Upon identifying a future need, either new or recurring, Requisitioners shall use their best efforts to accurately describe such need in the form of Specifications, Statement of Works (SOW) or Terms of Reference (TOR).

Specifications, SOWs and TORs of goods, services or works being procured form part of the Solicitation Documents, evaluation of Submissions, and the Contract. They fulfil the following essential features of procurement:

• Informing Vendors of the nature of the UN requirements and what is needed to fulfil them
• Constituting the basis for evaluating Submissions to determine if they satisfy the UN's requirements
• Binding the successful Vendor to perform in accordance with the Specifications, SOWs or TORs

Specifications, SOWs and TORs shall be clear and sufficiently detailed to enable Vendors to effectively respond to them and, if the goods, services or works have been purchased previously, reasons shall be provided for any change in Specifications, SOWs or TORs from those previously utilized. Specifications, SOWs and TORs should focus on features that are truly necessary, as opposed to those that may be desirable, but are not really pertinent to the Organisation’s requirements.

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