The Management Entry Route (MER) is an assessed route to full membership utilising a method of analysing an applicant’s experience and responsibilities throughout their career to identify what learning needs, if any, will have to be fulfilled before the individual can attain full membership status. MER is designed for senior purchasing professionals, in upper management roles, with several years experience at that level.

If you are interested in progressing to full membership of CIPS through MER, you need to provide us with the required documents to enable CIPS to conduct an initial assessment as to your suitability/ eligibility for this route.

Documents required to start with the process is as follows:

Step 1
To start the process you should join CIPS as an Affiliate member (if you are not one already).

Step 2
Then you have to provide us with:

a.   A copy of your CV that clearly demonstrates the extent of your experience within supply chain management

b.   A copy of your current job description,

c.   Organisation chart and

d.   A line manager’s supporting letter and cover letter

Step 3
If we determine that this is an appropriate route for you to gain MCIPS, the next stage is for you to complete an online questionnaire which is designed to assess your technical and professional competencies that enables us to build an individual profile of your knowledge and experience against the benchmark for MCIPS. Your results will be benchmarked against data held from more than 7,000 procurement professionals. If you meet the required benchmark, you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the process. 

Step 4
A structured telephone interview which takes around one hour is pre-booked at a convenient time to suit your busy schedule and will further explore your expertise.  Again it is designed to measure your behavioural and technical competencies against a benchmark of 20 competency areas.  Within 14 days you will receive detailed feedback on your interview, which will either welcome you as a full member of the Institute or outline a development plan for you to complete. 

Any plan required for a development area should not take more that 3 months to complete and will be a bespoke plan. 

There may be occasions when the development areas are too great to be closed within a 3 month period and applicant will be withdrawn from the MER programme.

 
The cost of the MER applications is as follows:

Registration as an affiliate member: R1,280.00 (Joining fee of R460.00 + R820.00 affiliate membership fee)

Questionnaire Fee: R2,220.00  
                          
Interview Fee (MER Application): R3,300.00

All pricing excludes VAT