Procurement Network

• Chair: Stephen Farrell (Chief, Purchasing and Transportation Section, UNOG)
• Vice-Chair: Anne-Claire Howard (Procurement Network, and Director, Procurement Group, UNOPS)
• Advisory Chair: Angela Kastner (Director Procurement and Supply Services, WHO)
• Second Advisory Chair: Frederic Farschi (Chief, Procurement, ICC)
• Secretariat: Gabriella Budai (UNDP)
• Reporting: to High-Level Committee on Management
• Meeting frequency: twice a year

The Procurement Network (PN) was established in April 2007. The Network’s mandate is to promote the strategic role of Procurement and Supply Chain Management in programme and service delivery in a transparent and accountable manner.

As of July 2024, representatives from 41 organisations are members of the Procurement Network. These organisations are represented by their Procurement Directors, Head and/or Chiefs, and other senior Procurement Officials, who actively participate in the Network’s bi-annual meetings. Together these representatives have responsibility for the total UN procurement. The overall procurement volume (goods and services combined) of UN organizations in 2023 was $24.9 billion.

The Network’s programme of work focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement function within the UN System, through collaborative arrangements, simplification and harmonisation of procurement practices and by fostering professionalism amongst the staff responsible for procurement. It also promotes business opportunities for potential suppliers from developing countries, as well as those from countries with economies in transition. 

The Procurement Network is responsible for the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM at www.ungm.org), the procurement portal of the UN System, which brings together more than 2500 UN procurement staff and the supplier community.

The HLCM Procurement Network is made up of the Chiefs of Procurement from member organizations. The network focuses on ensuring that the UN system continues to improve its performance in the area of procurement through better leveraging the combined purchasing power of the system and through joint negotiation of long term agreements with vendors, particularly in large duty stations.