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FAQs
The International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM) is the union of 48 National and Regional Purchasing Associations worldwide. Within this circle, about 250,000 Purchasing Professionals can be reached.
What is the Global Standard for Professional Competence in Purchasing and Supply?
A Quality Standard for Supply Chain Educational Programs – The Global Standard sets out the mix of knowledge, learning and skills against which educational programs in purchasing and supply management of an intellectual equivalence of at least first degree equivalence level can be assessed and accredited.
Outcomes Based and Flexible – The Standard is outcomes based, and does not prescribe detailed program design, delivery or assessment but instead defines the outcomes required from the program. This means that providers can shape their programs to local demands while still meeting the requirements of the Standard.
External Objective Assessment – Assessors appointed by the Global Standard Board assess programs of an intellectual equivalence of a first degree from around the world against the Standard’s clear and transparent criteria for content, delivery and assessment.
World Recognition and Status – Programs which meet the criteria are recognised and accredited as holders of the Global Standard.
Continuous Updating – Programs are reassessed every three years to ensure that they continue to be world class and relevant to the requirements of professionals.
Who developed it?
The criteria have been developed by a Board of eminent Supply Chain Practitioners and Academics from around the world to reflect current needs of professionals wherever they operate. The standard is under continuous review to reflect changing needs of the supply chain community.
Why is the Global Standard important?
Supply Chain Professionals operate in a global market place but they gain their underpinning knowledge in many different ways using many different methodologies. How do employers know that their prospective employee’s underpinning knowledge is good enough? When a student invests time, effort and money on a program of study in supply chain management, how do they know that it will be relevant to their future needs and valued by employers?
Employers know that their staff have achieved a core level of underpinning knowledge, and that it has been effectively taught and assessed – they have an assurance that the program is of high quality and covers the key underpinning knowledge required of all purchasing and supply professionals.
Students know that the program will teach them what the procurement or supply chain industry knows they need, that they will be taught and assessed properly, and that their qualification will have status around the world
Program providers know that they are providing what industry wants and have external confirmation that their programs are relevant, effectively taught and assessed and can use the assessment process to ensure they are working to a world standard.