CIPS has announced new study guides that will be effective from March 2024 exams onwards. This has raised a lot of questions and concerns among CIPS students worldwide. In this post, we will compare the content of L4M1 in the 2018 syllabus and the 2023 syllabus.

Chapter 1: Some reorganization and addition

Chapter 1 of L4M1 has been reorganized, with 1.1 starting with supply chain, supply chain network and tiering. This is a minor change as the content of this part is the same as part 1.3 in the 2018 syllabus. Another change in this chapter is the inclusion of Utility procurement and Commodity procurement in part 1.2. Students can also find other new content in this chapter, such as more tables comparing procurement of product and services, or methods to achieve Five Rights in procurement.

Chapter 2: More specific content

The content of Chapter 2 has not changed significantly. However, part 2.2 of the new syllabus explains the value and purposes of each stage in the CIPS Procurement and Supply Cycle more clearly. Part 2.3 shows how different electronic systems can be used at each stage of the Cycle. Part 2.4 of the new syllabus has a more specific name, but the content is the same as before without any noticeable additions.

Chapter 3: Changes in the order and content of electronic systems

Chapter 3 has some changes in the order and content of the topics. Part 3.1 now includes the explanation about ILO Conventions, which are international labor standards that aim to promote decent work and social justice. Part 3.3 focuses on the position, status and role of procurement within an organization, before introducing different structures of procurement, such as centralized and devolved structure.

Part 3.4 covers various electronic systems that support procurement activities. It provides a detailed description of P2P (Purchase to Pay) system, which is a process that integrates purchasing and payment functions. It also explains the benefits and features of other systems, such as MRP, ERP, Just in time and Kanban. At the end of this part, there is a new section on systems that support e-sourcing, e-tendering and e-auction, which are online methods of finding suppliers, negotiating contracts and conducting auctions. This section complements part 2.3, which shows how these systems can be used at each stage of the CIPS Procurement and Supply Cycle.

Chapter 4: More emphasis on ESG in different sectors

Chapter 4 discusses how ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors affect procurement in different sectors. It starts with the public sector’s objective, which is not only to provide public goods and services, but also to promote equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in procurement practices. ED&I refers to the principles of ensuring fair and equal treatment of all stakeholders, respecting and valuing their differences, and creating an inclusive culture.

The private sector’s objective is to achieve economic viability, which means to generate profits and sustain growth. It reframes “Make a profit” as “Economic viability” and “Corporate social responsibility” as “Environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibility”. These changes in terminology reflect the growing importance of ESG in business strategy and performance.

One of the aspects of ESG responsibility is branding, which is the process of creating a distinctive identity and image for a product or service. The new study guide explains what a brand is, how it works, and why it matters for procurement.

The third sector’s objective is to address social or environmental issues through charitable or voluntary activities. The new study guide emphasizes the need for effective procurement in this sector, as it can help to improve efficiency, quality, transparency and accountability.

I hope this revision helps you understand how L4M1 has been updated in the new syllabus. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know.

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