Home > About CIPS > Volunteering and engaging

Volunteering and engaging

Help shape the future of the purchasing and supply profession

As a professional institute we are governed by our members. We rely on volunteers who have the skills, experience and commitment to run the institute on behalf of our wider membership.

There are many opportunities to get involved, and it gives you the opportunity to shape the future of our industry as well as offering networking opportunities.

Email us at info@cips.org or if you are in Southern Africa email infosa@cips.org

Influence strategy and management

Influence our direction and activities by getting involved in our governance

Our senior governing body, the Council is responsible for setting our overall strategic direction of the institute. It is composed of a majority of elected members and a minority of appointed members. Members are elected via a ballot of the corporate members. The term of office is three years, renewable once.  Any corporate member can stand for election.

Other seats on the Council represent 12 sectoral groups - construction, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, local government, utilities, transport, telecom and IT, education, business services and emerging sectors. These groups elect their own representatives.

Our Board of Management is responsible for managing our operations and works closely with our secretariat at Easton House. The term of office for a board member is 3 years, unless they are appointed to one of the Honorary Officers posts, in which case the total commitment can extend to 8 years.

The Appointments Board is another sub-committee of the Council.  Its role is to select suitable members from a list of volunteers and is responsible for the operation of our Fellowship Selection Panel.

Find out more about our governance structure

Provide expert advice and opinion

Share your experience with purchasing and supply community

There are many ways to get involved with CIPS and our membership network to impart your knowledge and experience

  • Join our discussion forums at cips.org and help out your peers with their burning questions
  • Find us on LinkedIn to share best practices in the purchasing and supply community to help CIPS tap into the latest practices and thinking
  • Become an expert on our ‘Ask the Expert Panel’. Join other members who help CIPS answer our members problems and concerns. To join for find out more, e-mail web@cips.org
  • Join one of our groups of industry experts.

Our groups provide valuable advice and input in a number of ways:

  • Capture relevant issues in their areas of expertise
  • Provide guidance on technical issues
  • Give us their opinions on surveys, research and consultations
  • Help to establish and promote best practice
  • Assist in the development and review of new products and guidance materials
  • Represent CIPS at events and networking opportunities.

Find out more about our groups

Get involved with your local branch

Discover many opportunities to get involved at your local branch.

Help to improve industry standards

Improve industry standards by getting involved in education

Examiners

We regularly appoint examiners from both the academic and practitioner fields to serve on our 3 assessment panels. Appointments are made on annual basis, the posts are part-time and each activity undertaken attracts a fee.

The main duties include:

  • Setting and verifying our examination question papers
  • Marking and moderating candidates' scripts
  • Providing feedback reports to students on their performance and in response to candidate appeals
  • Contributing to maintaining up-to-date syllabuses

 

Syllabus reviews

We regularly review and evaluate our syllabuses to ensure that our qualifications reflect current best practice to maintain relevance and credibility, and to meet the needs of industry.

Issues identified for review must have a broad consensus of opinion from our interest groups which include: examiners; academics; employers and other professional practitioners; students; tutors at FE/HE colleges and consultants. Volunteers are always welcome from these various interest groups.

Every effort is made to encompass the views of all interest groups when identifying issues and when consulting and seeking feedback to potential 'solutions'.

Lecturing

Local colleges are always looking for individuals to lecture on a part time basis, particularly on specialist subjects.  A teaching qualification is not necessary, although you may be encouraged to work towards one.

Inspire people into the profession

David Smith's Presidential Theme

The Presidential Theme for 2011/12 is the importance of sustaining the future of the profession by encouraging people of all ages and background to consider a future role in the Procurement and Supply profession, in the public, private and third sectors.

David Smith addressed members this year with a challenge.  At CIPS, we believe that one way to be a better professional is to better the profession.  The more you put in, the more you’ll get out.  It doesn’t have to be hard to make a difference.  Be inspired and inspire others - find out how to get involved.