Marine Corps COOL Snapshot - Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)

Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)

Renewal Period: 5 years

The Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC), Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) is an advanced skill level credential for managers and leaders in public or government organizations. CPPOs, who may or may not be involved in actual purchasing, either supervise a staff of buyers, the procurement department, or manage at least one essential function of the procurement or contracting cycle. Candidates must pass a written exam that covers the following topics: procurement administration, sourcing, the negotiating process, and supply management.

More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.

Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)

The following Marine Corps Enlisted MOSs provide training and/or experience that contributes to attaining this credential:

Enlisted Occupation	Occupation Type	Related As
3043 Supply Chain and Materiel Management Specialist	MOS	Other
3044 Operational Contract Support Specialist	MOS	Other
6672 Aviation Supply Specialist	MOS	Other

The following civilian occupations are related to this credential:

	Civilian Job	Job Family	Bright Outlook	Registered Apprenticeship	Local Salary Info
	Purchasing Managers	Management			find local salary

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Attainability:

Eligibility Requirements (View Details)

Credential Prerequisite
Experience: 5 years
Education: Bachelors
Training
Membership
Other
Fee

Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required. To view other options, see the Eligibility tab.

Exam Requirements (View Details)

Exam
Written Exam
Oral Exam
Practical Exam
Performance Assessment

Exam Administration (View Details)

In-person exam
Remote proctored on-line exam
Third-party test vendor

RECERTIFICATION SUMMARY

Renewal Period: 5 years

Continuing Education
Exam
Continuing Education OR Exam
Fee
Other

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC)

201 East Main Street
Suite 1405
Lexington, KY

Phone: (800) 884-6073

Fax: (859) 514-9166
Email: certification@uppcc.org

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Education/Training and/or Experience REQUIREMENTS

Candidate must have a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of high learning.

Candidate must have five years of procurement experience during the previous ten years, of which at least three years is in a management or supervisory position. At least 50% must be in the public sector and the remainder can be from either the public or private sector.

Candidate must have completed 96 contact hours of procurement-related coursework/training within the previous ten years.

Other REQUIREMENTS

The Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) credential has the following other requirements:

Candidate must adhere to the UPPCC Code of Ethics.

Written Exam

Procurement Administration (25%)
- Common procurement performance measurement criteria
- Automated procurement systems
- Solicitation and contract
- Cooperative procurement programs
- Value analysis
- Procurement audit and review processes
- Purpose for department audits and reviews
- E-procurement programs
- Supplier diversity programs
- Sustainable procurement initiatives
- Procurement policies and procedures
- Budgeting methods
- Impact of budget cycle
- Operational forms and templates
- Procurement card programs
- Process improvement programs
- Standardization programs
- Procurement trends
- Procurement information resources
- Professional values
- Outreach methods for internal and external stakeholders
- Team dynamics
- Personnel management
Sourcing (20%)
- Product specifications, descriptions, and prices
- Scope of work for service contracts
- Benchmarking techniques and processes
- Procurement methods and techniques
- Supply and demand concepts
- Total cost of ownership concepts
- Make, lease, or buy concepts
- Market research resources
- Roles and responsibilities in the procurement process
- Special considerations for supplies
- Requisition approval process
- Laws, regulations, and ordinances
- Specification requirements
- Specification types
- Contract types
- Contract terms and conditions
- Small dollar purchases
- Competitive sealed bids and proposals
- Competitive negotiations
- Supplier preference programs
- Noncompetitive procurement
- Emergency procurement
- Cooperative procurement
- Professional services procurement
- Construction management
- Pre-solicitation conferences
- Solicitation process
- Offer evaluation
- Sources of services and/or supplies
- Methods of payment
- Payment types
- Fair and open competition concepts
- Protest processes and procedures
- Hearing processes and procedures
- Debrief processes and procedures
- Supplier requirements
- Contract document preparation
- Award recommendation process
- Contract approval process
Negotiation Process (10%)
- Negotiation strategies and techniques
- Problem-solving and decision-making techniques and
  processes
- Negotiation process and documentation requirements
Contract Administration (20%)
- Techniques to ensure supplier compliance to specifications
- Techniques to evaluate supplier performance
- Elements of contract
- Contract of management
- Contract performance deficiencies, disputes, and resolutions
- Contract modifications
- Contract termination
- Contract renewal process
- Contract close-out
Supply Management (5%)
- Ordering process
- Inventory management techniques and principles
- Disposition of obsolete and surplus equipment and
  materials
- Asset management
- Supply chain management
Strategic Procurement Planning (20%)
- Analytical techniques
- Research techniques
- Forecasting techniques and strategies
- Procurement strategies based on forecast data, market
  factors, and economic trends
- Strategic planning
- Cost/benefit analyses on future acquisitions
- Contingency/continuity of operations plan
- Succession planning

Exam Preparation Resources

There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) examination:

Best Sources

An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.

Testing Information

Exam Administration
Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) credential where checked:
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor

For more information on the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC) testing process, visit the agency website.

Third-Party Test Vendor Information
Testing for this credential is handled by the following vendor:

Prometric

The test centers are located in the U.S.

To find out more, use the following links on the Prometric website:

RECERTIFICATION

Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)

Renewal Period: 5 years

The Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) credential has the following recertification information:

To recertify, certification holders must earn 45 continuing education credits during the five year certification period.

Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current year, no arrears will be paid. Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).