical elements in the evidence that has been gathered.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Researches and collates information under own initiative, recognising trends and market forces if present, and makes use of the information to prepare assessments, proposals, scorecards, budgets or other reports.
• Interrogates analytical and management information to draw out key messages and findings to support decisions, including an awareness of legislative requirements, good commercial practice and sustainability objectives.
• Presents conclusions when given evidence and is able describe the relative strengths and weaknesses of evidence to confidently make good decisions. When data is insufficient, can also identify and resolves problems in collaboration with specialists.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Delivering, 14 Delivering

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Actively monitors relevant sources of information, organising and collating robust evidence to inform decision making. Shares knowledge and information across the wider system and considers the impact on other projects, policies and outcomes.
• Weighs up information from various sources, analyses options, manages trade-offs to mitigate risks, and engages with analytical specialists at appropriate stages of procurement delivery, policy or programme development.
• Can present reasonable conclusions, clearly and proportionately, based on a wide range of data and incomplete or complex evidence, and is able to act or decide when details are not clear. Provides advice and guidance to others.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Managing, 14 Managing

Level 4 – Expert:

• Gathers, analyses, and interprets data and evidence from across own area of responsibility and makes sound judgements on complex or complicated information, while challenging the risks and improving assurance on decisions.
• Advises others on their approaches to gathering, analysing and making use of evidence, identifying and developing good practice approaches. Engages with colleagues and others to improve their capability.
• Applies a deep knowledge about a range of market or supply chain aspects to analyse complex information with a commercial focus, achieving innovative solutions and improved outcomes through robust gathering, analysis and use of evidence.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Leading, 14 Leading

Level 5 – Leader:

• Creates a culture within the organisation that encourages sound information gathering, robust validation and analysis of data and evidence-based decision making.
• Leads on, and promotes, good practice in sourcing, analysing and making use of data and information across the organisation, working collaboratively on driving change in approaches to improving commercial outcomes.
• Leads the adoption of innovative data analysis techniques to improve decision-making and procurement outcomes.

Global Standards: CIPS: 8 Influencing, 9 Influencing, 12 Influencing, 14 Influencing

Commodity, Supplier, and Supply Chain Market Profiling [back to list]

Theme:

Analysing the current and future value of commodities, suppliers and supply chains to assess risks, opportunities and strategic importance to make informed decisions about commodities, prices, availability, design constructs, technology roadmaps, and overall market and supply chain capability.

Why it matters:

Commodity, supplier, and supply chain market profiling is a critical aspect of procurement and supply chain management, enabling an organisation to establish a full understanding of the potential value to be derived from commodities and/or markets to support decision making on commodities, consolidation of commodity spend, availability of commodities, and associated market risks involved in their acquisition.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Has an awareness and understanding of profiling concepts and can follow procedures using guidance and templates based on the appropriate route of the Procurement Journey and other activities to support commodity management.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Applies an understanding of the specific nature of commodity features, supply chain profiling, and market research to identify opportunities, support commodity strategies, and offer solutions to commodity specific market challenges.
• Considers community benefits, SMEs, social responsibility, sustainability impacts, and the need to include a question on fair work practices as part of a competition.

Global Standards: CIPS: 12 Delivering, 13 Delivering

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Applies experience to identify different approaches to the market and leads the management of specific commodities/services.
• Applies significant experience of supply chain profiling to understand industry cost models and pricing structures, and recommends approaches for optimal success.
• Applies demand management, including possible alternatives that will reduce demand.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Managing

Level 4 - Expert:

• Fully knowledgeable, with technical and commercial experience on a range of commodities/services.
• Applies awareness of industry cost models, funding structures, and corporate development, using information proactively to develop robust strategies, targeted to exploit market conditions.
• Applies market expertise to ensuring volatilities of commodities and currencies in the supply chain are understood and mitigated appropriately.
• Escalates key issues arising to senior management professionally.

Global Standards: CIPS: 12 Leading, 13 Leading, 14 Leading

Level 5 – Leader:

• Leads and is accountable for the development of complex cross-cutting commercial activity; including identification of commodity strategies, seeking opportunities for value for money nationally by creating, developing and managing markets.
• Leverages opportunities for consolidated spend on a local and national level, ensuring risks are identified and mitigated.
• Manages escalation of issues, challenges, and significant risks associated with commodity strategies.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Influencing, 12 Influencing

Specification Development [back to list]

Theme:

Process of defining the technical, functional and performance requirements of the goods, services and works to be purchased to ensure the procurement meets the organisation’s business needs, quality standards and regulatory compliance while optimising the supplier selection and cost.

Why it matters:

Successful specification development depends on understanding the needs of the customer. Early market engagement is critical to understanding current and evolving market capability regarding products, services, and any technology, to find flexible or innovative solutions. Failure to develop the correct specification can cause significant risks and have a negative impact on delivery outcomes.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Utilises predetermined specifications developed by others.
• Understands basic specifications to ensure clear and objective statements.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Undertakes or validates market research to provide information and analysis to support intelligent clients and develop, or clarify, specifications for low risk and/or value procurements.
• Utilises early engagement and best practice in line with the organisation’s and national policies, compliance, and regulations.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Delivering

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Develops and influences high-value, complex specifications, at category or portfolio level, to ensure they support business needs.
• Engages with similar organisations and/or private sector businesses to develop and advise on specifications.
• Works with intelligent clients to understand requirements, while working with suppliers to understand capability, capacity, and suitability to supply.
• Implements appropriate working arrangements for early market engagement and supplier development.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Managing

Level 4 – Expert:

• Applies expert market knowledge in categories and portfolios, to influence the supply market.
• Leads on and establishes good practice in the development of high-value, complex specifications, driving innovation, while ensuring specifications align to the organisation’s and national policies, governance, and regulations.
• Advises, assists and supports the development of major, complex infrastructure, or capital-related specifications.
• Ensures the appropriate risk requirements are understood and managed through the development of specifications in their area of responsibility.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Leading

Level 5 – Leader:

• Leads and defines the development of major, complex infrastructure, or capital-related specifications.
• Works cross-functionally and across specialisms to create innovative, future-proofed life cycle specifications.
• Leads the development and implementation of specification strategies, ensuring alignment with national policies and governance frameworks.

Global Standards: CIPS: 8 Influencing, 13 Influencing

Building Tender Documents [back to list]

Theme:

Preparing tender documents that clearly outline the business/customer requirements, tender evaluation criteria, pricing requirements, instruction to tender, and terms and conditions that will be applied. The documents outline a timeframe for the entire tender process.

Why it matters:

Ensuring all documents are aligned and key stakeholders are engaged in clearly articulating tender requirements is critical to successful procurements.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Understands and supports the preparation of tender documents, using guidance and templates based on the appropriate route of the Procurement Journey.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Drafts tender documents, using guidance and templates based on the appropriate route of the Procurement Journey.
• Understands the differences between selection and award criteria and demonstrates the correct application of these in the tender documents, to deliver value for money.
• Applies the Single Procurement Document (SPD) and adapts tender documents to suit Procurement Journey routes in line with appropriate legal and policy procedures.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Delivering

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Develops complex tailored tender documents defining the sourcing approach for complex commodities and other associated programmes.
• Creates recommendations for sourcing approaches and how this may affect the procurement process and tender documentation.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Managing

Level 4 – Expert:

• Establishes best practice guidance and advice on the entire tender process, evaluates the best sourcing approaches for complex, high-value, high-risk procurements.
• Ensures all tender documents meet compliance and transparency standards, minimising risk of legal challenge or reputational damage.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Leading

Level 5 – Leader:

• Defines and influences tender strategies and policies at an organisational level ensuring that the organisation is compliant and transparent.
• Endorses strategies and or key documents according to local governance practices.
• Demonstrates expertise on specific categories, resulting in market leading/innovative solutions.

Global Standards: CIPS: 13 Influencing