60. Procurement continues to be a high priority oversight area for OIOS.

(c) The European Union does to have a stated policy of preference or ineligibility concerning procurement among its members.

11. The Office should finalize the handbook on procurement procedures as a matter of priority (para. 25).

(a) The Office should finalize its handbook on procurement procedures as a matter of priority (para. 25)

25. The Board recommends that the Office finalize the handbook on procurement procedures as a matter of priority.

UNDP Inter Agency Procurement Services Office (IAPSO) already has an advanced e procurement platform.

Priority of acquisition security rights over pre registered non acquisition security rights in future inventory

Priority of acquisition security rights over pre registered non acquisition security rights in future goods other than inventory

In the area of procurement and contract management, UNDP is committed to the four high priority recommendations of the Board.

Priority of acquisition security rights in proceeds of inventory

Moreover, as suggested at informal sessions, the Procurement Division has also contacted the World Bank, which has advised that it, too, does not have such a policy of providing preferential treatment in its procurement practices.

Procurement Services should identify priorities for the guidance and training of its staff members in a structured manner, for example, based on the outcomes of their performance evaluations, and with reference to the organisation's procurement requirements and the Service's performance.

Local capacity building and preference to local procurement are ways of strengthening local empowerment and involvement.

Although no figures have been provided, the Government reports that all procurement processes are advertised in three languages (a priority).

Many delegations urged that the Secretariat take all possible measures to increase procurement from developing countries, that troop contributors be given preferential consideration for procurement of goods and services for their personnel and that the lowest priority be given to Member States that were not meeting their financial obligations.

Both the Geneva and Vienna offices had established volume purchase agreements with preferred suppliers, both to help speed up procurement and to obtain discounts on items ordered on a regular basis, such as computer equipment, office furniture and stationery.

Systems contracts are feasible when there is advance procurement planning and the cooperation of the requisitioning offices is given at all phases of procurement.

Knowledge and information

Language

Equipment purchased during the year was lower than planned due to a scale down of original purchases planned.

The widespread use by United Nations organizations of shortlisting as the preferred method for issuing tenders, along with the devolution of increased procurement authority and higher thresholds to field activities, further promoted procurement from local markets.

34. Requisitions should continue to be approved first by the Field Administration and Logistics Division using the electronic method of transmission before being passed to the Field Missions Procurement Section for procurement action.

19. High risk and cost significant areas, such as peacekeeping, humanitarian activities, procurement and the newly established bodies, should be given priority by OIOS.

Those institutions do not apply any preferences for their own procurement.

UNPD United Nations Procurement Division

See IAPSO procurement statistics at www.iapso.org.

(e) The Administration should establish a global procurement planning process in order to avoid unwarranted extensions of contracts and also to benefit from economies of scale where possible (para. 59)

The Administration should establish a global procurement planning process in order to avoid unwarranted extensions of contracts and also to benefit from economies of scale where possible (para. 59) .

Where, however, the procurement officer believes that such a supplier should be invited to tender, then the concurrence of the Chief of the Procurement Division must first be obtained.

IAPSO Inter Agency Procurement Services Office

(b) Inter Agency Procurement Services Office

The Committee recommends that high priority be accorded to this matter and that the Secretary General report on the steps taken in this regard in his full report on the implementation of procurement reform.

These include better procurement planning by requisitioning units, streamlining the procurement process in the Procurement Division and by the Headquarters Committee on Contracts and making necessary changes to the procurement framework, including regulations, rules and refinements in the Procurement Manual.

The Section is considering new procurement practices to provide more flexibility for small purchases.

The Procurement Division was reorganized, procurement staff received training, the delegation of procurement authority has been adjusted and new procurement guidelines were finalized.

Moreover, each organization has its own legislative body, mandate and priorities and utilizes its own ERP system in meeting its procurement needs.

It endorsed the priority areas identified in paragraph 18 of the report (A 52 426), in particular procurement, where there were many temptations to commit fraud.

22. In its previous report (A 51 533), the Advisory Committee had expressed the opinion that procurement reform should be given top priority in the United Nations and in the funds and programmes.

JPS Joint Purchase Service

The Inter Agency Procurement Working Group (IAPWG)

E. Other priorities for global action

But, there must be priority action on development.

The Procurement Division was reorganized, procurement staff received training, the delegation of procurement authority has been adjusted and new procurement guidelines were finalized.

Chapter II indicated that peacekeeping missions, humanitarian activities and procurement had been priority areas for oversight, as in the previous reporting period, and that problems in establishing new United Nations bodies had been addressed as an additional priority during the period covered by the report.

IAPWG Inter Agency Procurement Working Group