CREDIBILITY THROUGH CERTIFICATION UPPCC Certification Enhancements and Trends

Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council H Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) H Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)

The UPPCC 4 Separate corporation jointly established by NIGP and NASPO in Associations appoint representatives to Council 4 Council determines all policies related to certification 4 Council appoints Board of Examiners 4 Council contracts with NIGP to administer program

Certification Levels Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)  Supervisor of public purchasers  Manager of public purchasing function Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB )  Buyer level or non-managerial or supervisory

The Value of Certification 4Credibility 4Professional Growth 4Career Advancement 4Job Requirement 4International Recognition

International Recognition l Accredited by the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM) – IFPSM is composed of 42 national member associations spread over six continents.

Current Trends ç Required for advancement ç Required in order to retain position ç More than 1384 CPPO’s have earned their designations since 1966  More than 7300 CPPB’s have earned their designation since 1979

Requisites for Certification Combination of è Formal Education è Purchasing-Related Training è Public Purchasing Work Experience

Minimum Requirements for CPPB certification l A High School diploma l Successful completion of educational coursework l Public Purchasing Experience l Successful completion of certification examination

CPPB Candidate Eligibility Schedule A H High School Diploma or GED; and H 12 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 96 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 5 years total purchasing experience which must include 3 years of public purchasing experience

CPPB Candidate Eligibility Schedule B H Associate’s Degree; and H 12 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 96 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 4 years total purchasing experience which must include 3 years of public purchasing experience

CPPB Candidate Eligibility Schedule C H Bachelor’s Degree; and H 6 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 48 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 2 years of public purchasing experience

CPPB Candidate Eligibility Schedule D H Advanced Degree (Masters or Ph.D.); and H 3 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 24 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 2 years of public purchasing experience

Minimum Requirements for CPPO Certification l Certification as a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) or bachelor’s degree l Successful completion of educational coursework l Public Purchasing experience l Managerial or supervisory experience l Successful completion of certification examination

CPPO Candidate Eligibility Schedule A H CPPB Designation; and H 18 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 144 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 8 years total purchasing experience which must include 6 years of public purchasing experience or which 3 years are in a public purchasing management function

CPPO Candidate Eligibility Schedule B H Bachelor’s Degree; and H 6 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 48 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 3 years total purchasing experience which must include 2 years of public purchasing experience managing the purchasing function

CPPO Candidate Eligibility Schedule C H Advanced Degree (Masters or Ph.D.); and H 3 college credit hours in purchasing courses or 24 contact hours in purchasing seminars; and H 3 years total purchasing experience which must include 2 years of public purchasing experience managing the purchasing function

Steps to Certification Ê Complete the application and return to UPPCC with payment and documentation: lSnail Mail lFacsimile, lElectronically Ë Upon receipt of application approval, schedule certification examination date Ì Take certification examination

Preparation for CPPB Examination CPPB Candidates are encouraged to review the body of knowledge found in many references pertinent to public procurement.

CPPB Exam Format Written examination multiple choice questions l Administrative aspects (16) l Procurement Requests (35) l Solicitation and Evaluation (40) l Supplier Analysis (16) l Negotiation Process(23)

CPPB Exam Format Written examination multiple choice questions l Contract Award and Administration (35) l External/Internal Relationships (40) l Material Flow (21) l Inventory Management (7) l Miscellaneous (7)

Preparation for CPPO Examination CPPO Candidates are encouraged to review the body of knowledge found in many references pertinent to public procurement.

CPPO Exam Format Written examination and Oral examination Written exam: 240 multiple choice questions covering both Buyer (30%) and Manager functions l Administrative aspects (24) l Personnel Issues (41) l Forecasting and Strategies (18) l Negotiation Process(20)

CPPO Exam Format Written examination multiple choice questions l Contract Award and Administration (26) l Supplier Analysis (12) l External/Internal Relationships (41) l Solicitation and Evaluation of Bids (36) l Procurement Requests (22)

CPPO Exam Format Oral examination - 33 questions before an Examining Board of 3 Peers r Understanding and application of purchasing and materials management r Experience in governmental/public organizations r Ability to communicate with peers/superiors r Recognize and respond to typical and atypical problems and situations

Maintaining Maintaining Certification l Submit a re-certification application with payment and documentation, postmarked by the end of the month, in which the designation expires: l Snail Mail l Facsimile, l Electronically l Document participation in seminars, chapter events, special projects etc. through professional development activity points l Abide by UPPCC Code of Ethics

Frequency of Re-certification five Recertification is required every five years

Points Required for Re-certification Earn activity points in 2 of 3 categories: k Membership k Professional Contributions k Education & Training 15 CPPO Candidates must earn a minimum of 15 points 10 CPPB Designees must earn a minimum of 10 points

Professional Development Opportunities Membership 4 National NIGP or NASPO membership or from qualified purchasing association (NAPM, PMAC, NAEB, NCMA) 4 Chapter Membership

Professional Development Opportunities Education and Training 4 Conferences: NIGP Forum, NASPO Conference and Collegial Association Conferences 4 Purchasing Seminars Professional Development Seminars (Not Purchasing Related) 4 Chapter Meetings

Professional Development Opportunities Contributions 4 Leadership on Boards and Committees 4 Presentations: Conference and Chapter Workshops 4 Instruction: NIGP Instructor 4 Service: Home Study Mentor

Professional Development Opportunities Contributions 4 Publications 4Articles for National and Chapter publications 4Research Manuscript for the Journal of Public Procurement 4 Awards and Recognition

Lifetime Certification Submit documentation that supports the following: H Official retirement after fifteen or more years of purchasing experience in the public sector. Written documentation of retirement must be included. Or H Candidates, sixty-two (62) or older must indicate their birth date on the re-certification application.

Latest Enhancements l Relevancy based on job analysis l Identification of specific program categories l Comprehensive rewrite of questions –True/False questions eliminated –Compound questions eliminated (A+B) –Negative questions minimized (“Except”) –Questions test knowledge of candidate rather than ability to interpret the question l Higher success rate

Latest Enhancements l CPPB and CPPO Review Guides l NIGP-Sponsored review course with pre and post test exercises l Comprehensive handbook l Re-certification documentation not required for NIGP sponsored activities

THE MYTHS 4 NIGP has a Certification Program No, the UPPCC governs the Certification Program 4 There is little value to certification More public sector jobs are requiring certification for buyer positions as well as management promotions

THE MYTHS 4 Candidates must take NIGP courses NIGP courses are recommended and account for classroom contact hours, but are not mandated 4 Candidates cannot apply for CPPO unless they supervise buyers Candidates can apply for CPPO if they manage the purchasing function; regardless of personnel supervision

THE MYTHS 4 CPPO Candidates must have a Bachelors Degree CPPO Candidates can apply without a degree if they possess the CPPB certification 4 The exam is not relevant to my job The exam is based on a 1998 comprehensive analysis of functions performed by public procurement personnel

THE MYTHS 4 I must wait until my certification is about to expire before re-certifying Re-certification applications can be submitted at any time once the required activity points are obtained

For More Information l UPPCC Certification Handbook l UPPCC website: l l Telephone: ext. 236 l Fax: