Summary of the Evaluation of the Certification Program for Procurement and Materiel Management Communities in the Government of Canada

Program

The certification program:

• aims to strengthen and professionalize the procurement and materiel management communities
• is discretionary for specialists and offers 3 professional designations

Evaluation scope and methodology

The evaluation:

• assessed the program’s relevance and performance (effectiveness and efficiency) in proportion to its risk and materiality
• focused on progress toward the achievement of immediate and intermediate outcomes

The lines of evidence were:

• a document review
• an administrative data review
• interviews
• a survey of procurement and materiel management employees
• 2 focus groups with clients of procurement and materiel management

Limitation

The survey population was derived from the membership of the Procurement and Materiel Management Advisory Committee, which does not include small departments. Evaluators mitigated this limitation by reaching out to small organizations, 7 of which participated in the survey.

Immediate outcomes

• Program participants strengthen their procurement and materiel management capacity (knowledge, skills and competencies)
• Participants understand the complex procurement and materiel management environment
• The certification program adds value to the careers of functional community members who participate in the program
• Functional communities are aware of, and senior managers support, the certification program

Intermediate outcomes

• Functional community specialists meet the business needs of the Government of Canada
• Departments and agencies attract and retain functional community specialists

Evaluation findings

Ongoing need for the program? Yes, there is an ongoing need to professionalize the community, which can be met by the certification program.

Is the program aligned with government priorities and the federal government’s role? Needs improvement. The program is aligned with federal government priorities and with the role of TBS. However, the program’s alignment with procurement modernization can be improved.

Performance

• Outcomes achieved to some degree.
• Program design, delivery and administration present barriers to program participation and the achievement of the program’s outcomes. In particular, the assessment of the competencies of program participants needs improvement.
• The program strengthens the capacity of participants to some extent; however, it does not add value for senior-level procurement and materiel management specialists.