CIPS - Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply course syllabus.

Category: Procurement

Level: Intermediate

The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply is a vocationally related qualification. It is recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual), CCEA Regulation and Qualifications Wales in the UK and appears on the Register of Regulated Qualifications. The qualification accreditation number is 603/3924/X.

It is designed as a follow on from the CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations as learners are expected to develop, use and apply the professional language and skill sets introduced at Level 3. Individuals will be working at the Operational, but moving towards the Managerial level of the CIPS Global Standard for Procurement and Supply Competency Framework and will develop skills and knowledge in key areas of procurement and supply including defining the needs of their business, commercial contracting and negotiation, and managing supplier relationships.

The CIPS approach to learning is based around that which bring together knowledge and understanding (the cognitive domain) with practical and technical skills (the psychomotor domain). In essence, CIPS qualifications are designed to facilitate a level of learning rigour and balance that promotes the skills to contextually apply knowledge and learning to enhance organisational and personal performance.

The CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply is developed as a step up from that in the CIPS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations but also as a stepping stone to study on the CIPS Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Procurement and Supply.

The CIPS Level 4 Diploma in procurement and supply offers the most common entry route to the profession and should be used by learners to develop a professional tool box which learners can apply in the practical environment and further develop at levels 5 and 6. In this way successful learners will possess transferable workplace skills, developing their operational and tactical abilities as they strive for managerial roles and responsibilities.

Developed in close collaboration with practitioners, employers and academic specialists in Procurement and Supply, and with the providers who will be delivering the qualifications, the CIPS Level 4 Diploma in Procurement and Supply is designed to develop transferable workplace skills, such as good communication and the ability to work in a team and planning and completing tasks to high standards all of which enable the learner to add value to the organisation. It is aimed at those members of the profession who have procurement and supply activity at the heart of their role.

Scope and Influence of Procurement and Supply

Defining Business Need

Commercial Contracting

Ethical and Responsible Sourcing

Commercial Negotiation

Supplier Relationships

Whole Life Asset Management

Procurement and Supply in Practice

All exams for this qualification are computer-based.

Objective Response exam format (OR)

These questions allow you to select a response from a list of possible answers. You will find these types of exams across all our qualifications levels; they are marked by computer and then moderated by CIPS examiners.

For Objective Response exams the pass mark is 70%.

Constructed Response exam format (CR)

These questions require you to create, or construct, a response to the question, such as an essay or case study. You will find this type of exam in our diploma level qualifications and they will be marked by subject expert examiners.

For Constructed Response exams are graded:

50% Pass

60% Merit

75% Distinction