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  3. October
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  5. Harmonized Business Practices Procurement OMT Surv
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Dear Colleague,

As you are aware, the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) is leading efforts towards the simplification and harmonization of business practices within the United Nations development system. Its inter-disciplinary Plan of Action for the Harmonization of Business Practices aims at increased coherence in the working modalities of the member organizations.

One important element of that Plan of Action was a project focusing on the “Procurement Process and Practice Harmonization in Support of Field Operations” (Harmonization Project).

This project was implemented by the HLCM Procurement Network (PN) with UNICEF as the Chair of the interagency Harmonization Working Group (AfDB, FAO, IFAD, ILO, ITU, PAHO, UN/PD, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP, WHO, WIPO, WMO). The MoU between UNICEF and the United Nations, through the CEB, requires that the Harmonization Project is to be evaluated in accordance with the standards of UNICEF against the evaluation criteria relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.

This online survey is an essential part of this evaluation and is addressed specifically to country level staff in locations that responded to the online survey conducted by the Harmonization Project in 2011 and to OMT members who were interviewed by the Harmonization Project team in the initial stages of the project.

You are considered by the Harmonization Working Group and the HLCM PN as a key stakeholder of the Harmonization Project and are kindly invited to participate in this on-line survey.

The survey will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, and it would be very much appreciated if your experiences and views on the Harmonization Project are shared with us through the survey.

All responses will be strictly confidential and data from this research will be reported only in an aggregate form. Your information will be coded and will remain confidential.

If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures, you may contact Hans Page ([email protected]) or Ann Hasselbalch ([email protected]); they will immediately get in touch with you.

You are kindly requested to complete the survey by latest COB Thursday, 15 November 2012.

Thank you very much for your time and support.

Please start with the survey now by clicking on the Continue button below.

Please note that all questions require a response, which can also be "n.a." or "no comment".

The survey allows you to save your responses and to continue work at a later stage. For this please press the corresponding button at the bottom of the page you are working on.

The questions are classified into "essential" and "optional". Regarding the "essential" questions, some require to be responded to in order to move forward with the survey while for the others they can be skipped.
 
 
 
A. General information (essential)
 
 
* 1. Country of assignment
 
 
* 2. Organization:
 
 
* 3. What is the title of your position in your organization?
 
 
* 4. What function do you have in the OMT?
 
 
In case of "other" please clarify:
   
 
 
* 5. Did you participate in the "Survey on Harmonized UN Procurement at the Country-Level" conducted by the Harmonization Project in 2011?
 
 
6. What was the process regarding the online survey conducted by the Harmonization Project? (optional)

Did you participate in the survey
Yes No
On behalf of the OMT
On behalf of the UNCT
On behalf of your entity
Did you consult with the OMT when providing responses to the survey
Did you consult with the UNCT when providing responses to the survey
Were there differences in views for the different members of the OMT or the UNCT
Not familiar with the survey
 
 
If there were differences within the UNCT on some of the responses to the survey, how have these differences been communicated to the survey?
   
 
 
 
B. General background
(following sections only for OMT Chair or Co-Chair)
 
7. Is your UNCT/OMT keeping track of country-level indirect procurement? (essential)

Yes Not yet, but planned Not yet planned, but discussed No Don't know
Maintaining systematic statistics
Overall monitoring
Non-systematic overview
 
 
 
6. What is the order of magnitude of country-level procurement by your UNCT? (optional)
 
 
a) What is the annual (approx.) country-Level procurement volume for the entire UNCT 2011 (if no detailed information available order of magnitude is sufficient) (in USD Million)?
   
b) What is (approx.) share in % of indirect procurement in total UNCT country-level procurement (goods and services)?
   
c) What is the approximate share in % (of b) of goods based on UNGM definitions in your UNCT's country-level indirect procurement ?
   
 
 
(Indirect procurement is the sourcing of all goods and Services for a buisness that enable its activity)
 
 
 
7. Which of the UN entities in the UNCT have the highest country-Level procurement (goods only)? (optional)


(please provide in each box the names of the top five entities ranked in order of importance of their procurement volume in 2011 starting with the highest)
 
 
a) Indirect procurement
   
b) Direct procurement for development programme activities
   
c) Direct procurement for humanitarian assistance activities
   
 
 
 
C. Relevance (essential)
 
8. Were you familiar with the "Guidelines on Harmonization of UN Procurement at the Country-Level" that were issued in 2009? If not, what could be the reason: (essential)

True Not true
* I was familiar with them
* Not Aware of them
* They have never been communicated through my organization
* They have never been communicated through the RC office
* They were not linked up with my own organizations guidance and procedures on procurement
* Other
 
 
 
* 9. Through which channel were you made aware of the new document on "Common UN Procurement at the Country-Level" that was issued in 2012: (essential)

 
RC Office
 
On the agenda of UNCT meeting
 
My own organization field management Services
 
Through consultating of UNDG Toolkit My own organization procurement office
 
Specific circular by my organization
 
Through revised procurement rules and regulations of my organization
 
My direct supervisor
 
Not aware of them

 
 
10. What has been the feedback from the members of the UNCT to the new document on "Common UN Procurement at the Country-Level? (essential)

True Not true
* They are not yet familiar with it
* Some interested and will implement
* All interested and will implement
* Nobody interested
* Some interested but waiting for instructions from their respective head office
* All wait for instructions from their respective head office
* Don’t know
 
 
11. Have the members of the UNCT received direction from their headquarters regarding the new document on "Common UN Procurement at the Country-Level"? (essential)

UNCT members received guidance from their respective headqurters

True for all entities True for some entities Not true
To use the new document as an optional approach at their own discretion
To give priority to common UN procurement but no need to report
To justify when making submissions for specific procurement action why they are not using common procurement approaches
To report, within framework of their periodic reporting, on UN Procurement at the country-level, as a specific item
Received no specific recommendation
Don’t know
 
 
12. In your personal judgment, which of the options for common procurement at the country-level would be the most appropriate for your UNCT? (essential)

The following options are meaningful for

all procurement for all agencies all procurement for some agencies selected items for all agencies selected items for some agencies not to be considered
Minimal common procurement
Use of existing LTAs or contracts of other organizations (Piggy backing)
Use of Joint LTAs (procurement lead-organization)
Using procurement services of other UN organizations
Procurement from another UN organization
Others
Don't know
 
 
13. Which of the options for common procurement at the country-level do you expect will be considered by your UNCT for actual implementation? (essential)

The following options are expected for

all procurement for all agencies all procurement for some agencies selected items for all agencies selected items for some agencies not to be considered
Minimal common procurement
Use of existing LTAs or contracts of other organizations (Piggy backing)
Use of Joint LTAs (procurement lead-organization)
Using procurement services of other UN organizations
Procurement from another UN organization
Others
Don't know
 
 
If none of these, what other options do you see should be considered for common procurement?
   
 
 
14. Which of the options for common procurement at the country-level are already implemented for your UNCT? (essential)

For all procurement for all agencies For all procurement for some agencies For selected items for all agencies For selected items for some agencies Not implemented
* Minimal common procurement
* Use of existing LTAs or contracts of other organizations (Piggy backing)
* Use of Joint LTAs (procurement lead-organization)
* Using procurement services of other UN organizations
* Procurement from another UN organization
* Others
* Don't know
 
 
15. What are the actual benefits from common procurement at the country-level for your UNCT, to the extent that it is already implemented?
(essential)


True for all procurement True for selected items Not true Not applicable Don't know
* Increased value for money through bulk discounts
* Increased value for money through better quality
* Increased value for money through improved planning
* Improved coordination, consistency and planning
* Reduction of parallel processes and transaction costs
* Improved supplier relationships
* Better procurement risk management
* Promotion of One UN with private sector
* Sharing of purchasing experience
* Other benefits
 
 
In case of other benefits please clarify:
   
 
 
16. Which of the following arguments would be most convincing for your UNCT for implementing the common procurement for your UNCT? (essential)

Very convincing Convincing Less convincing Not convincing Do not know
* Increased value for money through bulk discounts
* Increased value for money through better quality
* Increased value for money through improved planning
* Improved coordination, consistency and planning
* Reduction of parallel processes and transaction costs
* Improved supplier relationships
* Better procurement risk management
* Promotion of One UN with private sector
* Sharing of purchasing experience
 
 
 
D. Sustainability
 
17. Which of the following entities in the UNCT are in your view most likely going to participate in one or several of the modalities of Common UN Procurement at the country-level? (essential)


Very likely Likely Less likely Unlikely Do not know
Funds and Programmes
Specialized Agencies
Humanitarian agencies
Peacekeeping operations
Others
 
 
18. Common procurement for your UNCT evolved as follows (approximate range in USD000):
(optional)
2009 2010 2011 2012
Minimal common procurement
Use of existing LTAs or contracts of other UN organizations (Piggy backing)
Use of Joint LTAs (procurement lead-organization)
Using procurement services of other UN organizations
Procurement from another UN organization
None
 
 
 
19. Common procurement is currently most important in the following areas (2012): (essential)


Please provide ranking based on value (1,2,..etc):
Travel
Paper/stationary
Cleaning
Security
IT Equipment
Hotel and lodging
Banking
Communications (phone, mobile)
Printing
Postal and courier services
Office equipment
Other
No common procurement
 
 
 
20. Common procurement is planned/expected to become most important in the following areas (2012): (essential)

Please provide ranking based on value (1,2,..etc):
Travel
Paper/stationary
Cleaning
Security
IT Equipment
Hotel and lodging
Banking
Communications (phone, mobile)
Printing
Postal and courier services
Office equipment
Other
No common procurement
 
 
21. What is your estimate of actual and potential annual savings to the UNCT (ranges and orders of Magnitude in USD000) as result of common procurement in your UNCT for 2011 and for 2012?
(Optional)


2011 2012 2013 Don't know
Minimal common procurement
Use of existing LTAs or contracts of other UN organizations (Piggy backing)
Use of Joint LTAs (procurement lead-organization)
Using procurement services of other UN organizations
Procurement from another UN organization
None
 
 
22. What constraints do you see for implementing common procurement at the country-level based on the new document (2012) on "Common UN Procurement at Country-Level"? (essential)

Major constraint Manageable constraint Not an issue N/A
* Guidelines not sufficient clear or ambiguous (give questions)
* Detailed steps are not clear
* Superior office (e.g. headquarters) did not respond to questions for clarification
* No resources to train staff
* Guidelines in contradiction with entity rules that have not been waived
 
 
 
23. Any other comments on benefits, constraints, issues etc. related to introducing common procurement for your UNCT?
   
 
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