Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council UPPCC CERTIFICATION Don Buffum, CPPO UPPCC Chair Director, Procurement and Contracts Mississippi State University

UPPCC Composition Governing Board 3 members from NIGP 3 members from NASPO 1 member from Canadian Government 1 member from US Government 2 academicians NIGP & NASPO Executive Directors Board of Examiners 3 members from NIGP 3 members from NASPO 1 member each: CAPPO, FAPPO, NAEP & NPI 1 advisory member Psychometric Consultant

UPPCC Staff Program Administrator Certification Coordinator Certification Analyst Professional Testing Agency

UPPCC Certification Offerings Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) Supervisors of public purchasers/buyers Managers of public purchasing function First certificate issued in 1964 Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) Buyer-level or non-managerial or supervisory First certificate issued in 1991

Vision The vision of the UPPCC is to create a global recognition and acceptance of the CPPO and the CPPB designations as being representative of public procurement excellence.

Mission The mission of the Council is to establish and monitor the professional standards required for success in the public purchasing profession.

Current Distribution - Active Canada 212-CPPB, 71-CPPO United States 4120-CPPB, 961-CPPO Bermuda 1 CPPB Nigeria 1, CPPB, CPPO Congo 1, CPPB, CPPO Ireland 9 CPPB

Eligibility Requirements Formal Education Public Purchasing Work Experience Purchasing-Related Coursework/Training

CPPB Candidate Eligibility - Example Schedule A High School/GED 96 contact hours 5 yrs purchasing experience of which 3 yrs are public sector Schedule B Associate’s Degree 96 contact hours 4 yrs purchasing experience of which 3 years are public sector

CPPO Candidate Eligibility- Example Schedule A CPPB Certification 144 contact hours 8 yrs purchasing experience of which 3 yrs are in a public sector management function Schedule B Bachelor’s Degree 48 contact hours 3 yrs purchasing experience of which 2 yrs are in a public sector management function

Education and Training UPPCC does not provide education or training material UPPCC tests for mastery of required knowledge UPPCC accepts training from any recognized source (need proof of date, topic, hours, location)

Highlights of Changes in 2008 New Examination Content New Question Format No Oral Exam Requirement Semi-Annual Computer-Based Exams October testing May testing

Job Analysis Purpose – To determine the Body of Knowledge that is vital to all in Public Procurement Over 1,800 responses received How important is the performance of the task in your position? How important is the knowledge/skill in your position?

Job Survey - Strong agreement from all sectors Responses from Canada - 93 Alberta – 21 British Columbia – 11 Manitoba – 3 Newfoundland and Labrador – 0 New Brunswick – 6 Northwest Territories – 1 Nova Scotia – 3 Nunavut – 0 Ontario – 41 Prince Edward Island – 0 Quebec – 4 Saskatchewan – 3

New Exam Content Based on the Body of Knowledge Testing on the Knowledge and Tasks identified by professionals as the keys to success

New Exam Format Situational Questions Higher-cognitive level 175 multiple choice questions, 4 options 3.5 hours of testing, no scheduled break

Example of Test Specifications The examination will have 175 questions - Those 175 questions will address 10 domain areas distributed as follows: - Administration Aspects of Purchasing - 15% - Procurement Requests - 8% - Solicitation and Evaluation of Bids/Proposals - 10% - Supplier Analysis - 7%

Test Specification – Cont. - Negotiation Process - 8% - Contract Award and Administration - 10% - External/Internal Relationships - 15% - Materials Management - 3% - Human Resources/Personnel - 14% - Forecasting and Strategies – 10%

Sample test specifications For the domain area VI: Contract Award and Administration, 10% of the total exam will test on this domain area. Of the total number of question for this domain area, 30% of them must be recall and 70% must be application.

Sample Test Spec – Cont. Questions appearing on the CPPO exam for Contract Award and Administration must test a candidates knowledge of the following areas as it relates to the domain area:

Areas to test A. elements of a contract B. contractual documentation preparation C. Award recommendation process D. contractual approval process E. contract management

Areas to test – cont. F. contractual problems and resolutions G. follow up procedures and expediting H. supplier claims and appeals process I. contract modifications J. contract termination

Umbrella of knowledge applicable to all in public procurement