Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Technical command
35% weight
Check command of IT category sourcing: RFP/RFI construction, TCO and should-cost models, SaaS licensing metrics, MSA, SOW and SLA terms, plus tools like Coupa, Ariba or ServiceNow.
Evidence to listen for
Commands the instruments, models, or reporting standards the role turns on
Can build the analysis rather than only interpret someone else's
Knows the assumptions inside a model and which ones actually drive the answer
Fluent in the frameworks and disclosure regimes that apply
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot explain the instruments or standards they claim to work with.
2
Needs Improvement
Interprets others' analysis but cannot build or defend it.
3
Satisfactory
Solid working command; thin on unfamiliar structures or standards.
4
Very Good
Builds the analysis and knows which assumptions actually move the answer.
5
Excellent
Names specific license models (per-core, MAU, consumption), builds defensible should-cost baselines, and cites clauses they redlined in MSAs and DPAs.
02
Evaluation factor
Deals and deliverables that closed
25% weight
Probe actual contracts they owned end to end: annual spend, renewal or rebid outcomes, negotiated savings against baseline, and how finance validated the reported number.
Evidence to listen for
Names transactions, filings, or reports they worked, with size, counterparties, and their own scope
Distinguishes their contribution from the deal team's
Knows what happened afterwards, including what underperformed
Can describe one that fell over and why
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No completed work; describes process rather than outcomes.
2
Needs Improvement
Involved in transactions but cannot state their own scope.
3
Satisfactory
Real deliverables with adequate ownership; outcomes described loosely.
4
Very Good
Named transactions or filings with clear personal scope and honest post-mortems.
5
Excellent
Quotes contract values, realised savings percentages and cycle times, and explains how procurement finance signed off on the benefit claim.
03
Evaluation factor
Risk judgement
25% weight
Assess how they weigh vendor concentration, exit and lock-in risk, SOC 2 and GDPR data processing exposure, financial viability checks, and fourth-party subprocessor dependencies.
Evidence to listen for
Distinguishes a modelled risk from a real one
States confidence and what would change their view
Comfortable disagreeing with a number that suits everybody
Knows the limits of the data behind a projection, especially over long horizons
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Treats model output as truth; no sense of data limits.
2
Needs Improvement
Reports numbers without qualifying them; avoids unwelcome conclusions.
3
Satisfactory
Reasonable judgement; qualifies findings when prompted.
4
Very Good
States confidence unprompted and will hold an unpopular position on evidence.
5
Excellent
Describes a supplier they blocked or ring-fenced, citing audit findings, insolvency signals or missing exit clauses, and the mitigation agreed.
04
Evaluation factor
Explaining it to decision-makers
15% weight
Test how they brief CIOs, legal and budget owners: negotiation strategy papers, renewal calendars, benchmark data from Gartner or peer references, and handling engineering's preferred-vendor pushback.
Evidence to listen for
Explains a technical position to an investment committee, board, or regulator so they can act on it
Writes to the standard the audience is held to
Handles challenge without either caving or digging in
Works across legal, operations, and external counterparties
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot communicate beyond technical peers.
2
Needs Improvement
Explanations lose the audience or oversimplify to the point of error.
3
Satisfactory
Adequate with familiar audiences; less effective under challenge.
4
Very Good
Explains clearly to committees and regulators and holds up under challenge.
5
Excellent
Turns benchmark and TCO analysis into a clear recommendation, holds position against stakeholder pressure, and secures decisions without stalling delivery timelines.
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