APA’s Nicky Hingston speaks to Sharon Murphey Assistant Contracts Manager in the NHS, about her recent overall Distinction for the Level 4 Apprenticeship.
NH: Congratulations on recently passing your Level 4 Apprenticeship with Distinction! Now that you have completed the Level 4 Apprenticeship, what specific areas of procurement can say you definitely know more about now?
SM: I particularly feel I have more skills and knowledge in the areas listed below.
- Tender Process
- Negotiate and award the contract
- Contract Management
- Differences in specifications of services vs goods
Prior to undertaking the apprenticeship, I had large gaps in my knowledge and my experience in procuring goods was specific to the role I was in, which made my skills set very narrow.
NH: What would you say you can now do with more confidence?
SM: Before undertaking the level 4 diploma in CIPS I lacked the confidence to manage a portfolio of contracts effectively. I now approach this with confidence because I have a better understanding of the procurement cycle. I also have more in depth knowledge of public service regulations compared to the private sector. This is helped me advise other colleagues when managing contracts.
NH: How did you find the whole experience training with APA as a provider?
SM: I was quite nervous about undertaking this apprenticeship because of the exam element of this learning. I found how the training was structured helped a lot. Amanda Pedersen’s tutorials were very informative which I believe helped me pass my exams. I found the pace of the learning just about right. The information that was given via the CIPS module books was okay but it needed additional context which I felt the regular tutorials gave.
Amanda was also invaluable when helping with the End Point Assessment Project and Interview. There was lots of motivation and positive feedback which helped me continue. I had a real sense of achievement and received a distinction grade.
NH: What did you cover in your project report for End Point Assessment?
SM: I decided to cover the procurement of local services for pharmacies. This was a framework agreement and an interesting project. I learned a lot from actually doing the project which will help in the next contracting round.
NH: What did you learn from the process of putting together the report for EPA?
SM: There was a lot of analysis and reflection when doing the report. I particularly liked the literature review which gave a lot more context and this widened my knowledge on the subject.
NH: With the Level 4 Apprenticeship and CIPS Level 4 Diploma successfully completed, what does the future hold for you?
SM: I believe now I’m putting a lot of my learning into practise. I would like in the future to do some more modules at level 5.