Liberian Lawyer Prince W. Kieh Earns Prestigious CIPS Qualification In Procurement and Supply Amid Push For Reform

SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom – Liberian lawyer Prince W. Kieh Sr. has been qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS), a professional qualification that could contribute to strengthening procurement and supply chain management in Liberia as public institutions increasingly adopt electronic procurement systems.

The qualification was conferred on October 16 in Sheffield, United Kingdom, by the prestigious Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), following Kieh’s several years of academic and professional development in different countries, including the United States and Denmark.

Established in the United Kingdom in the 1930s, CIPS is an internationally recognized professional body in procurement and supply.

The MCIPS designation represents professional membership of the institute and is associated with recognized standards of professional competence in the field of procurement and supply.

Kieh’s achievement comes as Liberia pursues reforms aimed at improving public procurement, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that public resources deliver greater value for money.

The rollout of the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) system across ministries, agencies, and commissions (MACs) underscores the need for professionals with expertise in procurement regulations, contract management, supply chain operations, and the legal frameworks governing public spending.The MCIPS designation strengthens Kieh’s professional background, considering his current role as Legal Manager of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), where he previously served as Procurement Manager, supervising procurement processes and the operational challenges associated with acquiring goods and services.

His experience in both procurement and legal management provides a combination of practical and legal knowledge relevant to strengthening procurement systems. While procurement professionals work to ensure that goods, services and works are acquired efficiently, legal expertise is essential for managing contractual obligations, reducing disputes, ensuring compliance and protecting institutional interests.

With the addition of the MCIPS qualification, Kieh says he intends to apply his knowledge to practical solutions that improve government procurement and supply chain management.

“By innovating and providing sustainable approaches that lead to strategic decision-making in government supply chains, we can add value and reduce waste,” Kieh stated.

He identified sustainable government procurement as another area where his newly acquired knowledge could support national development, particularly through measures to reduce the environmental impact of government operations.

“I will focus on reducing the carbon footprint of government operations by implementing sustainable government procurement,” he said, stressing that supply chain risk management and contract administration are important areas requiring stronger professional capacity in public institutions.

“Developing strategies to mitigate government supply chain risks and ensuring effective contract management to reduce contract-related risks are important for our country,” he said, adding that he intends to contribute to “many other supply chain-related solutions and innovations.”

The introduction of the E-GP system in Liberia offers opportunities to improve transparency, strengthen record-keeping, and make procurement processes more efficient.

However, digital systems alone cannot guarantee better outcomes because their effectiveness also depends on sound procurement planning, competent contract management, compliance with applicable laws, and the ability to identify and address supply chain risks.

Professionals like Atty. Kieh, with combined experience in law, procurement, finance, and supply chain management, can help bridge the gap between the introduction of new systems and their effective implementation.

This can contribute to reducing procurement delays, limiting waste, improving contract performance, and ensuring that public institutions obtain goods and services at competitive prices.

Atty. Kieh holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the University of Liberia, in addition to a master’s degree in Finance, Banking and Economics and an LLB from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.

These qualifications complement his professional experience by providing a foundation in management, financial decision-making, law and the economic implications of procurement practices.

Kieh says he is willing to make his professional expertise available to institutions seeking to improve procurement and supply chain management, strengthen institutional systems, and reduce waste.

As Liberia modernizes its procurement system, applying professional expertise will be crucial to improving transparency, efficiency, sustainability, and value for money. Ultimately, the success of these reforms will not only depend on how effectively waste is reduced and improvement of public service delivery, but also on having qualified experts to ensure that national resources contribute meaningfully to Liberia’s development.