Procurement roles in UNAIDS are outlined below.
Oversight
The Deputy Executive Director, Management and Governance Branch (MER) has the overall responsibility for oversight of procurement in UNAIDS.
The Deputy Director, MER, has entrusted this responsibility to the Director of Planning, Finance and Accountability (PFA).
Coordination
The Chief of Financial Services, Risk Management and Compliance (FRC), supported by the Procurement and Travel Specialist, is responsible for developing, reviewing and implementing procurement policies and procedures, as well as monitoring existing procurement function and policies.
Conducting procurement
At Headquarters, liaison, regional and country offices, designated staff members conducting procurement are entrusted to carry out procurement functions; normally this will be assigned to one individual in each office or unit. The key elements of his or her role in the procurement process are as follows:
- perform market analysis (in consultation with responsible staff;
- review the requirements of end-users in terms of cost effectiveness and need, taking into account life-cycle costs, as well as responsibility and sustainability issues;
- ensure the business needs of UNAIDS are met through its procurement of goods and services;
- identify and engage necessary technical skills for the procurement process;
- ensure that appropriate and generic specifications and Terms of Reference (TORs) are used;
- ensure that all procurement processes are compliant with policy directives, and that approvals are obtained at the appropriate delegation of authority (DOA) level;
- manage the procurement process;
- finalize contractual agreements and formal documentation, as well as the submission of that material to the appropriate authority;
- establish a clear audit trail;
- notify all those who participated in the tender of the outcome of procurement process; and
- contribute to the ongoing review and improvement of the UNAIDS Procurement manual.
Procurement Requestors
The term “Procurement Requestor” is used in this manual to describe the person or technical unit responsible for formulating procurement requirements and for ensuring that these requirements are fully and appropriately defined and justified.
The key elements of the Procurement Requestor in procurement are as follows:
- define the needs in specifications and TORs, and identify minimum and desirable elements needed while drafting them;
- ensure that the request is appropriate for the needs and that it has been included in the relevant unit’s procurement plan;
- ensure that funds are available;
- remain active and involved throughout the procurement cycle;
- regular monitoring of performance to ensure timely receipt of quality deliverables;
- ensure the effective management of the contract (including the receipt of goods or delivery of services), and sign-off when the original (or formally amended) requirements have been met; and
- ensure that final technical and financial reports are submitted; supplier evaluation is carried out and contract closed.