The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) recently awarded UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) with the Contract Management Education Award.
With the award, SCPS is recognized as a school whose contract management curriculum and training exemplifies a standard of excellence and promotes the competencies outlined in the Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK®) and Contract Management Standard (CMS™).
The goal at the heart of the SCPS Procurement and Contracts Management Certificate program is to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge, experience in the industry and the confidence to tackle something new. SCPS program coordinator, Jimm Rich acknowledged the effort the School invested in ensuring its curriculum and training aligns with and promotes CMBOK and CMS core competencies, and how this work translates into added benefit for SCPS students. Rich stated, “Adopting the standard has been important to [SCPS] because we believe it facilitates the best outcome for students in our Procurement and Contracts Management certificate program. Our goal is to support students in successfully passing their certification exam, in developing critical skills needed by employers, and in growing in their careers. Receiving the Contract Management Education Award is an excellent indication that we are on the right track and signifies that our School provides students with the knowledge and experience needed to achieve their career goals.“
With over 100,000 contract management professionals, NCMA is an influential organization dedicated to fostering a globally recognized contract management profession and strengthening its connections with related acquisition communities. Through its steadfast commitment to facilitating the growth, advancement and impact of practitioners, NCMA provides a platform for the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums, driving innovation and excellence in the field of contract management.
Values shared between SCPS and the professional organization initially prompted the School’s adoption of the CMS. “We recognized NCMA’s role as a proponent of contract management professionalism and as an organization that encourages careerists to consider that working in the public or private sector should not be a barrier to exploring shared values,” Rich explained. “CMS adoption has provided our School with an excellent framework to ensure our students are prepared for success in their careers and has fostered a shared commitment amongst our instructors to expose students to the contract management profession and the laws, regulations and policies that shape the contract management environment across all sectors.”
Students enroll in the SCPS Procurement and Contracts Management certificate program with different backgrounds and different career goals, but SCPS aims to help each one build confidence in themselves as skilled professionals, advance their careers and increase their earning potential.
“We are honored to receive NCMA’s Contract Management Education Award as an indication that we are doing our best to prepare students for a brighter future, equipped with meaningful skills and knowledge,” shared SCPS Dean, Melissa Lubin.