Scottish procurement and commercial competency framework

Performance (What)

Competencies through Planning, Implementation and Delivery (Pre-Market Engagement and Post-Market Contract and Supply Chain Management)

Performance Management and Measurement [back to list]

Theme:

Performance Management and Measurement ensures qualitative and quantitative measurements of inputs and outputs (Key Performance Indicators) are undertaken, with a view to putting in place improvement plans with suppliers and key stakeholders.

Why it matters:

Performance Management and Measurement is a tangible way of managing the outputs, deliverables, and key performance indicators of projects, contracts, and organisational performance. It addresses non-compliance issues effectively or identifies and informs continuous improvement opportunities for increased value for money, innovation, and decreased risk.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Supports performance monitoring under guidance, through collecting and collating data for contracts or departmental reporting.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Actively monitors both department and supplier based key performance indicators and identifies under or over performance, reporting on these with recommendations for improvement.
• Manages performance measurement of low-value and low-risk projects or procurements.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Delivering, 10 Delivering

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Manages the development of appropriate key performance indicators for suppliers and tracks them effectively.
• Responsible for individual and team based key performance indicators, monitoring them for higher value, more complex projects and programmes.
• Creates improvement plans when corrective action is needed.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Managing

Level 4 – Expert:

• Leads on specifying targets and key performance indicators at an organisational level, identifying and negotiating milestones, monitoring performance, and resolving difficulties through negotiation to improve performance.
• Establishes metrics for tracking the direct benefits of performance and informing senior management of outcomes.
• Ensures that factors of performance management are implemented into the agreed procurement strategy objectives and cascaded throughout the organisation.
• Measures performance against targets and recommend corrective actions, applying this information in reports for senior management.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Leading

Level 5 – Leader:

• Drives and endorses performance management practice at an organisational level through developing the procurement strategy, setting targets and indicators, identifying and negotiating milestones, and monitoring performance.
• Shapes the process methodology in line with corporate procurement strategy, providing a strong focus on quality, on-time delivery of procurement activity, and reports on these elements to senior management.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Influencing

Continuous Improvement [back to list]

Theme:

Continuous Improvement aims to support the continuous improvement of the effectiveness, efficiency, and performance of a procurement organisation, project, contract, or supplier. The competency covers the understanding, development, and embedding of strategies, methodologies, and ways of working to achieve these aims.

Why it matters:

This should be of fundamental concern to the procurement organisation. Using appropriate continuous improvement methodologies to embed problem identification, root cause analysis, opportunities assessment, and options appraisals can lead to significant cost and public value benefit realisation. Keeping abreast of current thinking around continuous improvement is essential.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Collects data and monitors performance to identify problems relating to defective procurement processes and practice.

Global Standards: None

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Monitors compliance with current practice and identifies areas where performance could be improved.
• Implements SMART targets for performance improvements, in a range of situations, with suppliers and key stakeholders.
• Evaluates lessons learned and shares knowledge to improve learning for self and others involved.

Global Standards: CIPS: 10 Delivering, Learning & Development: Delivering, CMI: Organisational Performance (1)

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Collaborates with suppliers and other stakeholders to review ways of working, internal and external stakeholder engagement, and identify ways for improving the effectiveness of supply chains.
• Delivers change by setting up forums and mechanisms for continuous feedback and frequently reviewing recommendations for improvement.
• Corrects and improves performance through creating and implementing improvement plans in a range of commodity, function, or project areas.
• Identifies, celebrates, and shares news of good practices and enhancements to process, efficiency, and services.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Managing, 10 Managing, Learning & Development: Managing, CMI: Organisational Performance (2)

Level 4 – Expert:

• Implements planned continuous improvement programmes, demonstrating improvements in the cost, quality, and delivery of purchased goods, services or works.
• Devises root cause analysis to evaluate problems experienced and apply strategic methods for the development of improvement plans.
• Researches and creates benchmarks of processes or performance of the organisation’s supply chain.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Leading, 10 Leading, Learning & Development: Leading, CMI: Organisational Performance (3)

Level 5 – Leader:

• Develops a culture of continuous improvement aligned to organisational and national objectives, following developments in markets, supply chains, and businesses to drive improvement methodologies.
• Leads strategic programmes for the improvement of procurement and supply chain issues nationally.

Global Standards: CIPS: 9 Influencing, 10 Influencing, Learning & Development: Influencing, CMI: Organisational Performance (4)