(c) Guidelines for open tendering should be included in the Procurement Manual, and the Manual should specify the frequency at which the Supplier Review Committee should review the evaluation of the potential suppliers

For example, the Manual did not specify the frequency at which the Supplier Roster Committee should review the evaluation of the supplier applications and review recommendations for the removal of suppliers from the roster.

The Board recommends that guidelines for open tendering should be included in the Procurement Manual and that the Manual should specify the frequency at which the Supplier Review Committee should review the evaluation of potential suppliers.

Supplier roster

Vendor registration

The Manual did not specify the frequency at which the Supplier Review Committee should review the evaluation of the potential suppliers and review recommendations for removal of suppliers from the roster.

Further, a new full time Vendor Roster Officer was assigned and, as outlined in the revised 2006 United Nations Procurement Manual, the vendor management programme is under revision.

The revised Procurement Manual contains guidelines on supplier selection criteria.

Procurement vendor roster

Procurement vendor roster

III. Vendor roster

There are also manuals that explain the procedure to the reverse auctioneer and suppliers.

In paragraph 540, the Board recommends that the Administration deal only with suppliers duly listed in the roster of vendors to protect the interests of the United Nations, and comply with the provisions of the United Nations Procurement Manual in regard to vendor selection.

(f) Include guidelines for open tendering in the Procurement Manual and specify in the Manual the frequency at which the Supplier Review Committee should review the evaluation of potential suppliers (para. 104)

The need for broadening the geographical base of the supplier roster and the procurement of goods and services on as wide a geographical basis as possible was emphasized.

The need for broadening the geographical base of the supplier roster and the procurement of goos and services on as wide a geographical basis as possible was emphasized.

In paragraph 272, the Board recommended that the Administration consider the feasibility of compliance by missions with the Procurement Manual in respect of local vendor review committees vendor database officers with a view to revising the Manual, if appropriate, while ensuring proper controls and accountability.

The Manual states that the Member and Observer States of the United Nations may, at the discretion of the Chief of the Procurement Division, be allowed to provide names of possible applicants for the supplier roster.

In Brazil, ERAs are open to all suppliers registered in the centralized contractor supplier register (SICAF).

The Inspector believes that the common guidelines represent an opportunity for the development of a model manual for the procurement community, and not only for the benefit of suppliers.

22. The evaluation criteria and the procedure for registration of vendors established under the revised Procurement Manual for supplier procedures should be reviewed over time to see whether any further modifications are required.

With respect to supplier performance, ESCWA advises that, in the absence of a post of Supplier Roster Officer, the job description of one staff will include periodical maintenance of the supplier roster and relevant files.

The Board recommended that guidelines for open tendering be included in the Procurement Manual, which should also specify the frequency at which the Supplier Review Committee should review the evaluation of potential suppliers (A 53 5, chap. II, paras. 99 104).

23. The Board considered that, although the new Procurement Manual updated the procurement guidelines in the United Nations, it required improvement in the areas of open tendering and the supplier roster.

Furthermore, information on the registration status of vendors recommended for contract awards is now supplied to the Headquarters Committee on Contracts to verify that established vendor registration procedures have been followed.

Systems contracts

In paragraph 238 of the Board's report, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) agreed with the Board's recommendation that it (a) establish a supplier review committee as required by section 5.03 of the Procurement Manual, and (b) review supplier performance prior to the awarding of contracts to vendors, pursuant to section 5.14 of the Procurement Manual.

International Merchandise Trade Statistics Compilers Manual (Compilers Manual)4 was released in 2004.

Application Manuals

In paragraph 82, the Board recommended that the Tribunal comply with the Procurement Manual with regard to the principle of equality and fair treatment of all prospective vendors.

In paragraph 312 of the report, UNDP agreed with the Board's recommendation that it evaluate supplier performance in terms of the guidance provided in the UNDP Procurement Manual.

18. In a related recommendation, in paragraph 11 (f), the Board recommended that the Administration include guidelines for open tendering in the Procurement Manual and specify in the Manual the frequency at which the Supplier Review Committee should review the evaluation of potential suppliers.

The revised Procurement Manual gives discretion to the procurement officer to decide the time to be given to bidders in each case depending on the circumstances, and suggests that for average requirements a period of four to five weeks should be allowed for supplier response.

The Board s review disclosed that the bids were invited from the registered vendors in the vendor supplier roster of the Procurement Division.

Provision of guidelines, manuals and training

61. At the fourth meeting, there was consensus that there had been insufficient time to review the draft manual adequately and, therefore, the adoption of the manual should be postponed until the next meeting.

It was clear from paragraph 93 that the requirement to ensure that suppliers from as wide a geographical base as possible were registered on the vendor roster was not being taken into account in awarding contracts.

12. Further regrets that, despite the initial efforts of the Secretary General, the supplier roster is still not representative of the membership of the Organization, and requests him to intensify further and focus his efforts to broaden the geographical base of the supplier roster

The Board considers that rather than leaving it to the discretion of the Chief of the Procurement Division, the Member and Observer States should be routinely invited to offer details of potential suppliers so that the vendors in the supplier roster are drawn from as wide a geographical area as possible.

Also requests the Secretary General to continue to ensure that consistent non compliance and poor performance by vendors is recorded and that appropriate action is taken with respect to their inclusion on the list of vendors

With that in mind, he suggested that it should be the mandate holders themselves who updated the Manual in an open and consultative manner, and that the Manual should be made public.

Accordingly, the Secretary General believes that the most appropriate and practical way to increase the participation of vendors from developing countries and countries with economies in transition in the award of United Nations procurement is through their enrolment in the supplier roster.

As part of this exercise, the Procurement Section has also reportedly utilized the vendor roster provided by the Headquarters Procurement Division.

12. Further regrets that, despite the initial efforts of the Secretary General, the supplier roster is still not representative of the membership of the Organization, and requests him to intensify further and focus his efforts to broaden the geographical base of the supplier roster

These should appear in documents such as management directives, administrative policies, procedures manuals and accounting manuals.