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CIPS Global Standard 2030

  • ukrsedo
  • Apr 23
  • 4 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Mapping WEF Core Skills for 2030 with the CIPS Global Standard

The “future of work” isn’t all about embracing cyber-physical systems—it’s about whether procurement leaders can keep up.

The World Economic Forum identified skills which will matter the most by 2030. So, I mapped the CIPS Global Standard v4.0 against the WEF’s Core and Emerging Skills matrix for 2030.

Graph titled "The Core Skills for 2030" shows emerging, core, and out-of-focus skills using colored dots. X-axis: 2025, Y-axis: 2030 predictions.
Key skills anticipated to shape the workforce by 2030 are illustrated in this chart, highlighting areas like AI, big data, and technological literacy as crucial. It categorizes these skills into emerging, core, out-of-focus, and steady, based on employer expectations for their essentiality by 2025 and projected usage increase by 2030.

Here’s what I found.

CIPS Segment

CIPS Theme

Seniority Level

2030 Emerging skills

2030 Core Skills

1.1 Understanding the Role

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Tactical


Systems Thinking

1.2 Apply Procedures

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Tactical


Resilience, Flexibility and Agility

1.3 Advising Stakeholders

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Operational


Resilience, Flexibility, Agility, Empathy and Active Listening

1.4 Improving the Role

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Operational


Creative Thinking

1.5 Developing SCM

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Managerial


AI and Big Data

1.6 Leading P&S Function

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Professional


Leadership and Social Influence

1.7 Strategy Development

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Professional


Systems Thinking

1.8 Building Relationships

Theme 1: Position & Influence

Advanced Professional


Empathy and Active Listening

2.1 Recognise Sectors

Theme 2: External Environment

Tactical


Analytical Thinking

2.2 Impact of External Environment

Theme 2: External Environment

Tactical


Analytical Thinking

2.3 Understanding Market Mgmt

Theme 2: External Environment

Operational

Marketing and Media

Analytical Thinking

2.4 Globalisation Impact

Theme 2: External Environment

Managerial

Global Citizenship

Analytical Thinking

2.5 SCM Contexts

Theme 2: External Environment

Professional


Analytical Thinking

2.6 Challenges of Global SCM

Theme 2: External Environment

Advanced Professional

Global Citizenship

Systems Thinking

2.7 Strategy in Organisation

Theme 2: External Environment

Advanced Professional


Systems Thinking

2.8 Finance in Organisation

Theme 2: External Environment

Advanced Professional


Analytical Thinking, Curiosity and Lifelong Learning

3.1 Understanding Systems

Theme 3: Technology

Tactical

Networks and Cybersecurity

Technological Literacy

3.2 Using Systems

Theme 3: Technology

Operational

Networks and Cybersecurity

Technological Literacy

3.3 Developing Systems

Theme 3: Technology

Managerial

Programming

Technological Literacy

3.4 Use of Technology

Theme 3: Technology

Professional

Networks and Cybersecurity

Technological Literacy, AI and Big Data

3.5 Improving System Capabilities

Theme 3: Technology

Advanced Professional

Design and User Experience

Technological Literacy, AI and Big Data

3.6 Data Integrity

Theme 3: Technology

Advanced Professional

Networks and Cybersecurity

Technological Literacy, AI and Big Data

4.1 Effective Purchasing

Theme 4: Spend Management

Tactical


Resource Management and Operations

4.2 Inventory Control

Theme 4: Spend Management

Tactical


Resource Management and Operations

4.5 Category Management

Theme 4: Spend Management

Managerial


Analytical Thinking

5.1 Contract Admin

Theme 5: Contracting

Tactical


Resource Management and Operations

5.2 Developing Contracts

Theme 5: Contracting

Operational


Systems Thinking

5.4 Legal Aspects

Theme 5: Contracting

Managerial


Curiosity and Lifelong Learning

6.1 Sourcing Process

Theme 6: Sourcing

Tactical


Systems Thinking

6.6 Negotiation

Theme 6: Sourcing

Professional


Resilience, Flexibility and Agility, Analytical Thinking

7.1 Logistics Mgmt

Theme 7: Delivering Outcomes

Tactical


Service Orientation and Customer Service

7.6 Supplier Performance

Theme 7: Delivering Outcomes

Professional


Service Orientation and Customer Service

8.1 Develop KPIs

Theme 8: Metrics & Measurement

Operational


Analytical Thinking, AI and Big Data

8.3 Use Analytics

Theme 8: Metrics & Measurement

Advanced Professional


Analytical Thinking, AI and Big Data

9.1 Team Dev

Theme 9: Developing Teams

Tactical


Talent Management, Empathy and Active Listening

9.2 Leadership

Theme 9: Developing Teams

Professional


Leadership and Social Influence

10.1 Self Assessment

Theme 10: Developing Self

Tactical


Motivation and Self-awareness

10.5 Change Mgmt

Theme 10: Developing Self

Professional

Design and User Experience

Motivation and Self-awareness

11.1 Ethical Standards

Theme 11: Ethics

Tactical

Environmental Stewardship

Resilience, Flexibility and Agility

11.4 Governance

Theme 11: Ethics

Professional

Design and User Experience

Systems Thinking

The Good: CIPS Isn't Out of Touch

Some themes from the CIPS framework already play nicely with the skills we know are rising in importance: CIPS excels in promoting strategy formulation, digital awareness, and stakeholder management.

These map well to "Analytical Thinking," "Tech Literacy," and the all-important "Leadership & Social Influence."

The Weak: Tactical-Level Overload, Strategic Blind Spots

Tactical and Operational competencies feel overengineered for yesterday’s job descriptions. Themes like “Apply Procedures” or “Recognise Sectors” look rusty when WEF is shouting about Curiosity, Creativity, and Agility.

Let’s be honest: if “manual dexterity” is still on our radars in 2025, we're extinct.

The Gap: Self-Efficacy & Ethical Courage Are Now Business Critical

One major omission? Self-efficacy skills.

Things like resilience, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and curiosity barely resonate with the Global Standard. Yet these are precisely what WEF ranks as dominant differentiators by 2030.

Theme 11 in the CIPS Global Standard - Ethics- is still too focused on policy compliance rather than ethical courage or influence in dynamic governance scenarios.

In the next five years

  1. Reweight the importance of themes: shift focus from process-heavy tasks to cognitive and behavioural agility.

  2. Infuse cross-cutting capabilities like “Tech Fluency” and “Creative Thinking” across all levels, not just the advanced roles.

  3. Add behavioural indicators for emotional maturity, coaching, and psychological resilience. These are no longer soft skills - they’re survival skills.

If the profession is going to shine, the frameworks we use must evolve faster than our buzzwords do.

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