The Cooperative Financial Services (CFS) has announced a partnership with the National Outsourcing Association (NOA) for its supplier management development programme. The news follows the recent announcement by the NOA of their partnership with HML part of the Skipton Building Society.

The CFS programme, known as The Professional Certificate in Outsourcing Practice, has been designed to develop participants’ ability to apply best practice principles to the management of business relationships. Structured as a blend of workshops and distance learning, the course is accredited at undergraduate degree level by Middlesex University, and can be tailored to meet the individual needs of specific organisations.

The CFS Sourcing Forum has established the programme in order to develop the skills of colleagues who are involved in the management of suppliers of outsourced and shared services operations. The Certificate is awarded by the NOA, the UK’s only outsourcing trade association and the center of excellence in outsourcing.

“The course has been designed to explain the basic concepts of outsourcing and introduces the NOA Life-cycle framework for best practice in outsourcing,” said Steve Briggs, Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Co-operative Financial Services. "As outsourced business underpins our ability to deliver a high quality service to customers it is essential we have expertise in managing those relationships. The Professional Certificate is an important part of helping us achieve that."

Course participants have recently completed Gateway, the first of three modules that make up the Professional Certificate in Outsourcing Practice. Of the 12 course participants, nearly half have submitted work of a standard which should put them well onto the road to achieve a merit or distinction once they have completed the programme.

Martyn Hart, Chairman of the National Outsourcing Association (NOA), commented: “The NOA is delighted with the progress of the group and impressed by the level of commitment the 12 individuals have demonstrated. The programme is clearly helping them to develop their practice and to ensure that they are all able to manage supplier relationships to ensure optimum performance for CFS.”

The group will continue with module 2 of the Professional Certificate; which enables them to explore approaches to outsourcing in more detail. Module 2 will be completed before the end of 2010 with the NOA Professional Certificate itself awarded in early Spring 2011.