As UNFPA continues to modernise its operations, digital innovation is playing an increasingly important role in making procurement faster, more transparent and more efficient. The introduction of the Sourcing, Negotiation and Award Module marks another step in that journey, automating key stages of the procurement process and replacing manual workflows with a fully integrated digital solution. By bringing requests, tendering, supplier engagement and bid evaluation together on a single platform, the new module helps procurement teams spend less time on administration and more time delivering the supplies and services that support UNFPA's mission.
Nibal Qundos, Procurement Officer at UNFPA's Palestine country office, coordinates across four UNFPA offices, two in Ramallah, one in Gaza and one in Jerusalem. Her work focuses on medical equipment and pharmaceutical supplies. It is a job that requires both precision and adaptability, and increasingly, the right digital tools.
One tool that helps Nibal and the Palestine team with procurement and supply coordination is the Sourcing, Negotiation, and Award Module, UNFPA’s ERP platform for procurement. Now, when the SRH team needs supplies, they raise a formal request directly in the system.
Nibal builds the tender documents in Quantum and invites suppliers to bid. When the deadline passes, she clicks ‘unlock offers’. Everything is there: offers, attachments and pricing.
“I don’t have as many emails now, it’s all in the system. It’s amazing”, Nibal said.
The new module, launched last year, combines the use of the UNAll, Quantum, and UNGM platforms. Head of Corporate Procurement Services, Sonia Dervenkova and her team have developed the negotiation module to ensure that it is fit for purpose across all procuring UNFPA countries. This is a step in the right direction to support more accountable procurement.
"Developed in collaboration with UNDP, it serves as the mandatory, standardized environment for all procurement processes that exceed the shopping threshold", Sonia said
The launch of the Sourcing, Negotiation and Award Module did not end with the rollout of the technology. Since its mandatory adoption across UNFPA on 1 April 2026, the Corporate Procurement Services Team (CPST) has focused on ensuring that country offices can use the system confidently and consistently. The team has expanded training materials, delivered refresher sessions and established dedicated regional hypercare support networks, with focal points providing assistance in local time zones. A dedicated Global Service Desk, knowledge-sharing channels and clear guidance on standard operating procedures, exceptions and response timelines have also been introduced to help users navigate the new system. Working closely with UNDP, the team continues to refine the platform and address common issues as they arise.
These investments in user support have helped country offices like Palestine transition from manual procurement processes to a streamlined digital workflow with confidence.
Nibal confirmed that before the launch of the negotiation module, colleagues manually opened and processed over 20 supplier bids per tender. Bids submitted via secure email were sometimes lost, either rejected by the system for exceeding attachment size limits or never received due to a typo in the email address.
The shift to the new system has reduced the timeline from several weeks to approximately three or four working days. So far, Nibal and the Palestine team have launched seven cases with four already finalized.
“It is much easier. We have everything in one place instead of having many Excel sheets and documents”, Nibal said.
The Palestine country office has been at the coalface of an ongoing war in the country, with several challenges, including significant blockage of supplies into the West Bank. Commercial permits are complicated by Israeli authorities, making it harder for UN agencies to import goods directly. To manage this unpredictability, UNFPA Palestine maintains backup suppliers across multiple locations, ensuring that when one corridor closes, supplies can still get through. The new module allows for faster procurement, contributing to faster, improved access to critical supplies for the women and girls who need them most.
