SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Occupational Certificate: Purchasing Officer

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
91788	Occupational Certificate: Purchasing Officer
ORIGINATOR
Development Quality Partner - CIPS
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
QCTO - Quality Council for Trades and Occupations			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Occupational Certificate	Field 11 - Services		Wholesale and Retail
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	161	Not Applicable	NQF Level 06	Regular-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0425/24	2018-07-01	2025-12-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-12-30		2029-12-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification replaces:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
62089	National Diploma: Supply Chain Management	Level 6	NQF Level 06	240	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Purchasing Officer.

Purchasing Officers prepare and process orders for goods and services, monitor stock levels and supply sources and maintain stock and inventory levels, record and coordinate the flow of materials between departments and prepare production schedules and administer and coordinate storage and distribution operations within organisations.

A qualified learner will be able to:

Negotiate purchasing and supply goods and services (NQF Level 6).

Develop contracts in purchasing and supply (NQF Level 6).

Monitor and measure purchasing performance (NQF Level 6).

Manage purchasing and supply relationships (NQF Level 6).

Rationale:
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply started a process of developing Supply Chain Management Qualifications to be registered on the South African National Qualifications Framework. The aim of the development was to compile qualifications that would align to an internationally benchmarked occupational framework for supply chain practitioners.

The Level 5 and Level 8 Supply Chain Management qualifications were registered on the NQF from 2 December 2009 with recommendations by the SAQA consultative panel for the NQF Level 6 qualification to be rewritten into Level 6 and Level 7 qualifications. At the time of planning for the development of these qualifications, the new occupational development landscape was under discussion and SAQA determined that the qualifications should be developed against the QCTO requirements.

The range of typical learners that will enter this qualification are people who perform various functions within the purchasing, procurement or buying environments.

This qualification resides as one of several in the purchasing, supply and procurement environments and makes allowance for any feeder occupations to gain access to the Purchasing Officer occupation. The Purchasing Officer qualification also makes provision for people to progress within this discipline to different areas including negotiations, developing contracts, purchasing performance measurement and purchasing and supply relationship management in purchasing and supply.

The main benefits of this qualification for the learner is that the learner has an opportunity to be recognised as a qualified and certificated Purchasing Officer with well-structured, relevant and current competencies, which therefore means the work completed will be compliant with the relevant legislation.

Society will be served by a qualified Purchasing Officer who can not only undertake work with improved skills but can also undertake this work with a full awareness of the importance of legal and other requirements.

The overall benefits for the economy would include efficient and effective Purchasing Officer competencies available to be utilised by various sectors for economic growth.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Entry Requirements:

Occupational Certificate: Supply Chain Practitioner.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record.

RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification is made up of the following compulsory Knowledge and Practical Skill Modules:

Knowledge Modules:

Negotiations in Purchasing and Supply, NQF Level 5, 15 Credits.

Developing Contracts in Purchasing and Supply, NQF Level 5, 15 Credits.

Purchasing Performance Measurement, NQF Level 5, 9 Credits.

Purchasing and Supply Relationship Management, NQF Level 5, 20 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 59.

Practical Skill Modules:

Prepare for negotiations with suppliers, NQF Level 5, 16 Credits.

Plan, prepare and communicate purchasing information through the development and award of contracts, NQF Level 6, 16 Credits.

Collect and manage information on performance of suppliers, buyers and purchasing and supply function, NQF Level 6, 20 Credits.

Manage customer and supplier relationships in the purchasing and supply environment, NQF Level 6, 12 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 64.

This qualification also requires the following Work Experience Modules:

Processes of collaboration to provide negotiation strategies and plans, NQF Level 6, 16 Credits.

Contract management collaboration processes, NQF Level 6, 10 Credits.

Continuous improvement processes for purchasing and supply, NQF Level 6, 12 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 38.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. The ability to negotiate purchasing and supply goods and services.
2. The ability to develop contracts in purchasing and supply.
3. The ability to monitor and measure purchasing performance.
4. The ability to manage purchasing and supply relationships.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

The planning and preparation for the negotiation is based on sound principles, market research and risk assessment by making use of the SWOT analysis and referring to all the elements of PESTLE.

The terms and conditions of the contract are negotiated with the potential supplier ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and legislative requirements.

The distributive and integrative approaches to negotiation are utilised and the implications of the types of questions are evaluated in terms of its impact on the negotiation process.

The risk assessments for these negotiations are concluded as per the PESTLE framework.

Current supplier account management structures are considered and the process of allocating resources for typical kinds of negotiations regarding pre-contract, main contract negotiations and post contract and relationship review are reviewed.

The models of risk are evaluated in the context of own organisation in order to categorise supplies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Agreements are reached regarding the terms to be implied into contracts and they include conformance to the criteria applied to decide whether specific terms are permitted to exclude or limit liability.

Contract agreements include exclusion and limit liability clauses used by organisations and suppliers.

Common law and statutory tests are identified and evaluated in terms of their relevance to limitation/exclusion clauses.

Contract agreements include indemnity clauses to cover specific situations in terms of their implications.

Various purchasing and supply agreements are evaluated to identify which agreements are contracts.

Any framework or call-off contracts are evaluated to identify the differences between them.

Feedback from the purchasing function's internal customers is gathered in different ways to ensure the most effective way of soliciting feedback.

The terms of contracts that the organisation uses for the purchasing of goods and services are evaluated and any alternative dispute resolution, variation, renewal or termination clauses are proposed.

Knowledge and understanding of developing contracts in purchasing and supply are demonstrated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

The Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets set by corporate management are analysed in relation to the contribution from the purchasing and supply function.

KPIs are identified and set for the core purchasing and supply function in support of the organisational strategy.

A plan of action is prepared to achieve direct cost savings/service improvements in a business operation and achievable targets are set that can be measured over time.

A review is done of an existing structure of a purchasing and supply function during which recommendations are made in order to reduce transactional purchasing costs.

Simple vendor rating processes and systems and perception-based rating are identified and applied to the purchasing of goods/services.

Third party involvement and testing procedures are discussed in relation to the purchasing of goods/services.

The supplier business is evaluated against a set of measurement criteria for contract award and management processes.

Internal and external commercial relationships are critically evaluated and the differences are discussed.

Joint performance measurement initiatives are developed and utilised in the purchasing of goods/services.

The concept of benchmarking and all its elements are discussed in relation to the purchasing of goods/services.

Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and measuring purchasing performance are demonstrated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

The objectives of the organisation are managed and continuously reviewed over the life of the contract with regard to on-time implementation, uninterrupted supply of service and satisfied people.

The role of conflict in a purchasing and supply relationship is evaluated and recommendations are made on how to resolve conflict in a specific supplier relationship.

The hidden costs are evaluated as potential risks for the purchasing of a commodity/service and the indicators of how they would be avoided during the life of the outsourcing contract are identified.

Ways are identified in which the purchasing professional and the organisation could work with suppliers on development projects to help them to improve their service levels.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of managing purchasing and supply relationships.

Integrated Assessment:
An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality partner is required for the issuing of this qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria.

The external assessment will be conducted through written assessments based on the work experience component and will be assessed by registered assessors. The written examination will be concluded at an approved assessment site and marked by global examiners appointed by the Professional Body.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The international comparability study conducted specifically focused on identifying occupational standards or qualifications used in other countries that might contain indicators of best practice that could be used for comparison with or in the development of the supply chain management qualifications at Level 5 and Level 7 to be submitted for registration on the South African NQF.

These were therefore considered during the generation and wider consultation processes with specific reference to functional analysis and occupational mapping processes. In general terms Purchasing, Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management were well covered by the above exemplars but coverage of International Trade and Export is limited.

Conclusion:
The identification of tasks and job profiles is based upon a sound methodology and extensive consultation with practitioners, resulting in valid and credible outputs that informed the development of the qualifications and unit standards. Useful comparisons may be drawn between the environmental trends identified in the best practice countries and those affecting the competencies covered in these qualifications and unit standards.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Learners entering this qualification will likely feed into the industry with a Occupational Certificate: Purchasing Officer qualification.

The likely vertical progression for a qualified learner with this qualification is an Occupational Certificate: Supply and Distribution Manager.

This Occupational Certificate articulates horizontally with other purchasing and supply chain occupations with cross-cutting credits in the Knowledge Specifications.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Accreditation of providers will be done against the criteria as reflected in the relevant curriculum on the QCTO website.

The curriculum title and code is: Occupational Certificate: Purchasing Officer: 332302000.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2015.

NOTES

This qualification replaces qualification 62089, "National Diploma: Supply Chain Management", Level 6, 240 credits.

Qualifying for External Assessment:
In order to qualify for an external assessment, learners must provide proof of completion of all required modules by means of statements of results and work experience.

Part Qualifications:
This qualification does not have any associated part qualifications.

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.

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PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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