The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

#1472 Improvements to Sourcing change request pending

Addition of 'negotiation' to the Guidance notes and Level 6 description

Guidance notes

We suggest adding the following dot point to the guidance notes:

  • negotiating with potential suppliers and other stakeholders

Rationale for this suggestion

Levels 4, 5 and 7 mention negotiating, as does our proposed change to level 6 below. It therefore makes sense that one of the activities involved in exercising this Sourcing skill would be 'negotiating with potential suppliers and other stakeholders'.

Sourcing: Level 6

We propose the following addition to the Level 6 description:

  • Conducts complex negotiations and sets the parameters for less complex negotiations with potential suppliers and other stakeholders.

Rationale for this suggestion

Levels 4, 5 and 7 currently mention negotiation, but level 6 does not. We observe that our Level 6 sourcing officers do undertake complex contract negotiations and set the parameters for level 5 and below negotiations. It is somewhat implicit presently, but we suggest making it explicit.

This proposal was developed through a collaboration between the Digital Sourcing Network and the APS Digital Profession.

Proposed change applies to Sourcing

Current status of this request: pending

Matthew Burrows
Sep 28, 2023 11:17 AM

I think the reference to negotiating in level 7 is potentially misplaced, and should be moved to level 6. Often level 7 is less hands-on and more about directing, so I would challenge whether it really belongs in the level 7 description.