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A 2003 Inspector General's Report in Florida pointed to a need for "additional oversight and accountability to ensure [that] Florida taxpayers receive a fair return on their tax dollars." The report also pinpointed the need for a "statewide system to train or certify agency contracting personnel [and] incentives to encourage professional development." The audit findings were the impetus for development of an ambitious statewide training program for Florida public purchasing professionals. In the several years since, Florida has developed an extensive certification program, building on well-known national certifications such as the Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Project Management Professional (PMP) and adding four Florida-specific certifications.

There was no structured training program in Florida for procurement professionals before 2004, so the program started from ground zero. "We created the program for state agencies based on the audit report, but we opened it up to any governmental entity, including cities, counties, special districts and school systems," said Charles Covington, director of state purchasing, Florida Department of Management Services. "Many have taken advantage of it."

In the current challenging economic climate, certification of procurement professionals is a critical tool for agencies all over the country as they watch every dollar and look to maximize value, which well-trained professionals are better-equipped to do. For procurement employees, and for those in the market for a job, certifications can provide an edge when applying for an open position or looking to be promoted. A certification might even make a difference in whether an employee is laid off, says Norma Hall, program manager, Training and Strategic Planning, South Carolina Materials Management Office. She is Governing Board Chair of the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC), which awards CCPO and CPPB certifications. For the profession as a whole, certification boosts recognition of the specialized skills involved in procurement. "It lets people know we aren't just paper-pushers," says Hall. "You can't just hire people off the street to do this job. If you have a certification, it proves you have the skill set, which is an edge over someone else applying for the position."

The Florida program, and programs in other states, builds on the certification program of the UPPCC, which awards Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) certifications to procurement professionals nationwide. UPPCC, created from a partnership between the National Association of State Procurement Officers (NASPO) and the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), is an independent council that administers the certification programs as a third party. A governing board oversees their work, and a separate board of examiners creates and oversees the testing, which is provided at sites nationwide by Prometric. Certifications are awarded based on a combination of higher education, specific coursework related to the field and experience (number of years on the job). For example, someone with a higher education degree would require fewer years of job experience to achieve certification. (See page 30 for information on the latest round of testing, and page 29 for a list of those recently certified.)

Looking to understand how CPPO and CPPB certifications can reflect changing job requirements, UPPCC in 2007 surveyed 2,000 procurement professionals from across seven of the largest organizations in public procurement, covering various job levels from beginner to director. The survey identified 92 total tasks and 108 knowledge statements involved in procurement. The survey confirmed how well the 10 Domain Areas in the UPPCC Body of Knowledge apply both to the CPPO and CPPB certifications. One finding of the survey, for example, was that warehousing is becoming a less important topic because of the growth of just-in-time (JIT) contracting or timed contracts.

The survey uncovered other information about the impact of certifications:

• Thirty percent of respondents said that certain positions within their organizations require certification.

• Thirty-four percent of respondents said certification affects starting salary.

• Thirty-four percent said salary increases are tied to certification.

• Twenty-five percent said higher salaries are paid to purchasing directors with CPPO certification.

• Thirty-seven percent of agencies require procurement directors to have the CPPO certification before they are hired.

• Thirty-four percent of agencies require a director hired without a CPPO certification to obtain it; and purchasing managers earn 11 percent more in salary if they hold the CPPO.