Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority

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Home
Procurement
Procurement Overview
Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority

Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority

Main navigation

Procurement Overview
Procurement Strategy and Planning
- Procurement Forecasting and Delivery
- Transactional Procurement Strategies and Procurement Planning
Requisition
- Requisition and Procurement of Goods, Civil Works and Services
Sourcing of Suppliers
- Sourcing and Market Research
- Vendor Sanctions
Procurement Methods
- Procurement Methods
Innovation, CSO engagement
Solicitation Process
Evaluation of Offers and Pre-award Negotiations
- Evaluation of Offers
- Pre-Award Negotiations
Procurement Review Committees
- Procurement Oversight and Procurement Review Committees
Award and Management of Contract
Construction Works
- Construction Works
Individual Contract
- Individual Contract
Long Term Agreements (LTAs) and Cooperation with UN Entities
- Long Term Agreements (LTAs) and Cooperation with UN Entities

Focal Point

Adenike Akoh, Gregory Edward SONEFF

Effective Date

15/09/2025

Planned Review Date

15/09/2028

Version

11.0

Latest updates

September 15, 2025 - The Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority policy has been revised to incorporate the increased procurement thresholds and delegated procurement authorities, accounting for inflationary impacts since 2016, increasing limits across multiple levels to enhance purchasing capacity. These policy changes affect various delegation levels and micro-purchasing thresholds, reflecting a systematic adjustment to procurement authority within the organization:

• Standard Delegated Procurement Authority Increase: The delegation limit for Level 1 procurement authority has been raised from $200,000

September 15, 2025 - The Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority policy has been revised to incorporate the increased procurement thresholds and delegated procurement authorities, accounting for inflationary impacts since 2016, increasing limits across multiple levels to enhance purchasing capacity. These policy changes affect various delegation levels and micro-purchasing thresholds, reflecting a systematic adjustment to procurement authority within the organization:

• Standard Delegated Procurement Authority Increase: The delegation limit for Level 1 procurement authority has been raised from $200,000 to $300,000 (Paragraph 2), with a no-UNALL Quantum threshold moving from $150,000 to $200,000 (Paragraph 4).

• Increased Delegated Procurement Levels: Thresholds for Levels 2, 3, and 4 procurement authority have been increased respectively from $300,000 to $400,000 for Level 2 (Paragraph 4), $500,000 to $700,000 for Level 3 (Paragraph 11), and $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 for Level 4 (Paragraph 14).

• Micro-Purchasing Thresholds Expanded: The minimum micro-purchasing threshold has been increased from $5,000 to $7,000, and the maximum from $10,000 to $15,000 (Paragraph 5).

• Ad-Hoc Increased Delegation Authority and Requests for Increased Delegated Procurement Authority (IDPA): Ad-hoc increased delegation authority and requests for IDPA (minimum above level 4) have also been increased from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000, with the maximum amount delegated by the Regional Chief Procurement Officer moving from $2,000,000 to $2,500,000 (Paragraph 6).

The Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority procedure and the Request for Increased Delegation of Procurement Authority (IDPA) template have been also updated to reflect the policy’s revisions. p tag used here for line break

January 09, 2023 - The policy has been updated to reflect UNDP's transition to its new cloud-based management platform Quantum in January 2023, replacing its previous ATLAS system. p tag used here for line break

August 30, 2019 - The standard delegated procurement authority of a Resident Representative or head of a business unit is US $200,000, except for Business units granted the exceptional approval to be exempted from the mandatory use of eTendering which will remain as $150,000. p tag used here for line break

October 02, 2018 - The Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority main policy is now available in French. To access the document, click on the French language tab. p tag used here for line break

April 25, 2018 - The Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority main policy is now available in Spanish. To access the document, click on the Spanish language tab. p tag used here for line break

July 27, 2016 - To streamline business process, requests for increase in delegated procurement authority from country offices should be submitted for decision to the respective Regional Chief Procurement Officers. Regional Chief Procurement Officers shall consult their respective Bureau Directors for clearance and if necessary may refer any matter to the Chief Procurement Officer prior to granting the increased delegation. Requests for increase from headquarters and out posted headquarters business units should be submitted to the Chief Procurement Officer. p tag used here for line break

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Relevant Regulations and Rules

UNDP Financial Regulations and Rules

Rule 121.01(a), 121.01(b)
Staff regulations and staff rules, including provisional staff rules, of the United Nations

Policies

Main Policy

Procurement Authority and Increased Delegated Procurement Authority

DOCX (70.18 KB)

Download

Related Policies

Internal Control Framework
Procurement Ethics, Fraud and Corrupt Practices

Procedures

Main Procedures

1

Step

Submit a request for an increase in delegated procurement authority to the respective Regional Chief Procurement Officer (COs) or CPO (HQ units)

Responsible Party

Resident Representatives, heads of bureaux and out posted headquarters units

Template/Guideline

Request for Increased Delegation of Procurement Authority (IDPA)

Explanatory Notes

A detailed procurement plan should cover the duration of the proposed increase.

2

Step

Review the request.

Responsible Party

Procurement Oversight Unit in consultation with the Procurement Support Unit, Regional Bureau and other relevant offices

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

Requests up to US $400,000 shall be reviewed through a desk assessment to define the baseline procurement capacity of the country office. A number of basic procurement-related indicators are assessed based on data from internal and external sources. They fall in the categories of procurement planning, demand, policy compliance, procurement and CAP capacity, procurement oversight and other indicators, supply market and external environment.

For requests up to US $700,000 and US $1.5 million, an in-depth assessment will be conducted covering additional aspects such as strategic procurement plan, market positioning and analysis, supply chain and preparedness capacity and CAP capacity. RCPO in consultation with the Regional Bureau Director may request an on-site procurement capacity assessment mission prior to any recommendation for on-site review of practices, systems and resources that support procurement.

3

Step

Make recommendations to the Regional CPO or CPO as applicable.

Responsible Party

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

Recommendations should be based on collective views on the assessment.

4

Step

Issue a final decision.

Responsible Party

Regional CPO or CPO as applicable

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

The final decision can be to grant the IDPA, to grant it conditional subject to recommended corrective actions within a specific duration, or not to grant IDPA.

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