Purpose
This policy establishes clear, fair, and transparent procedures for the procurement of goods, ensuring value for money, fitness for purpose, and the minimisation or elimination of opportunities for fraud, collusion, or misuse of funds.
Scope
This policy applies to all volunteers and committee members involved in the procurement of goods for Bread Breakers (SG).
To mitigate potential conflicts of interest, only payments made through PayNow are permitted. This mitigates issues such as cashback rewards or other credit card incentives that could be perceived as personal gain from purchases. Other modes of payment may only be used in exceptional circumstances where PayNow is not an option (e.g., a specific online merchant does not support it), and this requires pre-approval from the President.
No physical (in-store) purchases are allowed except in exceptional circumstances. This restriction ensures traceability to individuals and beneficaries requesting for claims.
Procurement Process
Procurement may take place after a social worker has confirmed the arrangement to deliver goods and provided the recipient’s delivery address.
All purchases, regardless of amount, must be approved by the President before proceeding.
Procurement decisions will be based on an optimal balance of benefits and costs, considering:
- Quality and suitability for the intended purpose
- Reliability of the product and supplier
- Risk (including delivery timelines and after-sales support)
- Price (not solely the lowest price)
Purchase and Documentation
Proof of purchase must be submitted in the form of a screenshot of the receipt and must contain the billed name and address of the beneficiary.
Partners are required to keep a copy of the original invoice/receipt.
Segregation of Duties
The social worker must initiate the request and provide delivery details of the beneficary.
Volunteers must strictly follow the instructions and item lists provided by the assigned social worker. No additional items, gifts, or monetary contributions may be included or offered beyond what has been approved. This restriction is essential to ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance with the broader government support system. Providing unsolicited or excess items may unintentionally jeopardize the recipient’s eligibility for government assistance or lead to undue scrutiny regarding the origin of the goods or perceived income.
The President or appointed delegate shall review and approve all procurement requests.
Due to our lean, volunteer-led model, individuals serving on the Working Group/Committee may also directly serve as Partners involved in aid procurement and delivery. To maintain strict integrity and transparency, a Working Group member acting as a Partner cannot approve their requests, and must be approved by another designated Committee member.
Ethical Standards & Conflict of Interest
All individuals involved in procurement must act with integrity and avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
Record Keeping
All procurement records, including requests, approvals, receipts, and delivery confirmations, must be retained for a minimum of 5 years in accordance with Singapore's regulatory requirements for audit and accountability purposes.
