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NISCL-CSCL Maintenance

CPD Policy Update: Annual Cycle, 30-Hour Requirement, and Dual Designation Perks

As part of our strategic partnership with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), all NISCL-CSCL designation holders in good standing now also hold the prestigious MCIPS designation. To maintain both designations, members must complete 30 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) annually. Completion of these 30 CPD hours annually will be sufficient for both the NISCL-CSCL and MCIPS designation maintenance.

Please review the policy in detail. Review the revised CPD policy here.

Key Changes to the CPD Policy (Effective May 1, 2025)

  1. Annual CPD Cycle
    All CPD cycles are now annual, running from May 1 to April 30 each year. This aligns with your membership cycle and simplifies tracking.

  2. 30 CPD Hours Required Annually 
    We've transitioned from a credit-based system to an hours-based model. You must now report 30 hours of learning activities each year. Activities can be structured (e.g., workshops, webinars) or unstructured (e.g., mentoring, reading).

  3. Leadership Development Commitment
    At least 10 of the 30 hours must focus on leadership development. A minimum of 5 hours of these hours must be structured learning, while the remaining can be unstructured learning.

  4. Mandatory Ethics Assessment
    Members must complete the CIPS Ethics Test annually. This free resource is available in your MyCIPS account under "My Learning" and counts for up to 3 CPD hours.

NEW: Self-Reporting & Attestation Process

Starting this cycle (May 1, 2025-April 30, 2026), members are responsible for tracking their own CPD hours and will be asked to attest to completing the required hours during their annual renewal. This approach supports professional autonomy while maintaining accountability.

Tracking your CPD Activities:

  • You may use the CPD Tracking Form available here for your convenience.
  • This form is optional and provided to help you organize your activities. You are not required to use this specific format and can develop your own record-keeping document, if you wish.
  • To support your annual CPD attestation, you must maintain a personal record of your structured and unstructured learning activities, including hours spent on each activity. (Remember, we are switching to hours-based record-keeping and we will no longer require you to convert hours to credits!)

For guidance on what qualifies as CPD, visit our FAQs.

Breakdown of CPD Categories

To help you meet the 30-hour CPD requirement, here’s how each category is defined and what qualifies:

Leadership Development

10 of your 30 required CPD hours must focus on leadership development.

This includes growing the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that empower professionals to guide, influence, and motivate others.

At least 5 hours must be from structured sources (e.g., courses, workshops, webinars), while the remaining 5 hours can be unstructured (e.g., mentoring, leading projects, team motivation).

Ethics Assessment

Each year, members must complete the Ethics Assessment, available for free under My Learning in your My CIPS account.

These assessments cover topics like ESG responsibilities, human rights, bribery, fraud, and corruption.

The time spent on this mandatory activity can count for up to 3 hours of your 30 CPD hours.

Discretionary CPD Activities

The remaining 17 hours of your CPD requirement are flexible.

These can include any mix of structured or unstructured learning that supports your professional development in supply chain and procurement—like books, podcasts, industry research, informal learning, or peer discussions.

Have Questions? Read the CPD FAQs