1
11
CORPORATE AWARD PROGRAMME
ASSIGNMENT FRONT SHEET
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP NUMBER
COHORT NAME and NUMBER
Cohort 6
ASSESSMENT Code / Number
AS2
MODULE TITLE
Developing Contracts in Procurement and Supply
SUBMISSION DEADLINE DATE
Second Submission
WORD COUNT
3184
Please do not change or remove the wording in this front sheet as this is required for all submissions under the Corporate Award Programme. Any submissions received without the correct front sheet will be returned to the candidate for amendment and re-submission and may delay marking.
1. Please ensure that you complete and attach this form to the front of your submission. It will not be accepted if it as sent as a separate file to the submission itself.
2. Before submission, please ensure that your name does not appear anywhere on your work.
3. By submitting your work, you are confirming that your work is your own and that you have read and understand CIPS rules regarding plagiarism and the consequences that will arise should you submit plagiarised work.
Table of Content
1. Executive summary
2. Question one……………………………………………………………………….
3. Question two ………………………………………………………………………
4. Question three ……………………………………………………………………
5. Conclusion
Introduction:
Terms and conditions is a set of regulations, which supplier and customer must agree to follow in order to create a contract. They will have to agree on terms and conditions of the contract as well as any possible liabilities in case of a breach of the contract. As one of the major companies in the world, SABIC has a set of detailed terms and conditions referred to as Standard Terms and Conditions in which supplier accepts and aware of before registering in SABIC as an approved supplier. Certainly, it is open for negotiation before the creation of the contract. The standard terms and conditions is very comprehensive to accommodate all type of contracts and types of suppliers. For instance, there is a special terms and contract for internal and external of KSA.
Executive summary
Subject matter
This report evaluates and provides an analysis of the opportunities for the supply and procurement function, explains how the terms and conditions can be improved and how collaboration can be created with stakeholders to increase early engagement. The report also gives a general overview of the need for organizational policies and procurement in order to implement effective procurement supply.
Key findings
· After doing an extensive research, I drew attention to the fact that the company should identify and allocate purchasing activities to achieve the best value for money. I found out that it can be done by applying the five rights of acquisition and value for money criteria to any purchase of good and services similarly assessing the acquisition of possessions and amenities based on total cost of ownership is an important step. Furthermore, creating savings and improve efficiency requires the company to negotiate with the supplier ...
Blooming Together_ Growing a Community Garden Worksheet.docx
111CORPORATE AWARD PROGRAMMEASSIGNMENT FRONT S.docx
1. 1
11
CORPORATE AWARD PROGRAMME
ASSIGNMENT FRONT SHEET
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP NUMBER
COHORT NAME and NUMBER
Cohort 6
ASSESSMENT Code / Number
AS2
MODULE TITLE
Developing Contracts in Procurement and Supply
SUBMISSION DEADLINE DATE
Second Submission
WORD COUNT
3184
Please do not change or remove the wording in this front sheet
as this is required for all submissions under the Corporate
Award Programme. Any submissions received without the
correct front sheet will be returned to the candidate for
amendment and re-submission and may delay marking.
1. Please ensure that you complete and attach this form to the
front of your submission. It will not be accepted if it as sent as
a separate file to the submission itself.
2. 2. Before submission, please ensure that your name does not
appear anywhere on your work.
3. By submitting your work, you are confirming that your work
is your own and that you have read and understand CIPS rules
regarding plagiarism and the consequences that will arise
should you submit plagiarised work.
Table of Content
1. Executive summary
2. Question
one……………………………………………………………………
….
3. Question two
………………………………………………………………………
4. Question three
……………………………………………………………………
5. Conclusion
Introduction:
Terms and conditions is a set of regulations, which supplier and
customer must agree to follow in order to create a contract.
They will have to agree on terms and conditions of the contract
as well as any possible liabilities in case of a breach of the
contract. As one of the major companies in the world, SABIC
has a set of detailed terms and conditions referred to as
Standard Terms and Conditions in which supplier accepts and
aware of before registering in SABIC as an approved supplier.
Certainly, it is open for negotiation before the creation of the
contract. The standard terms and conditions is very
comprehensive to accommodate all type of contracts and types
of suppliers. For instance, there is a special terms and contract
for internal and external of KSA.
Executive summary
Subject matter
3. This report evaluates and provides an analysis of the
opportunities for the supply and procurement function, explains
how the terms and conditions can be improved and how
collaboration can be created with stakeholders to increase early
engagement. The report also gives a general overview of the
need for organizational policies and procurement in order to
implement effective procurement supply.
Key findings
· After doing an extensive research, I drew attention to the fact
that the company should identify and allocate purchasing
activities to achieve the best value for money. I found out that
it can be done by applying the five rights of acquisition and
value for money criteria to any purchase of good and services
similarly assessing the acquisition of possessions and amenities
based on total cost of ownership is an important step.
Furthermore, creating savings and improve efficiency requires
the company to negotiate with the suppliers.
· To improve the procurement and supply function, it should be
taken into consideration the fact that our procurement and
supply function is much more than the cost of getting products
into the hands of our customers.
In the report some partnership principles have been outlined
that will help in the creation of collaboration with stakeholders.
Undertaking stakeholder engagement in a collaborative manner
will allow a substantial relationship to be built between the
stakeholders and the company. In our case, we shall have to
give consideration to the development of stakeholder
engagement process to test knowledge and assumption.
· Based on the fact that this report is a one-person’s point of
view, there is need for improvement for highest results.
Similarly, some of the recommended approaches may take time
to accomplish but they are very effective once they are well
4. implemented. The report did not discuss in detail how to ensure
compliance with a low level of procurement regulation, reduce
application of poor procurement and supply policies, and ensure
enough support from top management. However, tit is evident in
our company that the management of the company has the right
measures in place
Question One: How your Terms and conditions ensure that you
manage the risks of poor quality, extension of time, increased
costs and unethical practice
SABIC is one of the greatest companies in Saudi Arabia. SABIC
has grown over time and has diversified to produce various
commodities. The growth can be attributed to various strategies
that have been put in place by the company. The company has
put in place various terms and conditions that are aimed at
managing poor quality, extension time, increased costs and
unethical practice.
a. Risks of Poor Quality
Supplies must deliver the product or service to the
agreed place of delivery and receive an Acceptance Certificate
and within thirty days the End User and Warehouse evaluate the
materials and then supplier would be informed if either; the
products or services supplied were accepted or it did not comply
with the purchase agreement and that they have been rejected
In case the supplied materials or services were rejected,
it will be swiftly returned to the supplier at its sole risk and
cost. In case the supplier had been paid fully or partly there
before, for the rejected work, then the suppliers will be forced
to replace the rejected work and credit not should be issued in
respect thereof under Clause 1.9.2 of the Sabic Standard Terms
and Conditions.
In all respects, the work will conform to the quality
specifications and requirement set in PO. If these requirements
5. and specifications are not specified to customary and normal
specifications or goods quality then this should be done in
accordance to the accepted industry practices and applicable
professional codes and standards. However, supplier cannot
change the specifications, manufacturing or material processes
without first seeking the consent from SABIC.
Supplier guarantees and warrants that the work to be
completed or delivered is free from defects, fault designs in
workmanship and in material and so fit for the intended work
for a period of one year from use, commissioning or
installation. SABIC will notify supplier in accordance on
discovery of failures or defects within the time in which warrant
is still active. In addition, the supplier will compensate SABIC
for all the expenses and losses it has reasonably suffered in
relation to defect hence replacement and repairs under the
warranty under Clause 1.10.3 of the Sabic Standard Terms and
Conditions.
b. Extension of Time:
According to SABIC Standard Terms and Conditions,
the supplier is ought to deliver the goods and services in the
quantity states in purchase order to the point of delivering on
the corresponding date of delivery. The date of delivery shall
remain firm and should not be different except through a
Change Order. Supplier must inform the stakeholders in writing
if he expects there will be a delay in delivery.
In the eventuality that the supplier fails to perform or
deliver the work according to agreed date set in the PO, supplier
will pay the buyer liquidated damages that equal two percent of
the price for every week after the delivery date.
c. Increased Costs
The prices outlined in PO will be an all-inclusive and
6. fixed. The price will not be varied without direct consent of
SABIC shareholders given by the means of a written Change
order as per Clause 1.3.2 of the Standard Terms and conditions.
Payment has to be made to the supplier after sixty
business days from the date of the invoice issuance. The price
of the goods is all-inclusive of all and any taxes payable related
to the purchase agreement. Moreover, payment will be in the
currency that is specified in purchase order and has to be made
directly by bank transfer to the bank account the supplier
indicated in the database of SABIC during the process of
supplier registration. Supplier must pay all related charges
related to bank.
The invoices ought to contain the PO number, quantities
and work description and it will be supported by documentary
proof of delivery or completion and also acceptance of work.
According to SABIC policy and procedures, the
change order in term of the price is only allowed within 10% of
the total price of the goods and services and after acceptance of
the stakeholders.
d. Unethical Practice:
According to SABIC standard terms and conditions,
Supplier is expected to comply with SABIC code of ethics and
conform to all applicable safety, environmental and health
regulations and standards under United Kingdom laws as well as
that of international standards. During supplier registration,
supplier is introduced to SABIC code of ethics and its EHSS
and must accept in order to complete registration as an
approved supplier in SABIC.
Suppliers should not commence any good, equipment
or materials shipment or commence any other work or services
7. until the insurance in effected or in force. In addition, supplier
shall maintain, procure and carry comprehensive general
liability insurance, which provides coverage for all damage due
to bodily injury, which includes death at any time, and personal
injury occurs to any person and for the damage to or loss of
property caused by accident resulting from operations in
relation to execution of the Purchase Agreement.
Supplier must provide a healthy and safe workplace for
his personnel, and protect the environment while carrying out
any activities.
As per SABIC Terms and Conditions, supplier must not
to promise to pay, or pay, or authorize any form of payment for
anything of value or money to any entity or person for the
purpose of obtaining, inducing a decision, or retaining business,
or any advantage related to the purchase agreement. The
supplier has to, and shall ensure that all personnel complies
with all laws applicable to anti-money laundering, anti-
corruption, or anti-bribery.
Question Two: Explain the concept of the “battle of the forms”
and demonstrate how you could ensure that any agreement is
carried out under your terms and conditions
A contract is actually formed where an offer made by
one of the parties is accepted by the other. There are intentions
and considerations that are vital when forming a contract. When
two commercial or business entities with equal bargaining
power are in negotiation over transaction terms, each party
would wish and want to use their standard terms in governance
of the contract.
That provision of standard terms by one party to
another mostly constitutes an offer, which can be accepted.
However, it comes a time when the other party does not
unequivocally accept the other’s offer in such that they seek to
8. vary the standard terms or they end up putting forward their
own. This is deemed to be counter offer and leads to rejection
of original part’s offer.
According to the mirror-image rule of the common law, an
acceptance that is different from the terms of a contract
becoming a counter-offer (Carter, and Ketchum, 28-33). This
serves as a rejection of the original contract.
However, the common law rule has with time been
replaced by statute in several jurisdictions to achieve fairness
among parties. The only requirement currently is that the
responding form has to contain a reasonable and definite
acceptance expression. The responding form terms that
correspond to the offer makes up the contract (Carter, and
Ketchum, 28-33)
In other cases, a situation may arise where two parties
in attempt to incorporate their own standards term will usually
bury themselves into question on to which terms will govern the
contract and in some cases whether a contract is in existence at
all. This situation of not coming into an agreement on whose
contract to be used is known as battle of forms. The situation
often occurs unwittingly and it mostly occurs when dispute
arises and the parties involved seek to rely on a particular
contractual term and so operative comes into question.
I can ensure that any agreement is carried under my own terms
and conditions by:
· Making sure that the supplier is an independent contractor.
· The purchase agreement together with master agreement
incorporates the entire agreement between the parties involved.
The agreement goes in line with respect to the matter pertaining
purchase agreement and supersedes all prior representations,
arrangements, negotiations, communications, agreement and
contracts entered or made between the both parties.
9. Consequently, I will ensure that the purchase is not bound by
any standard or printed terms presented by supplier in quotation
or any other document unless the purchaser is incorporated in
the purchase Agreement.
· Shan from making modifications of the Purchase Agreement
will be effective with purchaser unless it is a written
amendment, expressly stated as such and where both parties
have signed.
· Ensuring that before I enter into any contract with business,
which is equally yoked. I will purpose to seek legal advice so
that I do not enter into agreement that can mess me around. The
legal advice will offer the bearing on when to call the shots.
The legal advice explains the terms of the contract and outlines
the rights and obligations under that contracts, negotiate more
favorable terms in the contract, prepares a contract for me to
enter into with another party.
· As in any negotiation process, information is key such as the
supplier place in the market and how much power they hold and
the type of material as we can see below in the figure , as a
buyer in SABIC I’d focus on the strategic items trying to
establish a partnership relationship. In addition, for the leverage
items I would have more power in the negotiation.
For SABIC, it is important that the organization gets the best
possible deal during the negotiation process. This does not
mean that everything has to go according to what the supplier or
the organization wants. It implies that the supplier and the
organization need to understand the most important things that
they have to agree upon during the negotiation process. Lack of
clarity is the main cause of misunderstanding and disputes in
contracts.
10. The parties involved in the contract need to discuss
every aspect of the contract carefully and ensure that the
objectives of both sides are well as acknowledged and met. In
any negotiation process, the organization should always settle
for a win-win solution that will benefit both the parties. The
other aspect that needs negotiation in the procurement/supply
process is negotiating to have the objectives of the organization
met.
During the procurement/supply process, the organization should
always negotiate to have a long-term relationship with the
suppliers. This will enable the organization to come up with
alliance parties networks, which are very important. The short-
term benefits are not the most important thing in any contract
but a relationship that will last for long even after the sourcing
process has been completed.
It is also important for the company to be conversant with the
law as this helps to minimize environmental and business risks.
More often than not, the legal system governing both the
purchaser and supplier can have an impact on their contractual
agreements. For example, countries such as the United States
often have a common-law system that tends to make contracts
longer. Therefore, the company ought to ensure that the contract
is in tandem with the environmental and business laws
depending on the supplier’s country of origin.
Question three: How your terms and conditions ensure that the
relevant performance measures are monitored and managed
The terms and conditions ensure that the relevant
performance measures are monitored and managed by.
According to SABIC Terms and Conditions, it allow for the
regular checking of supplier’s progress to make sure that
contractual obligations are met. The terms also spell out the
need for checking all clauses and conditions in the contract are
acted upon by evaluating on any case of bleaching and taking
action after seeking legal advice especially if non-conformance
11. with the contractor occurs.
The terms allow for regular and random inspections
of the goods and services that have been supplied during the
contract period to make sure that they are of suitable standard
and they meet the specified specifications. In addition, the
terms spell out how the suppliers could offer advice especially
in writing if they are not satisfied with aspects of performance
under the acting contract.
As per SABIC Terms and Conditions, it point to the
need for immediate action if problem occurs and also involving
senior representatives of both supplier and procurer to solve the
identified problems as soon as it can be done. The terms allow
for the obtaining and developing mechanisms, which are
effective when it comes to obtaining feedback from stakeholders
on procurement.
Moreover, the need for keeping adequate written
records of all deals that supplier and that of the administration
of contract. This can be through file notes of inspection, records
of meetings, telephone conversations and documented invoice
processing.
The terms allow for the performing regular inspections
of work to make sure that compliance with each and every
applicable legislation, quality provisions, contract conditions
and workplace safety and health is dependent on the nature of
procurement, its associated risks and complexity and this could
be on daily, weekly or monthly basis.
SABIC holds records for every supplier monthly and
yearly performance in term of quality and delivery. If supplier
performance decreased below a certain percentage for a period
of time, SABIC has the right to deactivate the supplier
temporarily or permanently in SABIC which they would not
12. have any new business with SABIC.
The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) have a
detailed and well-structured terms and conditions required in
any procurement contracts between a seller and buyer to ensure
a smooth and continuous operation be fully engaged in their
obligations and responsibilities.
Conclusion
Setting terms and conditions in every organization
especially those strikes deal on contract is very important. A
contract, which is between two parties, is signed to do
something or not to do something in return for a very valuable
consideration. Actually, a contract cannot be done by one
person. This means that, it is terms and conditions that are set
in any contract that prevents parties in one organization from
violating parties in the other organization in case of making
business or other deals. It also regulates how employees,
employers and stakeholder handle themselves and make them
aware of the consequences if they do not follow terms and
conditions. Additionally, for best results to be achieved,
contract manager must monitor and manage the relevant
performances as stated out in the contract. A contract should be
updated to reflect all the changes in the organization, market
and the world in general and this is one of the important factor
for contracts.
As a buyer for SABIC, I would recommend the following:
for strategic items to have the inspection in the site of the
supplier by an appointed SABIC representative before shipment
to ensure the quality of the goods purchased. Another
recommendation, is to have the records of the yearly
performance of suppliers with SABIC visible to all buyers in
which they can make their decisions before include the supplier
the bidding process.
References:
13. Huang, H., X. Shen and H. Xu., Procurement contracts in the
presence of endogenous disruption risk. Decision Sciences
Volman, Thomas E, and Carlos Gordon. Building Successful
customer-supplier Alliances. Long range planning
Bottleneck Items
Strategic Items
Supply Risk
Non- Critical Items Items
Leverage Items
Impact on Results
Classification: Internal Use
14. Assessment criteria
Distinction
Merit
Pass
Fail
Application and Insight 40%
Knowledge and Approach 20%
Research 20%
Structure and Presentation 20%
Strengths and weaknesses of the Assessment:
You have made some major changes to your work. Your report
began with a revised executive summary; however, this did not
provide a summary of the key parts of your report or a summary
of your findings. Instead it covered issues including total cost
of ownership and partnerships which were not the subject of the
assignment or covered in any depth within your main body.
Your recommendations were also very generic and not focused
on the assignment tasks. See the Candidate Assignment
Guidance document for more information on the requirements of
the executive summary.
It would also have been useful to include some information
about your organisation in order to provide some context for
your report.
In terms of task one you did cover the risks highlighted in the
question and did provide some discussion on your terms and
conditions. However, this was very general and could have been
supported by the inclusion of extracts from your organisation’s
terms and conditions. You also could have referred to external
15. sources in this section to support your discussion, as well as to
elements from the syllabus. The lack of any inclusion of
external sources or elements of the syllabus in this section
resulted in it being very descriptive rather than analytical in
approach.
You did provide a discussion on the Battle of the Forms which
did include some reference to external sources, but you could
also have included some reference to case law. However, whilst
you briefly discussed how your organisation deals with the
Battle of the Forms, this could have been expanded upon
to include other approaches that could be adopted to avoid the
Battle of the Forms. However, you did consider the
consequences to your organisation of losing the battle.
Your section on contract management did cover the issue of
inspections during the contract’s duration. However, you could
also have discussed the development and use of KPIs. This
section could have been enhanced had you provided some
specific examples of KPIs used within your organisation’s
contracts and had you included some references to external
sources to support your discussion.
You also provided a very brief conclusion section which did
provide very brief a summary of your main findings and this
could have been expanded. You did include some
recommendations; however, these were very brief and could
have been both better linked to the findings within the main
body and expanded upon. Also, you could have considered the
implementation challenges of your recommendations.
You could have expanded your research in connection with this
topic and also made more use of your external research within
the main body of your report to support your discussions. Your
reference list consisted of only two sources.
Areas for Improvement:
Application and Insight
• You should apply more of the content of the syllabus
16. throughout your report to improve your analysis.
• Produce an implementation plan showing how your
recommendations could be implemented.
• Include an enhanced conclusions section at the end of the
report as well as developing some of your recommendations in
more detail.
Knowledge and Approach
• Provide a more of a discussion covering managing contract
performance.
• Include more of the concepts taught on the syllabus within
your report to support your discussion.
• Cover the development and use of KPIs in the section covering
contract performance.
Research
• Refer to the Candidate Assignment Guidance document that
was issued for advice on referencing and on structuring your
references and bibliography.
• Try to make use of articles drawn from Supply Management
and content from the CIPS website, as there are useful materials
on these on aspects of contracting, such as the Battle of the
Forms, KPIs, contract terms etc.
• Include more external sources within the main body of your
report to improve and support your discussion.
Structure and Presentation
• Ensure your executive summary provides an effective
summary of your report - see the Candidate Assignment
Guidance document for advice on this.
• Include expanded conclusions and recommendations sections.
18. Syllabus Coverage
The following content from the Practitioner syllabus can be
used to answer this assessment:
• The main types of contracts and agreements
• The documentation that is used to create commercial
agreements for the supply of goods, services or
works
• The sources of express terms that can be used to regulate
contracts made for the supply of goods or
services
• The legal issues that relate to the creation of commercial
agreements with customers or suppliers
relating to offers, counter offers, acceptance, and other issues
• Core clauses that comprise commercial agreements with
customers or suppliers
• Key provisions of legislation that relate to contracts for the
supply of goods and services
• The use of contractual KPIs that link to technical and
commercial requirements in contracts
• The main types of risks in the performance of contracts such
as internal, market, economic, legal,
ethical sourcing and performance based risks
• Performance management and ensuring compliance to agreed
standards
• Payment responsibilities in contract management
• Creating targets for assessing the performance of suppliers
based on the SMART (specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) targets for
20. achieve added value in procurement and
supply
• Evaluate the potential risks that purchased goods and services
may be subjected to and liaise with
suppliers and stakeholders to create plans to mitigate the
adverse effects of these risks
• Monitor the supply of goods and services to ensure required
performance standards are achieved
• Ensure compliance to, and take remedial actions for any
deviations from contracted payment terms
for purchased goods and services
• Formulate SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant
and timely) targets for supplier
performance and agree their application with suppliers and
stakeholders
• Create improvement plans to correct defective performance or
to mitigate risks for purchased goods
or services
Corporate Award Programme
25. assessment criteria provided as an appendix
to this guide.
Read carefully the assignment title and guidance for candidates.
The assignment will identify which modules it
is designed to assess. Use the relevant content from the stated
modules as the basis of your assignment. It
will help you structure your planning and research. Ensure you
plan your assignment to meet all of its
requirements.
2. Submission requirements – important
2.1 Include the assignment front sheet
2.2 The maximum number of documents you can submit for an
assessment is one
2.3 All of your work must be contained in one document
2.4 You must not submit appendices as separate documents
2.5 You must word process your assignment using MS word, or
equivalent, and convert it in to a pdf file
format
a. The file name should only consist of your full 9-digit
membership number and the assignment
number, e.g. “005429889 AS1.pdf”. Please note that this should
reflect the assignment
26. number, not the module number.
b. You may wish to make use of Adobe Acrobat’s Reduce File
Size… function
2.6 Every page should be numbered and contain your candidate
number at the top of the document in
the header.
The average number of pages for a 3,000 word assignment is 27
(including appendices). The maximum
number of pages allowed for a 3,000 word assignment is 50
pages in total. You should not exceed this
allowance. In the case of the integrative assignment, the
average number of pages for a 5,000 word
assignment is 45. The maximum number of pages allowed for a
5,000 word integrative assignment is 100
pages in total.
You must hand in your assignment no later than the submission
deadline stated in your timetable. There are
penalties if your submission is handed in late without prior
agreement from CIPS through the Reasonable
Adjustment, Special Consideration or Extension Policies (see
section 15, page 8 and 9). Submissions that do
not meet the submission requirements (for example Word .doc
rather than .pdf, multiple files, candidates
28. assignment. It is your responsibility to ensure you comply with
your own company expectations if the
information is considered confidential or sensitive.
CIPS is looking for evidence that a student understands a
concept and can apply it appropriately within a given
contexts defined by the assignment brief. In order to address the
assignment tasks, it is not necessary to
identify any real suppliers or products. Therefore, it is
acceptable to refer to a supplier as ‘Supplier A’ for
example, rather than identify real suppliers. Products can be
referred to as product ‘X’ or ‘Y’ for example,
rather than identify any sensitive procurements. It is best
practice to explain, within your introduction, the
naming conventions you will adopt e.g. “for the purposes of
confidentiality, suppliers or products will be
referred to as…”.
Research forms part of the assessment criteria, hence it is an
essential element of your assignment
preparation. Do not fail to realise the importance of collecting
information to support and underpin your
assignment work. It is vital that you demonstrate your ability to
establish information needs, obtain relevant
information and use it sensibly, in order to arrive at appropriate
conclusions, recommendations and/or
29. decisions. You should establish the nature of the information
required, follow up possible sources and ensure
you allow time to obtain the information. You may be
dependent on other colleagues or suppliers to obtain
relevant information – do not underestimate the time it may take
you to gather it. In order to conduct your
research effectively, you will need to conduct wider reading
associated with the topics covered in the module
content.
Useful sources of information include those freely available to
CIPS members such as our Knowledge site and
the Supply Management site. Additionally, websites such as
those of the National Audit Office and the
Financial Times are a great source of case studies and examples
of successes and failures which can support
your assignment preparation.
Your reference list and bibliography will provide an indication
of the level of research, information collection
and application within your assignment.
4. Structuring your assignment submission
Presentation: Your assignment submission should be word
processed with minimum font size 12pt and 1.5 or
31. you should aim to place approximately equal emphasis on each
requirement within the layout of your
assignment submission. This means you will usually produce
approximately the same volume of content for
each requirement within your assignment submission. Plan your
research and the structure of your
assignment submission accordingly. However, during your
planning or research, you may identify that it is not
appropriate to place equal emphasis on each requirement within
the assignment title.
For example, factors beyond your control, such as the nature of
your organisation or the external business
environment in which it operates, may mean that it is not
appropriate to place equal emphasis on each
requirement of the assignment title. In such circumstances,
acknowledge this within your assignment
submission to demonstrate to the assessor that you have
considered all the requirements of the assignment
title. Explain to the assessor why you have adopted a particular
approach to demonstrate your ability to
make judgements. Think carefully about the structure, style and
content of your assignment; the key is to
ensure you justify any deviation from the assignment
requirements in order to explain to the assessor why
32. you have adopted an unusual approach. Failure to do so could
mean you fail to gain marks in the knowledge
and approach section of the assessment criteria.
Remember also that the marking team will not be familiar with
your company, company-specific terminology
or acronyms. Take care to ensure you explain necessary
background information, or the meaning of company-
specific terminology, in order to provide the marking team with
an understanding of the nature of your
organisation and the business environment in which it operates.
5. Assignment front sheet
Please complete and attach the assignment front sheet to your
submission. Your name should not appear
anywhere within your assignment.
6. Contents page
The contents page helps the reader to navigate around the
document and highlights important sections and
sub-sections; this also helps you to ensure your work is
structured and flows in a logical order.
7. Executive summary
The aim of an executive summary is to prepare the reader, in
advance of reading a lengthy document, for
34. with which you are familiar). You must select
appropriate models to demonstrate knowledge and application.
It is suggested you consult and reflect upon
the programme content for the relevant module(s) in the first
instance and conduct an audit of the theories,
tools and models etc., in order to identify those which may be
appropriate for your assignment.
For any theories, tools or models that you include, your
assignment should contain a brief description and
justification of its selection in relation to your analysis.
You should ensure you include discussion on how it was used
and what information was generated from it –
interpret the findings of your analysis. Avoid citing models,
tools etc., without applying them within your
analysis as this will gain no marks. You may wish to use tables
or diagrams to demonstrate your application of
relevant tools or models.
When including information about the theories, tools and
models etc. within your assignment, narrative
should be integrated in to the content of your assignment.
Assignment submissions which simply skip from
one model or tool, for example, to the next, without linking
them in some way or consolidating them in
35. conclusions, will be unlikely to demonstrate the extent of your
comprehension of the module content and
your ability to apply it to practical business situations.
Providing a sound argument for selection and application of a
particular theory, model, tool or technique –
highlighting why it is appropriate, its strengths and
weaknesses/limitations (as well as your findings) – is likely
to be awarded higher marks.
The positioning of models/tools and techniques will depend on a
number of factors, but ideally you should
aim for a good balance of discussion and visual impact. It is a
matter of personal judgement and preference,
but, essentially they should be relevant and visually enhance the
work, enabling the reader to grasp the flow
of your discussion. You should also consider:
task
assignment
may be better placed in the Appendices
37. the foundation of your conclusions and
recommendations.
Your conclusions and recommendations must be consistent with
your analysis and findings and should act as
a summary. It is important that any conclusions or
recommendations are justified as part of your overall
assignment submission. When you have completed your
assignment, take time to re-read it a day or so later
and check that your conclusions really are consistent with the
evidence generated from your analysis.
10. Referencing
In order to avoid plagiarism, whenever you use someone’s
words directly, or make reference to the ideas or
work of others, you must reference this appropriately using a
recognised referencing system, such as the
Harvard system of referencing or as outlined in the CIPS
Reference Guidance document. The following points
will help you cite sources of information appropriately within
the body of your assignment.
particular
document, the author (or editor, compiler or
translator) individual or organisation and year of publication are
inserted in brackets:
o e.g. Agriculture still employs half a million people in rural
38. Britain (Shucksmith, 2000).
r’s name occurs naturally in the sentence, only the
year of publication is given:
o e.g. … concept is discussed by Jones (1998)…
published in the same year, these are
distinguished by adding lower case letters (a, b, c) after the
year:
o e.g. (Watson, 1999a)
o e.g. (Lines and Walker, 1997)
followed by ‘et al.’:
o e.g. (Morgan et al., 1998)
another party word-for-word; the exact
words must be copied from the source document. When citing
quotations, include the page number of
where the quotation can be found in the source document.
Please note quotations used within your
assignment content are included within the total word count.
o Short quotations may be run into the text, using single
quotation marks.
o e.g. While they recommend that teams ‘...be encouraged to
improve collaboration within an
organisation autonomously’ (Driedonks, et al., 2010, p. 115),
they ...
40. identify when a source was viewed or
downloaded)
database or web address)
Unlike printed material, internet sources can easily be changed,
or disappear altogether, so full and accurate
citation information is essential.
Example – referencing web documents
British Lawnmower Museum (no date) Lawnmowers of the Rich
and Famous [online] Southport, British
Lawnmower Museum. Available:
http://www.lawnmowerworld.co.uk/Rich.htm [Accessed10
March 2004]
Example – referencing electronic journals
Hart, K. (1998) The place of the 1898 Cambridge
Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Straits (CAETS) in
the history of British social anthropology. Science as a culture.
[Online] 11 (1). Available: http://human-
nature.com/science-as-culture/hart.html [Accessed 9 November
2003]
Example – referencing journal articles from a web-based full-
text database
Mahoney, R. (2000) Leadership and learning organisations, The
Learning Organization. [Online] 7 (5), 241-244.
Available: http://www.emerald-library.com/brev/11907ec1.htm
[Accessed 23 October 2000]
The source materials you use should be included in a reference
list at the end of your assignment. See the
following sections relating to your reference list and
bibliography.
41. 11. Reference list
A reference list is essential to ensure the works of others is
acknowledged and to avoid the risk of plagiarism
issues. You must use a recognised referencing system, such as
the Harvard system or as outlined in the CIPS
Reference Guidance document, as assessors will need to
identify sources you have accessed during your
research and used within your assignment. See the section
relating to referencing for information on how to
cite sources of information within the body of your assignment.
References are arranged alphabetically by author’s name (or
title, if no author) which has been used in the
body of the text and should be presented in the following way:
- include where possible, the following
information in the order listed here:
o Author(s)/Editor(s) - Surname first, followed by first name(s)
or initials (be consistent). Include
all names if there are two or three authors; if more than three,
use the first name and then et
al. For editors, compilers or translators (instead of author), give
the abbreviation ed/eds,
comp/comps or trans following the name(s): e.g. Peckham, T.
and Smith, G. (eds.)
43. within your assignment.
12. Bibliography
When researching subject areas, you may read widely, but not
all will be relevant to the assignment you are
working on. However, this work should not go unrecognised and
more importantly, a bibliography records
earlier reading that may be useful later when researching for
future assessments or projects. If you have
documented your reading, this can be located again with ease.
13. Appendices
Core material – which is defined as text that the assessor would
need to read in order to understand and
appreciate your work fully – should NOT be placed in
appendices. An appendix is not a “catch-all”, or a
substitute for effective writing and editing of your assignment
to meet the word count. You do not have to
use appendices – indeed; it is considered best practice that
assignments only include appendices in
exceptional circumstances. For example, information that is not
essential to your assignment, but validates
the content of it, provides confirmatory evidence or provides
information or material that the assessor would
not otherwise be able to access, should be placed in an
44. appendix. Documents that are available in the public
domain should be referenced, in accordance with a recognised
referencing system, rather than including
them as appendices.
Examples of things which could be useful as appendices to an
assignment include:
• Supporting evidence – feedback, testimonials, stakeholder
interview outcomes etc.
• Technical information presented in tables and graphs –
organisational charts, statistics etc.
• Supplementary data which adds useful information or insight,
but is not essential to the
understanding of the personal statement – including
organisation-specific material (ensure
appropriate permissions have been sought for use outside your
organisation).
Appendices should be presented in the order they are mentioned
in your assignment, and it is essential to
refer to each appendix within the text of your assignment. You
should NOT include something as an appendix
if it is not discussed within the assignment, nor should you
include any material which is readily available in
the public domain – it should be referenced in the text of the
47. is considered to be a serious academic
offence. Most students know when they are intentionally
plagiarising, for example, copying an entire essay
out of a book or buying a paper off the Internet. However, many
students are tripped up by unintentional
plagiarism – not giving proper credit for others' quotes, facts,
ideas, or data. A good rule-of-thumb for
students is to always give credit for any ideas that are not their
own by citing their sources.
The most common forms of plagiarism are:
publication
You must take care when writing your assignment that the work
you submit is your own. You are permitted
to reproduce short extracts, diagrams, tables and illustrations
from other publications. But, these must be
clearly referenced and the source acknowledged. CIPS treats
plagiarism very seriously and if your work is
found to contain unacknowledged third party content you may
fail your assignment.
48. In order to avoid plagiarism, whenever you use someone’s
words directly, or make reference to the ideas or
work of others, you must reference this appropriately using a
recognised referencing system, such as the
Harvard system of referencing or CIPS Referencing Guidance.
Failure to reference the work of others, whether
intentional or accidental is considered plagiarism, which
constitutes a form of cheating (malpractice or
maladministration) and is not tolerated by CIPS. The
Malpractice and Maladministration Policy includes details
of the consequences for students if they are found to have
plagiarised.
b. Reasonable adjustment and special consideration
CIPS has a responsibility to ensure that all candidates have
equal opportunities to reach their full potential. In
some instances, candidates may require adjustments to the
assessment process to give them an equal
opportunity, and CIPS has a responsibility to ensure that
appropriate adjustments are made for each
candidate.
Applications for a Reasonable Adjustment should be made in
advance of the assessment. Candidates may
apply for Special Consideration in exceptional circumstances
50. students for an extension must be made in writing
and submitted to their Programme Lead. These will then be
considered by CIPS. The application for an
extension should be completed 7 days before the submission
deadline date.
All reasons for extensions require independent corroboration,
usually from your employer or, in the case of
medical problems, doctor. There are some circumstances which
are regarded as acceptable reasons for
granting an extension and some which are not. Examples are:
Acceptable reasons
-related travel
Unacceptable reasons:
s
51. d. Assessment reviews and appeals
Should you wish to appeal against your result you should apply
to CIPS following the assessment review and
appeals procedure within two weeks of the result release date.
The assessment appeals policy can be found
on the Learning Management System (LMS) under the FAQ
section. If you wish to request a review of your
assessment result, you should contact your CIPS Programme
Lead who will be able to assist you.
16. Grading
The assessment criteria (see Appendix 1) breaks down each
section of the assessment criteria and indicates
what is expected for each grade. The marks you are awarded
for each section of the assessment criteria will
be combined in order to arrive at a total percentage result. The
grade you receive for your assignment is
based upon this result as follows:
Fail less than 50% Merit 60-74%
53. the release of your result. The assessment
criterion (see Appendix 1) includes the following sections
which are weighted in order to help you understand
their relative importance:
18. And finally
This document is by no means exhaustive, but provides some
guidance on how you might approach the
development of your assignment submission. It is a guide on
what is generally good practice in assignment
preparation, which enables you to understand the implications
of what you are doing and gives you the best
opportunity to succeed in what you do.
Good luck with your assignment preparation.
Leading global excellence in procurement and supply
55. innovatively to a very
high and professional
standard. Layout of work
includes innovative use of
graphics, tables, data,
references, headings,
numbered paragraphs
and appendices.
Composition of answers
in keeping with any
desired word count.
Effective presentation
standards incorporating
executive summary,
structure and content;
although refinement of
these would achieve
better marks. Supports
work with references and
bibliography appropriate
to the assessment. Work
is communicated
effective to a high
standard. Layout of work
includes effective use of
graphics, tables, data,
references, headings,
numbered paragraphs
and appendices.
Composition of answers
in keeping with any
desired word count.
Presentation makes use
56. of an executive summary,
structure and content.
Supports work with
references and
bibliography appropriate
to the assessment. Work
is communicated to a
satisfactory standard.
Limited use is made of
graphics, tables, data,
references, headings,
numbered paragraphs
and appendices.
Composition of answers
in keeping with any
desired word count.
Disappointing
presentation standards
demonstrating the need
to improve its executive
summary, structure and
content. Limited use of
references and
bibliography. Work is
communicated
ineffectively. Layout of
work makes limited use
of graphics, tables, data,
references, headings,
numbered paragraphs
and appendices.
Composition of answers
may not be in keeping
with any desired word
count.
57. Research
20%
Work demonstrates
excellent collation of
appropriate primary,
secondary, quantitative
and/or qualitative
research. Evidence of
analysis of research with
a reasoned critique
provided. Work refers to
purposeful and relevant
sources of research.
Extensive references and
bibliography.
Work demonstrates
collation of appropriate
primary, secondary,
quantitative or
qualitative research.
Evidence of the analysis
of research is provided.
Work refers to
appropriate sources of
research. A range of
references and
bibliography.
Work demonstrates
limited collation of
primary, secondary,
58. quantitative or
qualitative research.
There is scope to create
an analysis or refinement
of the research
presented. Work refers
to sources of research. A
reasonable number of
references and
bibliography.
Work demonstrates a
lack of primary,
secondary, quantitative
or qualitative research
and there are evident
gaps in the work that the
candidate has
undertaken. Small
number of references
and bibliography.
Knowledge
and
Approach
20%
Work demonstrates a full
understanding of
relevant theory, models,
techniques, processes,
outcomes or other
aspects of the syllabus
that are appropriately
selected to formulate
59. answers. Applies a well
thought-out
methodology to develop
answers.
Work demonstrates an
effective understanding
of relevant theory,
models, techniques,
processes, outcomes or
other aspects of the
syllabus that are
appropriately selected to
formulate answers.
Work demonstrates a
satisfactory
understanding of
relevant theory, models,
techniques, processes,
outcomes or other
aspects of the syllabus
that are appropriately
selected to formulate
answers.
Work demonstrates a
limited or sporadic
understanding of
relevant theory, models,
techniques, processes,
outcomes or other
aspects of the syllabus
selected to formulate
answers.
61. improvements whilst
recognising boundaries
that can affect their
implementation. The
work is supported by an
innovative or appropriate
business case or
implementation plan
when relevant.
Work demonstrates an
effective application of
theory, models,
techniques, processes,
outcomes or other
aspects of the syllabus.
Candidate creates
proposals for change that
can achieve business
improvements. The work
is supported by an
effective business case or
implementation plan
when relevant.
Work demonstrates the
application of some
limited theory, models,
techniques, processes,
outcomes or other
aspects of the syllabus.
Candidate creates limited
proposals for change that
can achieve business
improvements. A limited
business case or
62. implementation plan is
presented when relevant.
Work demonstrates
limited or sporadic
application of theory,
models, techniques,
processes, outcomes or
other aspects of the
syllabus. Candidate's
proposals for change lack
justification. The work
lacks an effective
business case or
implementation plan
when relevant.
Appendix 2: Command Words
Command
Word
Definition
Analyse Examine a topic together with thoughts and judgments
about it, by dividing the topic into its
separate parts and looking at each part in detail
Appraise Evaluate, judge or assess something
Argue Provide reasons for or against something, clearly and in
63. proper order, using or citing evidence
so that a case can be proved. Also compare with Discuss
Assess Evaluate or judge the importance of something, referring
to the special knowledge of experts
where possible. This may involve from other texts
Comment on Write notes explaining your own criticism and
observations of something
Compare Examine one thing in relation to another thing, so that
points of similarity or difference
become evident
Consider Take something in to account, or make allowance for
something. Think carefully about
something or reflect upon it
Contrast Emphasise the differences between two opposite or
dissimilar things
Criticise Give your judgements about the good or bad qualities
of theories or opinions, supporting
your decision with evidence
Define Explain the exact meaning of a word or phrase
Describe Give a full account or a detailed representation of
something
Discuss Consider something by writing about it from different
65. conclusions, perhaps by referring to
other texts
List Mention items separately in number order or by using
bullet points
Outline Give the main features, facts or the general idea of
something, omitting minor details
Propose Put forward (for example a point of view, idea,
argument, suggestion) for consideration or
action
Reconcile Show how two apparently conflicting things can
appear similar or compatible
Relate Establish a connection or association between things to
show how they affect each other or
how they are alike
Review Examine and assess a subject critically
Show Explain thoroughly or prove something, so that the truth
can be established
State Put something into words clearly and briefly
Suggest This means that there may be more than one answer.
You must give the most appropriate
answer, or answers. It is good practice to state why it is the
most appropriate answer
66. Summarise Give a brief, concise account of the main points of
something, leaving out details and
examples