Professional Skills for Government

The Cabinet Office's Professional Skills for Government (PSG) programme is about ensuring that all civil servants have the right blend of professional and business skills to deliver public services, and have access to development opportunities that support career progression to senior positions.

Procurement Professional skills standards

The PSG programme's Procurement professional skills standards are applicable to commercial and procurement specialists at grade 7 (band 5) and above.

Professional Skills for Government

The foundation of PSG is a framework, which sets out the minimum requirements for entry to Band 5 (Grade 7), SCS Pay Band 1 and SCS Pay Band 3 (or equivalents) in core skills, professional expertise, leadership and wider experience.  Departments will have responsibility for setting standards below Band 5 (Grade 7).

As part of this initiative, a set of minimum skills common to all types of procurement role for each of the grades covered by PSG have been identified and are presented in a professional expertise framework for procurement practitioners and procurement leaders. In determining these standards, procurement is defined as the whole-life cycle process of acquisition of goods, services and works from third parties, beginning when a potential requirement is identified and ending with the conclusion of a service contract or ultimate disposal of an asset.

Departments will have the flexibility to identify any additional professional requirements relevant to the particular role and business context. The Skills Framework for Procurement Practitioners and Procurement Leaders Skills Frameworks provide a useful reference point for developing role descriptors that build on the professional standards, and may also be used for roles below Grade 7. OGC consulted with Heads of Procurement and other procurement practitioners in order to develop the standards.

The professional standards for procurement are now available to view on the Cabinet Office's PSG website, along with the core and leadership skills that apply to all professions.  During mid-year review individuals at Band 5 (Grade 7) and above should discuss with their managers how they match up to the PSG requirements as part of the normal departmental development and appraisal process. 

Cabinet Office is working with the National School for Government and other providers to ensure that high quality training provision is available to support the core skills, and OGC will continue to work with professional bodies to enhance the existing range of procurement professional development and assessment provisions.

Cabinet Office recommended that PSG be rolled out to staff at grades below Band 5 (Grade 7) from May 2006 as part of a consolidated framework of skills for staff at all levels, with frameworks being decided on a departmental basis. Oversight of PSG delivery against Departmental Skills Strategies will become the remit of the new Sector Skills Council for Central Government.