UNITED NATIONS PROCUREMENT MANUAL

This Procurement Manual (PM) serves as operational guidance for all staff members involved in any stage of the procurement process by describing procurement (and related) processes and procedures. The PM is expected to be applied with professional discretion and expertise by procurement practitioners and other offices involved in the acquisition and procurement process in accordance with the applicable regulations, rules and policies of the Organization. Regulations, rules and policies of the Organization that are applicable to the procurement process are set out in the various Secretary-General’s bulletins (for example, the United Nations Financial Regulations and Rules and Secretary-General’s bulletin on the delegation of authority in the administration of the Financial Regulations and Rules, including the applicable delegation of authority instrument, establishes the authority of staff members granted procurement delegation. In addition, various administrative instructions prescribe the instructions and procedures for the implementation of the Financial Regulations and Rules, the Staff Regulations and Rules, and Secretary-General’s bulletins applicable to the procurement process. For the sake of clarity, nothing in this Manual shall bind the United Nations to any particular process, outcome or course of action in relation to any particular procurement process or otherwise. The PM is divided into fifteen (15) chapters and follows the structure – with minor deviations – of the standardized table of contents for United Nations procurement manuals, as endorsed by the High-Level Committee Management, Procurement Network (HLCM-PN), with the purpose of harmonizing procurement practices and increasing collaboration among UN entities. There are three overall sections: a. Chapters 1 to 3 cover, respectively: introduction, organization of procurement, and vendor registration and management. b. Chapters 4 to 13 cover the steps of the acquisition process. c. Chapter 14 covers cooperation topics and Chapter 15 addresses cross-cutting topics, such as the United Nations Global Compact, emergency procurement procedures, and risk management. Each chapter ends with a resources section, which references relevant policies, guidance materials, and templates.