Procurement

Managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Three Diseases Fund (3DF) is expected to comply with public procurement principles, rules and regulations. In receiving grants from the Fund, all implementing partners must shift from national to international procurement. A Standard Drugs Order List according to the National Treatment Protocols guides the procurement of medical commodities.

All grant recipients are responsible for ensuring that procurement activities undertaken with 3DF funds comply with the principle of best value for money. The Fund Manager has prepared Standard Operating Procedures for Procurement by Implementing Partners that are specific to the Three Diseases Fund, and aligned to UNOPS generic guidance on procurement as specified in the Procurement Manual (December 2007).

For requesting procurement services from the Fund Manager, clarifications related to the current version of the Standard Operating Procedures or the Standard Drugs Order List, implementing partners may contact the Procurement Officer.

The total value of medical commodities procured with 3DF grants over the first year of operation (2007-2008) amounted US$4.5 million. Of this amount, the Fund Manager directly procured for US$510,000 of pharmaceuticals or medical supplies on behalf of organizations that did not have prior experience or capacity in international procurement. Antiretroviral drugs represented 41 percent, and general drugs used in the three diseases and to treat opportunistic infections 30 percent of the total amount.

A commodity tracking review has been initiated by the Fund Manager to ensure that all commodities procured with 3DF grants are utilised according to the agreements and all implementing partners have functional and transparent commodity tracking systems in place. The first review - outsourced to a company with extensive international experience in evaluating pharmaceutical distribution systems - was planned for May 2008.