To  address these concerns, we recommended that the Secretary of State and  the Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN work with  other member states to encourage the Secretary-General to take the  following eight actions:    Establish clear and effective lines of authority and responsibility  between headquarters and the field for UN procurement,    Enhance the professionalism of the UN procurement workforce by  establishing a comprehensive procurement training program and a  formal career path,    Provide the Headquarters Committee on Contracts with an adequate  structure and manageable workload for contract review needs,    Establish an independent bid protest process for UN vendors,    Take action to keep the UN procurement manual complete and  updated on a timely basis and complete ethics guidance,    Develop a consistent process for providing reasonable assurance that  the UN is conducting business with only qualified vendors,    Develop a strategic risk assessment process that provides reasonable  assurance of systematic and comprehensive examination of  headquarters and field procurement, and    Standardize and strengthen monitoring of procurement activities by  procurement managers, including actions to ensure that oversight  agencies’ recommendations are implemented and that officials are held  accountable for their actions. UN Logistics Base

The UN Logistics Base (UNLB) in Brindisi, Italy, is a permanent logistics  base that supports UN peacekeeping operations and has been in operation  since 1994. 1). Restructuring of Peacekeeping Management under Way, but Ambiguity Remains on Procurement Lines of Authority

The United Nations is in the process of restructuring and strengthening its  organization for peacekeeping management, but the Secretary-General and  General Assembly have not decided whether the Department of  Management or the Department of Field Support (DFS) will have full  authority for field procurement. Peacekeeping Procurement Reforms Are Proceeding, but Have Not Addressed Some Previously Identified Concerns

The United Nations has made some progress in implementing  procurement reforms, but has not resolved continuing concerns in areas  such as developing career paths for procurement officers in the field. However, these reforms  and initiatives have not addressed some previously identified concerns,  such as difficulties in attracting and retaining field procurement staff. Initiatives that the Department of Management’s Procurement Division has  implemented include the following:    Financial disclosure requirement for procurement staff. Several procurement chiefs  also discussed a need to expand training for other mission staff involved in  the procurement process—particularly requisitioners. UNLB Provides Important Communications and Logistical Support to Peacekeeping Missions, but Its Growth Has Raised Concerns among Member States

UNLB provides several important services to peacekeeping missions,  including the management of the UN’s worldwide communications and  information network and the rapid deployment of Strategic Deployment  Stocks (SDS). In response to peacekeeping mandates, UNLB’s  responsibilities have increased to incorporate other services, such as  training and aviation support. However, its growth over the past 5 to 6  years has raised concerns among UN member states about its expansion  and future roles in peacekeeping support. 4). However, the UN  has yet to resolve this issue. State commented that it  would draw upon our findings in its continuing discussions with the UN. State and the UN also provided technical comments,  which we addressed in the report as appropriate. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our review focused on three objectives related to the management of  peacekeeping operations: (1) the status of restructuring and strengthening  peacekeeping management, including the authority for field procurement;  (2) the status of reforms to address previously identified problems with  peacekeeping procurement; and (3) UN Logistics Base’s (UNLB) support  of peacekeeping operations and its recent expansion. In addition, we conducted structured telephone interviews with chief  procurement officers at 20 current peacekeeping and special political  missions.
Why GAO Did This Study

The United States is the largest financial contributor to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations--providing about $1.4 billion in 2008 (about 26 percent of the total UN peacekeeping assessed budget)--and has a strong interest in the efficient and effective management of these operations. The size and scope of UN peacekeeping has significantly increased over the past several years and the UN has pursued management reforms to strengthen its capacity to support operations. GAO was asked to examine (1) the status of the current restructuring and strengthening of peacekeeping management including procurement for the field, (2) the status of reforms to address previously identified problems with peacekeeping procurement, and (3) the UN Logistics Base's support of peacekeeping operations. GAO reviewed relevant UN documents; conducted structured interviews with chief procurement officers at 20 peacekeeping missions; and interviewed UN and U.S. officials. State agreed with the report and commented that it would draw upon some of the report findings in its discussion with the United Nations. The UN agreed with GAO's assessment of the status of reforms and provided technical comments, which are addressed in the report as appropriate.

What GAO Found

The United Nations (UN) is in the process of restructuring and strengthening its organization for peacekeeping management, but has not resolved the issue of authority for field procurement, which is fundamental to the restructuring. Instead, the authority for field procurement remains divided between two departments, leaving the lines of accountability and responsibility for field procurement unclear. Member states are also concerned that the head of the new Department of Field Support reports to and takes direction from the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on matters related to peacekeeping missions. The UN has not yet appointed several key senior-level staff for both departments, at a critical time in the restructuring. The UN has made some progress in implementing procurement reforms to improve internal controls and processes. For example, the UN Secretariat has established financial disclosure requirements for all staff involved in the procurement process, expanded training for peacekeeping staff and updated its procurement manual. However, these efforts have not addressed some previously identified concerns, including difficulties in attracting and retaining field procurement staff and in applying procurement processes in the field. The UN Logistics Base (UNLB) in Brindisi, Italy, provides important communications and logistical support to peacekeeping operations and has expanded considerably since 2002. UNLB maintains the UN's worldwide information and technology network and provides peacekeeping missions with stocks that are essential during start-up. In response to peacekeeping mandates, UNLB has further expanded to take on tasks such as training and aviation support. However, its growth over the past 5 to 6 years has raised concerns of the General Assembly, which requested that it clarify its role and future development plans.