CIPS L4M4 - Ethical and Responsible Sourcing

Explanation

An oligopoly. Perfect competition is a situation in a marketplace where there is plenty of competition. A monopoly or monopolistic competition would have 'imperfect competition'

Explanation

Request for Quotations can include more details than just prices. They can include specs and technical drawings and samples. It's like saying 'we can give you this price with these conditions'.

The other no answer is wrong because RfQ don't always include samples. A sample wouldn't be possible for a quote for an IT consultancy piece of work.

Strategic, high-value categories requiregreater management attention, as they have a significant impact on organisational performance, brand image, and risk exposure. A collaborative relationship allows for innovation, quality improvement, continuity of supply, and alignment with ethical and sustainability objectives. Low-value or non-critical categories are more suited to transactional or arm’s length relationships. Ethical and responsible sourcing requires procurement resources to be prioritised according tovalue and strategic importance, ensuring high-risk categories receive appropriate governance and supplier engagement.

KPIs must be realistic, measurable, and achievable to drive performance improvement without creating unfair or unworkable expectations. Requiring delivery and returns within one hour is unlikely to be practical, even for a local supplier, and could increase costs, operational strain, or service failure. Ethical and responsible sourcing promotes setting proportionate KPIs that support continuous improvement and sustainable supplier relationships. Unrealistic KPIs undermine collaboration, damage trust, and may result in non-compliance rather than improved performance.

Assessing the ethical reputation of suppliers is crucial to mitigate risks associated with unethical practices. Negative media coverage regarding the fair treatment of subcontracted staff is a significant indicator of potential ethical issues within a supplier's operations. Such information can highlight concerns related to labor rights violations, discrimination, or unsafe working conditions, which can adversely affect the buying organization's reputation if not addressed.

Governance of ethical and sustainable behaviours involves monitoring risk coverage and transparency measures. Reviewing insurance clauses (1) ensures suppliers are prepared to cover liabilities responsibly. Checking conflict of interest registers (3) promotes transparency, reducing risks of corruption or unfair influence. Simply reviewing NDAs (4) or updated policies (2) does not provide direct assurance of ethical and sustainable practices. Responsible sourcing requires robust governance mechanisms that ensure supplier compliance, reduce risk, and maintain ethical integrity across the supply chain.

The balance sheet and profit and loss account provide a comprehensive view of an organisation’s financial health, showing assets, liabilities, and profits. These statements are essential in evaluating a supplier’s financial capacity, aligning with responsible sourcing practices for financial stability.

Explanation

The correct answer is 'yes- the public sector should advertise as a call for competition'. They do this in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Public Sector has to be transparent abouteverything and treat all suppliers equally. So they can't just approach the ones they like.

In the study guide it says OIEU and this is a typo. It's OJEU.

What is The OJEU in 2 minutes or less (trackerintelligence.com)

Explanation

Coercion is not a type of fraud. The other three are.

Explanation

total life-cycle costs include; acquisition costs, maintenance and training.

Added value and functional fit are quality criteria that should also be evaluated when selecting a supplier, but do not fall under total life-cycle costs.

Note: total life cycle costs and whole life asset management are the same thing. You may see both terms used in the exam. I think CIPS is moving more towards Whole Life Asset Management now as the preferred vocabulary but they're the same thing.