Personal Development Plan
We are not currently processing PDP applications as this route has now closed for all applications apart from South Africa and Australia. We have replaced this with the Management Entry Route.
The Personal Development Plan (PDP) is the 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. PDP 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 PDP, you should forward a copy of your CV that clearly demonstrates the extent of your experience within Supply Chain Management and Procurement, together with a copy of your current job description and a completed membership application, to the address indicated on the back of the form. This will enable CIPS to conduct an initial assessment as to your suitability for this route.
Once you have joined CIPS and we have established that PDP is a suitable route for you to follow you will be asked to complete the following:
- A specially designed questionnaire, which enables us to build an individual profile of your knowledge, experience and responsibility across 13 core areas in Supply Chain Management to be assessed.
- You will also be required to pay, in addition to your membership costs, a PDP assessment fee.
Your profile, CV and job description, together with other supporting documentation will then be benchmarked against that of a MCIPS qualified professional by the CIPS PDP Assessment Panel.**
- PDP requires an individual to demonstrate that their expertise satisfies the learning outcomes of the CIPS qualifications programme.
- Candidates may be invited to attend an informal interview, which provides an opportunity to discuss the application in more depth.
- Any areas where your profile does not meet the benchmark will be deemed to constitute a development need and a PDP will be designed specifically for you, either by either the PDP Assessment Panel or by the Practitioners following an interview.
PDPs are by their very nature tailored to the individual but often range from a number of short courses in specified areas, one or more units from the CIPS qualification, to project work, a case study or essay. The timeframe for completing your PDP can range from a few months to a couple of years, depending on the content of your PDP.
**Please note that in some instances the Panel may decide that PDP is not the correct route for an individual to follow, particularly in cases where the initial assessment indicates that an applicant is a borderline candidate for PDP. Unfortunately no refund of the assessment fee can be made.