Procurement Procedures
Where to order products
Once a national programme of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has identified the appropriate prequalified products they may be ordered through the:
- local government procurement office (if the office is capable of managing international competitive tenders)
- UNICEF Supply Division
- or through another UN agency procurement unit including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-Agency Procurement Services Office (UNDP/IAPSO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and WHO.
Other equipment suppliers include: International Dispensary Association (IDA) in The Netherlands and Médicins Sans Frontières Logistique (MSFL) in France. Authorization is needed to gain full access to most of the relevant websites.
Emergency supply
UNICEF Supply Division maintains emergency stocks with suppliers for certain products that are available for immediate shipment when required.
Detailed procurement guidance
Detailed guidance related to procurement procedures are available for:
WHO in the UN Procurement Manual and in the UN General Market Place's UN Procurement Practitioner's Handbook
UNICEF Supply Division in the UNICEF Cold Chain Support Package.
General overview of procurement procedures
It is the responsibility of the national EPI programme to place the order for prequalified products, together with the support of local or regional UN agencies, the ministry of health and other technical partners.
Procuring products involves six key operational steps:
- Planning
- Cost estimate
- Commitment
- Procurement & delivery
- Accounts settled
- Monitoring & evaluation
A detailed explanation of each step, together with applicable formats and contact information can are available on the in the United Nations procurement and UNICEF Supply Division resources linked above.
Order lead times
Order lead times vary between one to 12 weeks depending on the product type and procurement volume. UN procurement agencies and product suppliers/manufacturers can provide more accurate information on product lead times upon request.
Shipping
Shipping costs vary considerably according to destination and mode of shipment, and are not included in the guide prices in the WHO Catalogue of Prequalified Immunization Devices. The national EPI programme should always confirm freight charges with the supplier before placing an order. Estimated freight charges should be included in budgets and shipping lead times should be included in project plans.
A cold chain weight and volume calculator is provided by UNICEF Supply Division to help complete shipping information and calculate costs
Incoterms
Manufacturers and suppliers offer delivery arrangements based on international standard definitions known as "Incoterms" (International Commercial Terms). Guide prices in the WHO Catalogue of Prequalified Immunization Devices are often quoted "Ex-works" (EXW — indicating that the seller has an obligation to deliver when the goods are available at the seller's premises, e.g. works, factory, warehouse) to the buyer. Product procurers are encouraged to check which version of Incoterms is being used by the supplier, in order to appropriately organize and facilitate the transport and hand-over of products at the port of entry. The official Incoterms definitions can be purchased from the International Chamber of Commerce website.
If you cannot find an appropriate, required product in the WHO catalogue
If you cannot identify appropriate products to meet your current or anticipated needs in the WHO catalogue, request guidance and support by emailing:
gobinai@who.int or mallinsp@who.int or lgoodwin@who.int
It may be that the product you seek has been withdrawn, delisted or had its prequalified status suspended. In which case, you can be provided with the latest information about the product.
If none of the aforementioned sources can supply products that meet your needs, please consider providing product feedback via the IMD-PQS product performance feedback form (select the option: "positive performance report"). User feedback supplies valuable information on emerging vaccine transport, delivery or storage needs that are not yet (fully) met by existing products or devices. WHO collaborates with national EPI Programmes, UNICEF and WHO country and regional offices, and product manufacturers, to obtain comprehensive information on field performance and unmet needs in immunization operating contexts.
Information on desired products will help inform development of target product profiles (TPPs). These are key strategic documents that contain detailed descriptions of desirable future product design characteristics, features or functions. TPPs are intended to stimulate further feedback and dialogue with product manufacturers about how product user needs should be met.
If procured products do not function correctly
Whenever product issues are identified they should be reported as soon as possible to the appropriate organization. This helps to improve product quality through follow up with suppliers.
Product issues should be reported to:
- WHO by submitting a completed Complaints and feedback reporting form (The latter can be submitted anonymously.)
- UNICEF Supply Division by emailing sd.complaints@unicef.org.