The 2015 conference of the Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) of the Ãå±±½ûµØSecretariat has been held in New York from 23 to 27 February 2015.
The yearly conference aims to facilitate a professional exchange of information among a community of practitioners who carry out the same functions around the world, so that they are better equipped to be responsive to clients’ needs. Particular emphasis this year was given to the ongoing transformation of the procurement function, which involves not only procurement practitioners, but all staff members engaged in the supply chain management.
The Department of Management and the Department of Field Support convened the conference, which brings together over 30 Chief Procurement Officers from Field Missions, Offices Away from Headquarters, Regional Commissions, as well as Tribunals. The Under-Secretary-General for Management, Mr. Yukio Takasu, the Acting Head DFS, Mr. Anthony Banbury, and the Assistant Secretary-General for OCSS, Mr. Stephen J. Cutts addressed the attendees.
The first day consisted of a joint session with the Chairs of the Local Committees on Contracts (LCCs) and Headquarters Committee on Contracts (HCC) and includes topics of common interest, such as best practices in case presentations, audit observations, and the implementation of other recommendations of the HCC/LCCs.
This year’s conference also included several updates on contracts established by the Procurement Division, a panel discussion with the aim to standardize contracting for medical services for Secretariat entities including field missions, and an update on IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) implementation. The agenda further included various sessions for the exchange of best practices among the participants, and on procurement through category management, presented by the GSA Federal Acquisition Service.
Last but not least, participants have been provided valuable information on the Department of Field Support initiatives related to supply chain management, acquisition planning, and delegation of procurement authority to field missions.