INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE

knowing where we are going to fall , what sort of items are we getting in the local market , or whether to get these from global suppliers .”

There can also be restrictions the IRC has in relation to procurement , as funding mostly does not come without certain conditions from humanitarian donors , some of whom require that procurements are done through already established humanitarian procurement centers or donor pre-qualified suppliers .

Sometimes , Kung ’ u adds , “ suppliers that have been prescribed by the humanitarian donor have not established a presence in the country where the programs are , which can result in additional challenges like import restrictions , long lead times associated with shipping and delivery and most importantly responding to those most in need .”

Additionally , with a consecutive process , the organisation has to bid for funding and win grants , which can create delays . Through such high pressures , Kung ’ u ’ s strong relationships with stakeholders and senior management ensures that the IRC is an organisation with a culture for planning . Despite such challenges , Kung ’ u explains that the IRC has achieved a significant amount , explaining that “ with the new ERP system , which is expected to launch in 2018 , functionality is being built in to enable the organization to plan at the proposal stages of grants , so that the supply chain is equipped with knowledge and information about what is needed ahead of time to undertake procurement more efficiently .”

Job satisfaction With the high number of challenges attributed to the humanitarian supply chain , Kung ’ u explains that job satisfaction has become of prime importance , understanding

38 July 2017