ECOWAS Tenders Code members shall sign the contract. However, the Lead Partner has joint responsibility with each of the other partners. ii. In case of Joint Venture, and separate contracts are signed with each of the partners, one of them is appointed as coordinator. Each partner is liable for the contracted lot, while the coordinator has oversight responsibility for all the lots. Part II: Procurement Proceedings Chapter I: Procurement Planning Article 24: Procurement Plan 1. All procuring entities shall prepare an annual procurement plan which shall be submitted for approval along the following lines: a) Preparing the needs assessment and evaluation; b) Identifying the goods, works or services required; c) Taking into consideration appropriate market and statistical surveys and on this basis preparing an analysis of the cost implications of the proposed procurement; d) Aggregating its requirement whenever possible, both within the procuring entity and between procuring entities, to obtain economy of scale and reduce procurement cost; e) Integrating its procurement expenditure into its yearly budget; f) Prescribing any method for effecting the procurement, subject to the necessary approval under this Code. 2. This plan shall be submitted to the Approving Authorities for validation and approval and may be reviewed quarterly. It shall also be published in the Websites of all ECOWAS Institutions. 3. No contracting requirements for a given quantity of goods, works or services shall be split with the intention of avoiding a contracting procedure stated in this Code. Any member of the procuring entity found to be in breach of this provision against such splitting of contracting requirements shall be sanctioned according to ECOWAS Financial Regulations and Staff Rules. 4. No Procurement will be approved if it is not programmed under the procurement plan nonetheless, in exceptional circumstances this procurement must be submitted to the Committee for validation and approval. Article 25: Identification of Needs 1. Identified goods, works and services shall meet the needs of the procuring entity. 2. The procuring entity shall determine the project components, the quantities and specifications of the goods, works or services to be procured prior to initiating the contracting process. Final Page 13