UNAIDS Executive Director
The UNAIDS Executive Director has overall responsibility for all UNAIDS property, plant and equipment (PPE).
Director, Planning, Finance and Accountability
The Director, Planning, Finance and Accountability department / Management and Governance Branch (MER) has overall responsibility for financial management and the reporting of PPE in UNAIDS.
UNAIDS Regional Directors and UNAIDS Country Directors
Regional Directors have delegated authority for management and overall duty of care for recognized assets and attractive items in their regions.
Regional Directors may further delegate this responsibility to the relevant UNAIDS Country Directors (UCD) and UNAIDS Country Officers (UCO), as applicable.
The responsibility can only be delegated to staff members, and it must be done in writing.
Chiefs, Technology Management Division, TIN and Support Services, HRM
The Chiefs, Technology Management Division, TIN and Support Services, HRM have the responsibility for the management and overall care of recognized assets and attractive items in Headquarters. The division of responsibility among the chiefs is based on asset category classification, these are Major and Minor asset category.
Custodians
Custodians are staff members or other individuals entrusted with items of PPE for official use. Custodians are responsible for exercising due diligence and care to protect the item(s) under their custody from loss, theft and damage.
Custodians must properly use or operate the items in their custody appropriately safeguard them and return them to UNAIDS in the same condition that they were received, except for normal wear and tear.
In view of this obligation to take all reasonable safeguards to protect the organization’s property, payment for the repair or replacement of any property lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged as a result of negligence or willful misconduct may be required from the person(s) determined to be responsible for such loss or damage.
Items of PPE stolen, lost or damaged through no fault of the person concerned will not result in any personal responsibility and will be repaired or replaced, if necessary, using UNAIDS funding and normal budgetary procedures.
Custodians must sign a responsibility form when receiving the items and.must provide access to the assets to personnel in charge of the physical inventory whenever this exercise is carried out.
Every recognized asset and attractive item has a designated custodian.Accountability and Financial responsibility on the theft, loss or damage of items of PPE
Loss, theft or damage of items of PPE may be the result of accidental loss or damage, or unavoidable theft or robbery. Alternatively, it may be due to circumstances within a person’s control, such as simple negligence, gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the custodian or others.
Simple negligence is a failure to act as a reasonably prudent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstance.
Gross negligence is a failure to exercise even a slight degree of care, or an extreme departure from the course of action expected of a reasonable person, all circumstances considered.
Willful misconduct is an intentional or deliberate violation of rules or policies, including fraud and dishonesty.
Custodians are obliged to report instances of loss, theft or damage to the appropriate Asset Focal Point by submitting a police report (if applicable) and form PT.16.6 UNAIDS Security Incident Report
The Asset Focal points are responsible to submit to HQPDC the request for Disposal of such item(s). The HQPDC will ascertain the circumstances surrounding the theft, loss, damage or destructions of the item of PPE reported and will decide if the incident was outside the person’s control or whether it was due to negligence or willful misconduct and will determine financial responsibility.
The HQPDC will notify the custodian whether he or she will be held financially responsible for the damage, loss or theft or is absolved from responsibility.
In cases of loss, destruction or damage due to simple negligence, the amount of reimbursement will be the fair market value of the item. When an item requires repair, the amount of reimbursement will be the total cost of repair or the fair market value of an item whichever is lower.
In cases of loss, destruction or damage due to gross negligence or willful misconduct, the amount of reimbursement will be the current replacement cost of the asset or equipment. When an item requires repair, the reimbursement will be the total cost of repair or the current replacement cost of the item whichever is lower.
Reimbursement will be made in accordance with the policy for recovery of overpayments and underpayments as specified in the WHO e-Manual section III.3.16 Recovery of overpayments and section XII.9.2 Personal accounts - advances and hold
When warranted due to willful misconduct or gross negligence, UNAIDS may also take disciplinary action, including termination of contract or appointment in accordance with the applicable regulations, rules, policies and procedures.
Persons reporting losses, damage or destruction of items of PPE committed by others are protected from reprisal pursuant to the Whistleblowing and protection against retaliation policy available in the UNAIDS Intranet under Resources for UNAIDS > Ethics
Assets Focal Points
Asset Focal Points (AFP) are staff members designated by the Executive Director or staff with delegation of authority, as established above. They are responsible for:
- reporting on PPE items for a designated area of responsibility (e.g. a physical office or organizational department/unit);
- ensuring all PPE items are fully registered in the official book of records of UNAIDS (ERP system);
- ensuring every PPE item is properly tagged and assigned a custodian;
- carrying out spot checks on items under his/her responsibility and performing the annual physical inventory;
- registering changes to PPE items (e.g. transfers of custodians or locations); and
- requesting approvals for disposals through the delegated manager, and ensuring the disposals are carried out and registered by FRC’s responsible staff once authorized.
Receiver
The receiver is the person certifying the receipt of an acquired PPE item and is responsible for:- ensuring the AFP receives the information needed to finalize the registration process;
- confirming the goods ordered have been delivered;
- confirming the quantities received are correct;
- confirming the condition of the goods is acceptable;
- assigning and affix a barcode label on the goods;
- preparing a “Transfer of Responsibility” form to be countersigned by the Requestor, who then will become the custodian;
- registering the goods in a receipt log;
- creating the receipt in ERP and (if applicable) completing the barcode information page;
- informing the Requestor—and, if applicable, informing the AFP—that the goods have been received in ERP.
The Asset Focal Point (AFP) and Receiver could be the same staff member in some offices.