In May 2009, the five statewide contracting officers who made up the Purchasing Section of the Division of General Services in the State of Alaska decided it was time to take the step to become Certified Professional Public Buyers (CPPBs), following the example set by our manager and the Chief Procurement Officer. We studied hard, formed a lunchtime review group where we could quiz each other over the materials, participated in a CPPB prep course, and finally, we took the test.
Not having a local computerized testing center at the time, we had to make arrangements to take the test the old-fashioned way with #2 pencils and Scantron answer sheets under the watchful eyes of a proctor with a timer. We also had to walk uphill both ways in waist-deep snow, all while avoiding bears and errant bald eagles. (Okay, maybe that last part was a stretch, but filling out answer bubbles definitely gave us all flashbacks!)
We finished in a matter of hours and after a couple of months of nail-biting, we got the good news: we had all passed. In the years since, we haven’t looked back. Two of us have gone on to also become Certified Public Procurement Officers (CPPOs) and 2014 marked the sixth consecutive year that we were awarded the Universal Public Procurement Council’s Agency Certification Award. We are very proud of this accomplishment and display the awards prominently in our office.
So why should you consider becoming a CPPB or CPPO? Since becoming certified, we've found many reasons that would justify doing it all over again if we ever needed to. Here are the five we have found to be most compelling:
VALIDATION. As I wrote in my LinkedIn article “Of Procurement Officers and Goaltenders,” the procurement profession can often fly under the radar as a back-office function and sometimes becomes marginalized, especially under new leadership unfamiliar with the important role that procurement plays. A certification can lend authority to a procurement professional’s counsel and validate that through their experience and certification, they are well qualified to guide the agency’s purchasing function.
EMPLOYMENT. Jobs in public procurement can be highly competitive, especially as you advance in your career. Having a CPPB or CPPO can help to set you apart from others by showing that you have gone above and beyond to secure a professional certification. In some jurisdictions, having a certification is not just a bonus, but is a minimum requirement for employment in a procurement position!
JOB SECURITY. In addition to helping land a job, being certified can help to secure your position. As budgets are tightened and agencies look to their procurement function to help save money, those who have continued their education and have obtained their certification represent a valuable asset to the organization. (And just like a certification may be a minimum requirement to gain employment in the procurement field, sometimes a certification is required for promotions.)
PERSONAL CHALLENGE. Procurement in and of itself is a great, challenging profession that changes every day, but setting a goal to achieve your CPPB/CPPO and working towards it can provide a welcome extracurricular challenge. In the end, not only will you have your certification and the satisfaction that comes with it, but you also will likely have learned new things, met new people, and found new resources that you will be able to access for years to come.
NETWORKING. Becoming certified places you in a small group group of other certified procurement officials that you can reach out to as resources. As of this writing, there are 1,802 CPPO’s and 4,959 CPPB’s out there sharing similar public procurement experiences and challenges. As you come across other certificants, whether in person or through social media, having a common base of knowledge is a great start to establishing a mutually beneficial professional relationship.
Many employers and employee unions offer assistance, whether financial or otherwise, to help offset the application and testing fees and time away from the office to take the test or even to help pay for tuition towards a degree to meet certification eligibility requirements. Even if assistance is not available, taking steps on your own to secure your certification will go a long way if you plan to make a career out of public procurement.
Since 2009, we have added another contracting officer and three new buyers to our staff. Continuing the example set by our past leadership, we will support their efforts to get their certification or become eligible for certification every step of the way, not only for the value that it would bring to our organization, but to any other public purchasing organization they may join over the life of their career.