The High-Level Committee on Management Procurement Network (HLCM PN) is undertaking the project Procurement Process and Practice Harmonization in Support of Field Operations (the Harmonization Project). A project team was established under the HLCM PN’s Working Group Harmonization and has been running since May 2011. The Working Group consists of members from over fifteen organizations of the UN system, representing more than 95% of the procurement spend of the entire UN system, and conducts fortnightly teleconferences with the project team.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Create a common framework for harmonization of procurement related regulations, rules, policies, procedures and business practices;
• Document and include country level outcomes and best practices in collaboration with the UNDG Task Team on Common Services and procurement in (selected) countries; and
• Develop a standardized toolkit for country level procurement practitioners taking into account the best practices, needs and insights from the country level.

There are a number of benefits that will come out of the project:

• The main benefit derived from the introduction of harmonized rules, regulations and practices will be an overall improved supply chain for the UN system, i.e. more timely, appropriate and cost effective delivery of goods and services to beneficiaries. Efficiency and effectiveness gains in procurement-related operations shall be documented.
• Increased volume and value of goods and services procured by UN country teams through common procurement, thereby pooling of limited resources and sharing technical expertise, attracting better services and reliable suppliers, and overall strengthening of supply chains for the UN.
• Expected results from the harmonization also include a qualitatively strengthened capacity of the UN system as a whole, supporting operations (programmes, projects and missions) and ultimately the mandate of the UN.

The purpose of this site is to publish the results of the work of the Working Group and the Harmonization Project and to share these outcomes with UN procurement practitioners both at the headquarters and country level. This site is also being used to launch the second edition of the Guidelines for Common UN Procurement at the Country Level (previously the Guidelines for Harmonized UN procurement at the Country Level). You can access the published results of the project through the boxes underneath. The Working Group also owns a work space on Teamworks (https://one.unteamworks.org/node/115088) which includes the outcomes of Working Group meetings and an assortment of background documents used throughout the work of the Harmonization Project (access required). If you would like to learn more about the work of the Working Group and the Harmonization Project, you may also contact the project team: