Since June 16, 2008, two software vendors for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software identified through a competitive process, Oracle and SAP, have been demonstrating different business solutions to a UN Team comprised of scorers and subject matter experts. At present, SAP is concluding its final week of demonstration.

To kick off the scenario demonstration, the ERP Project Team conducted a four-day preparatory workshop providing participants with insights from UNDP and SRA-International on scenario demonstrations. They also received training on "Ethics and Integrity in Procurement".

The participants also met with the Chief Information Technology Officer and Assistant Secretary-General Choi Soon-hong. Mr. Choi reiterated the importance of the ERP system as an element of the Secretary-General’s reform package. He expressed his appreciation to the participants and noted that the scenario evaluation was a critical component of the overall evaluation exercise

You might wonder: What is a scenario demonstration? Included in the Request-for-Proposal, the Secretariat provided business cases, representing core and sometimes unique UN activities, and requested the vendors to propose solutions. The scenario demonstration provides an opportunity to review and evaluate the solutions proposed by the vendors. The scenario evaluation is conducted by 12 full time scorers representing HQ, OAHs and field missions. They are assisted by an array of subject matter experts who are called upon to provide technical insight.

The scenario demonstration is part of the technical evaluation which also includes the requirement traceability matrix (RTM) and performance testing. The RTM and performance testing are concurrently taken in New York and Brindisi, Italy respectively. RTM is a list of over 3,000 business requirements developed through a collaborative process involving departments, offices-away-from HQ and field missions, while performance testing will determine the response time and the technical features of the software.

Meanwhile, the Software Evaluation Committee has been constituted. The role of the Committee is to direct, oversee and monitor the evaluation activities, with a view toward ensuring that a thorough evaluation of the ERP software proposals is conducted in a fair, transparent and competitive manner as per the RFP and applicable procedures, as well as rules and regulations of the Organization. Members of the Committee, which is chaired by the CITO and Assistant Secretary-General Choi Soon-hong, include: Mr. Clemens Adams, Acting Project Director; Mr. Jayantilal Karia, Director Accounts Division; Mr. Paul Buades, Director Procurement Division; Ms. Joan McDonald, Director Facilities Management Division; Ms. Sandra Haji-Ahmed, Director Operations Service Division, OHRM; Mr. Maxwell Kerley, Director Logistics Support Division, DFS; Mr. Chandramouli Ramanathan, OIC-ITSD; and Mr. Rudy Sanchez, Chief CITS, DFS.

In other project news, in June, the ACABQ held its deliberation on the Secretary-General’s Report, Enterprise Systems for the United Nations Secretariat worldwide, A/62/510/Rev.1. The discussions centered on the resources required for the project.

The Secretariat was represented by the Chief Information Technology Officer and Assistant Secretary-General Choi Soon-hong, Mr. Warren Sach, Controller and Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Philip Cooper, Director Department of Field Support and Mr. Clemens Adams, Acting Project Director. The Secretariat team highlighted the inadequacies found in current IT systems, the importance of the proposed ERP system and how it would induce business process re-engineering and facilitate compliance with IPSAS standards.

Originally published on iSeek on Tuesday, 8 July 2008, New York