Scottish procurement and commercial competency framework

People (Who)

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

Self-Development [back to list]

Theme:

Self-development focuses on self-awareness, accountability, awareness, and understanding of best practice, a willingness to develop skills and knowledge, and continuous professional development.

Why it matters:

Any procurement professional has an obligation to take responsibility and ownership for performance enhancement. They should have a focus on: self-awareness including identifying strengths, weaknesses and areas for development; accountability for their own behaviour, deliverables, health and wellbeing; an awareness and understanding of current and evolving best practice; a willingness to develop skills or knowledge required; and a commitment to continuous professional development.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Works with others as part of a team, develops self-awareness of the environment and people around them, can change with appropriate guidance, while also questioning and suggesting changes and improvements.
• Maintains a position of professional honesty and integrity.
• Commits to personal development, including embracing the opportunity for training, education, and continuous professional development.

Global Standards: APM: Capability development (1 Aware)

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Embraces change in a positive manner, encouraging commitment and contribution to the process.
• Promotes best practice, valuing diversity, and working with others to develop shared understandings.
• Ensures commitment to training and education programmes.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Delivering, 6 Delivering, Learning & Development: Delivering, APM: Capability development (2 Practised), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (1)

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Maintains, promotes, and evaluates personal and professional integrity that furthers the aims of the organisation.
• Promotes and engages in best practice for diversity and cultural differences by creating advice and guidance for internal stakeholders.
• Motivates colleagues to engage in continuous professional development, linked to performance objectives and outcomes.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Managing, 6 Managing, Learning & Development: Managing, APM: Capability development (3 Competent), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (2)

Level 4 – Expert:

• Develops professional and self-development opportunities at a senior level to implement a culture of personal accountability, self-management, and self-awareness.
• Effective communicator applying skills to coaching and mentoring and actively sharing knowledge.
• Applies management by results to continuous professional development programmes across sectors, to build professional skills and people.

Global Standards: CIPS: 6 Leading, Learning & Development: Leading, APM: Capability development (4 Proficient), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (3)

Level 5 – Leader:

• Develops and promotes a culture of self-management, self-awareness, and the ability to take personal responsibility.
• Leads by example on continuing professional development, seeking opportunities to represent the organisation in externally facing activities that positively support the profession, market, and sector.
• Supports and proactively encourages the personal and professional development of others, to enhance their personal and organisational performance.

Global Standards: CIPS: 6 Influencing, Learning & Development: Influencing, APM: Capability development (5 Expert), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (4)

Managing High Performance Teams [back to list]

Theme:

Managing High Performance Teams is central to the enhanced performance of procurement and supply activities. Using a range of factors to create a positive and enabling culture or environment in which procurement professionals can thrive.

Why it matters:

Managing High Performance Teams is an important factor in developing effective and high-level performance. Creating a positive and enabling culture or environment in which procurement professionals can thrive helps to shape the behaviours of the team. It supports empowerment, enables effective challenge, facilitates creativity, and promotes effective team dynamics. Managing high performance teams helps to boost morale, motivation, performance, and reward.

Level 1- Foundation:

• A team player who demonstrates an awareness of participating in and supporting the team activities.
• Contributes to meetings and able to make decisions that affect their own work, while collaborating where work affects others.

Global Standards: APM: Team management (1 Aware)

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Sets objectives, delegates, encourages engagement and input to making key decisions, and manages performance.
• Understands and supports cross–functional working.
• Supports individual team members, coaches and mentors, and deals with conflict.

Global Standards: CIPS: 2 Delivering, 3 Managing, 6 Delivering, Developing Relationships: Delivering, APM: Team management (2 Practised), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (1)

Level 3: Practitioner:

• An experienced leader and manager; defines team success, delegates effectively, and shares success across the team.
• Proactively enables cross–function working, carefully considering the perspectives of others.
• Encourages open dialogue within the team, creates a team identity and coherence, gains commitment, and manages team conflicts.

Global Standards: CIPS: 2 Managing, 3 Managing, 6 Managing, developing Relationships: Managing, APM: Team management (3 Competent), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (2)

Level 4 – Expert:

• Significant experience of using strong, successful, leadership to drive high performance from teams; sets challenging, but fair, objectives rewarding and recognising success.
• Encourages commitment in others and empowers effective cohesion within the team.
• Emotionally intelligent, demonstrating a deep understanding of their own and others’ emotions.

Global Standards: CIPS: 2 Leading, 3 Leading, 6 Leading, Developing Relationships: Leading, APM: Team management (4 Proficient), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (3)

Level 5 – Leader:

• Leads the procurement function by evaluating external and internal factors on performance and effectively resourcing the team.
• Fosters a culture of cross–functional working.
• Adopts and promotes behaviours for the successful implementation of change and continuous improvement, inspiring colleagues and others to adopt new plans and strategies.

Global Standards: CIPS: 2 Influencing, 3 Influencing, 9 Influencing, Developing Relationships: Delivering, APM: Team management (5 Expert), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (4)

Leading and Influencing [back to list]

Theme:

Uses an articulate, clear, achievable, and compelling vision, which sets out the direction and plans for the procurement function. Promotes collaborative working and able to respond creatively to tough challenges. Actively manages authorising environment, making connections across boundaries to build strong networks and partnerships. Adapts quickly to changing circumstances and expectations adopting a range of influencing styles.

Why it matters:

Leading and influencing projects, teams, and key stakeholders is an important attribute of procurement professionals in ensuring best value. It is critical that procurement professionals can influence a wider range of stakeholders in order to gain acceptance to plans and advice. This enables delivery against the policy objectives and interests locally and nationally.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Ensures constructive communications with customers and suppliers generates a positive view of the service and organisation.
• Provides feedback to help continuously improve the service, team or organisation.

Global Standards: APM: Leadership (1 Aware)

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Supports and works with colleagues to align the work of the team with the delivery of the organisation’s objectives.
• Evaluates and implements tactical approaches, using input from others and influence procedural changes.
• Leads by example, championing professionalism, appropriate culture and behaviour in others.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Delivering, 6 Delivering, Ethics: Delivering, Critical Thinking: Delivering, APM: Leadership (2 Practised), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Organisational Performance; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (1)

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Plans, leads, prioritises, and delegates work responsibilities.
• Identifies the skills required within the team to deliver on the business plan, including those required to progress towards more senior leadership.
• Promotes challenging messages through effective communications and measures the impact and nature of the response.
• Encourages others to participate in the process of change and contributes to clear plans for change activities.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Managing, 6 Managing, Critical Thinking: Managing, APM: Leadership (3 Competent), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Organisational Performance; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (2)

Level 4 – Expert:

• Demonstrates inspirational and influential leader skills, in directing and managing senior staff, and supporting decision making in the procurement function.
• Leads projects, explores innovation in procurement practice, and contributes to the development of the procurement body of knowledge.
• Applies diplomacy to calmly resolve challenging or complex issues across different teams or work groups.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Leading, 6 Leading, Critical Thinking: Leading, APM: Leadership (4 Proficient), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Organisational Performance; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (3)

Level 5 – Leader:

• Leads effective, inspirational change, and facilitates and develops a culture of best procurement practice and innovation.
• Represents the function on boards and committees.
• Leads transformation to meet national policy objectives and deliver value for Scotland and contributes domestically and internationally.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Influencing, 6 Influencing, Ethics: Influencing, Critical Thinking: Influencing, APM: Leadership (5 Expert), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence; Organisational Performance; Being an Ethical and Inclusive Leader (4)

Stakeholder Relationships [back to list]

Theme:

Manages internal and external relationships with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, creating positive networks and maintaining trust and credibility.

Why it matters:

Gaining an in-depth understanding of complex customer and stakeholder requirements, managing expectations through a controlled process. Able to identify situations and interactions where specific relationship management methods may be applied that raises the profile of the contribution of procurement. Managing stakeholder relationships helps to ensure creditability, buy in, and support.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Supports the relationship management of suppliers and stakeholders under guidance.

Global Standards: APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (1 Aware)

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Works with stakeholders involved in the procurement and supply process to achieve value for money outcomes for the function.
• Advises stakeholders on the interpretation of procedures for procurement and supply.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders, to monitor their understanding and compliance with requirements, advising them on procurement and supply issues including those that impact on budgets.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Managing, 6 Managing, Developing Relationships: Managing, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (3 Competent), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence (2)

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Develops and maintains strong relationships with key suppliers and stakeholders to promote effective procurement and supply.
• Promotes the work of procurement and supply from a position of influence to motivate colleagues and internal stakeholders.
• Develops strategies and policies, representing the procurement and supply function when liaising with stakeholders, to develop the supply chain and supply networks.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Managing, 6 Managing, Developing Relationships: Managing, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (3 Competent), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence (2)

Level 4 – Expert:

• Builds effective relationships with senior stakeholders and suppliers which are constructive and appropriate for their purpose, and manages expectations.
• Identifies a range of situations for providing consulting and counselling advice.
• Adopts the appropriate interpersonal style, using negotiation strategies, or providing consulting and counselling advice.
• Evaluates stakeholder plans to achieve effective procurement and supply chain management and creates communication plans to achieve buy in for procurement plans.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Leading, 6 Leading, Developing Relationships: Leading, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (4 Proficient), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence (3)

Level 5 – Leader:

• Creates a culture of exceptional stakeholder management, leads and drives philosophies to increase value from stakeholders’ relationships for mutual benefit to the supply chain.
• Plans for the adoption of stakeholder relationship strategies, promotes their use by all internal stakeholders, gaining personal commitment to success.
• Delivers innovative solutions that contribute to operational excellence and continuous improvement across all facets of the supply chain.
• Defines and manages the benefits and risks impacting relationship management, delivers a transparent stakeholder relationship with key suppliers, through open dialogue, to enable win–win strategies, giving an understanding of geopolitical bias and influence that partners have on customers.
• Networks with government and industry to deliver best practice.

Global Standards: CIPS: 3 Influencing, 6 Influencing, developing Relationships: Influencing, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (5 Expert), CMI: Personal Effectiveness; Interpersonal Excellence (4)

Communications [back to list]

Theme:

Effective, articulate, and competent handling of all written, verbal and electronic forms of internal and external communication. Contributes to, and develops, clear, creative, and compelling communication strategies and content to enable corporate/programme outcomes. Creates simplicity out of complexity.

Why it matters:

Communicating effectively is an essential attribute of a procurement and supply professional. Creating simplicity out of complexity aids understanding and buy in, facilitates efficiency in the process, and ultimately delivers better outcomes and results. Effective communication helps to build the credibility of an individual or organisation, raising the profile of the contribution of procurement. It can help to reduce the burden on suppliers when tendering for public procurement opportunities.

Level 1 – Foundation:

• Creates well written correspondence on behalf of the team under guidance.
• Uses multiple communication methods.

Global Standards: APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (1 Aware)

Level 2 – Working Knowledge:

• Effective communicator, prepares documents, and understands the importance of well-written and presented information.
• Active listening skills and responds appropriately, engages and interacts in discussions and inputs when required.
• Shares appropriate work-related information, presenting correct data in an effective, timely, targeted, and meaningful way.

Global Standards: CIPS: 1 Delivering, 3 Delivering, 6 Delivering, 13 Delivering, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (2 Practised), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (1)

Level 3 – Practitioner:

• Effective presenter who can read audience behaviour and position and adapt style accordingly.
• Knows when to listen and able to ask questions to clarify understanding through responses.
• Communicates clearly and effectively in a well-organised manner, including well-written communications requiring limited verification and persuades others on the arguments.
• Identifies and maintains information flows and contact with colleagues who depend on, or who influence, their work.

Global Standards: CIPS: 1 Managing, 3 Managing, 6 Managing, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (3 Competent), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (2)

Level 4 – Expert:

• Presents clearly and confidently to a range of audiences at all levels across the organisation, adapting delivery and communications style to audience needs.
• Understands when to lead on communications and when to participate, while also encouraging others to engage effectively and appropriately.
• Presents well-structured and precise information and uses clear written communications, including for use by senior managers.
• Provides timely and relevant information to customers and stakeholders to use in their own processes.

Global Standards: CIPS: 1 Leading, 3 Leading, 6 Leading, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (4 Proficient), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (3)

Level 5 – Leader:

• Uses impactful communications to embed change management principles and confidently sell a long-term vision.
• A consummate communicator who adapts to participants at all levels, including high-level discussions, listening to arguments, recognising merits, flaws, and issues.
• Continually fosters and encourages new and different ways of communications.
• Expert use of language in written communications that impact on strategic operations or influence the direction of public procurement activity, at all levels across the public sector in Scotland.

Global Standards: CIPS: 1. Influencing, 3 Influencing, 6 Influencing, APM: Stakeholder engagement and communication management (5 Expert), CMI: Personal Effectiveness (4)