Program Overview

4. PCMP Certification Requirements

The purpose of PCMP Certification is to recognize employees who complete a specific, measurable level of training and development in procurement and contract management. The learner who has earned a PCMP Certificate has demonstrated his or her mastery of procurement and contract management competencies, and the certificate verifies and celebrates this accomplishment.

Completion of the PCMP will provide credibility and recognition for the critical role of procurement in maintaining government business operations and the competencies needed for successful on-the-job performance. The certification process is designed for those presently performing in, or aspiring to perform in procurement and contract management functions in the future.

The PCMP Certificate will also provide the basis to implement preferred selection criteria for hiring, promoting and developing staff. Ministries are encouraged to clarify and communicate preferred qualifications for ministry procurement and contract management positions and recognize PCMP Certification. Employees are encouraged to self-assess their competencies, identify a career path, and discuss their learning needs with their supervisor. Supervisors are requested to clarify performance expectations and support employees who identify PCMP Certification as necessary.

It will likely take the average learner approximately four years to complete all the program requirements to achieve PCMP certification.

To maintain certification, a graduate will be required to annually attend an update session, or participate in an appropriate Level 4 course. (Update sessions will be available November 2008.)

PCMP Certification Requirements:

1. Completion of required courses (see Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the PCMP Model)
2. Successful completion of pre-reading assignments and pre-reading quizzes for all courses except Level 1
3. Completion of pre-course assessments for all courses
4. Successful completion of post-course validations for all courses

Whether or not you are working towards certification, your progress is recorded in your online Learning Record. Your Learning Record is always available to you on the PCMP Learning Portal "My Courses" page.

Requirement #1: Completion of Required Courses

As shown in the Procurement and Contract Management Program Model, there are 13 courses in the first three levels of the program. Courses at Level 4 are generally short, executive seminars and are not required for PCMP Certification.

Requirement #2: Pre-reading Assignments and Quizzes

The PCMP is a competency-based learning model. Successful job performance depends on knowledge, skills and personal attributes. The knowledge competencies are primarily taught in the pre-reading materials.

With the exception of 110- Procurement Foundations (a self-directed course comprised of specific knowledge and skills), PCMP courses focus on skills development. Therefore, learners will be expected to have completed the pre course requirements and possess a basic competence in the materials prior to attending the instructor-led position. Without this prior knowledge component, learners may not be successful in completing the in-class course work.

Pre-reading assignments are accessed through the PCMP Learning Portal once registration in a course has been confirmed.

The pre-reading quiz is a short, multiple-choice questionnaire delivered online. The quiz checks for knowledge of the material provided in the pre-reading assignment. It is open-book and must be completed along with your pre-reading. For each question answered incorrectly, information will be provided to direct you back to the specific section in the pre-reading assignment which covered that knowledge competency. Your score will be recorded as a pass/fail. If you are unable to successfully complete the quiz in three attempts, you will be contacted to discuss additional methods by which you may be assisted to complete the assignment or directed to take a lower level course.

Requirement #3: Pre-course Assessments (PCA)

The pre-course assessment is a short, multiple-choice online questionnaire that checks your knowledge and skills relating to the materials that will be covered in the course. The pre-course assessment is taken once for each course.

Requirement #4: Post-course Validations (PCV)

All PCMP courses in Levels 1 to 3 verify learning using a post-course validation.

This validation is a comprehensive online questionnaire that checks your understanding of the knowledge and skills covered in each course. The time required to complete each PCV will vary, as the number of questions will reflect the number of key competencies included in the course.

All PCMP learning resources, including the PCMP Library, may be accessed when completing the post-course validation. For each question answered incorrectly, information will be provided to direct you to specific parts of the course or pre-reading materials which covered the competency.

If you are unable to complete the post-course validation successfully in three attempts, you may be requested to retake the course. Successful completion of this phase is required to receive credit for the course and for certification purposes.

A Word about the Evaluation of Learning:

Learning Services Branch (LSB) is committed to the evaluation of learning of all corporate learning programs supported by the Public Service Learning Fund. The implementation of pre- and post-course assessments (also called Level 2 Evaluation) is one way of measuring whether participants learned what was intended during the course. LSB is interested in the overall score comparisons between the two assessments, not individual achievement.

The PCMP Project Management Office in partnership with LSB will make every attempt to ensure each participant has a positive learning experience and is guided to the best solution for their situation. For more information on learning and evaluation please visit the Learning Services Branch website at http://www.bcpublicservice.ca/learning/learn_resources/corporate_serv_eval.htm