01.03 Definition of procurement


Procurement is the overall process of acquiring goods, services and works through purchasing, lease, rental, hire-purchase or other legal means of contracting.
Procurement includes: 
  • planning and forecasting 
  • identification of needs 
  • sourcing and tendering
  • contract preparation 
  • award of contract 
  • contract administration (including monitoring and evaluation) 
  • delivery of the goods or services, 
  • close of contract or the end of the useful life of an asset.
The scope of procurement, as defined by UNAIDS, is limited to commercial activities; it does not include inter-agency agreements, Programme Funding Agreements (PFAs), Direct Financial Contributions (DFC) or public–private partnerships, all of which are subject to other policies and procedures, as specified in Chapter 17: Non-commercial contracts.

The contracting of individuals for staff positions falls outside the scope of the Procurement manual.