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Section 1 - Purpose
(1) This procedure supports the Finance Management Policy by setting out the processes by which Charles Sturt University (the University) acquires goods and services, either purchased or leased, whichever the funding source.
Scope
(2) This procedure:
- applies to the procurement of all goods or services (including consultancies) by any person acting on behalf of the University, including employees, visiting and adjunct title holders, scholars, students involved in any purchasing activity and controlled entities, but
- does not apply to:
- scholarships and grants
- wages, salaries and allowances
- staff expense reimbursement, cash advances or daily allowances.
Top of PageSection 2 - Policy
(3) See the Finance Management Policy.
Top of PageSection 3 - Procedures
Part A - Procurement requirements
(4) All University procurement activities will follow the highest standards of probity, transparency, value for money, responsibility, safety, equity and the avoidance of a conflict of interest.
(5) All University procurement activities must be consistent with the Finance Management Policy, including the guiding University expenditure principles, rules, values and corporate social responsibilities set out in that policy, as well as the following:
- Financial management: All purchases must be for a demonstrated need, having regard to the University’s defined objectives, and in the best interests of the University. Items purchased by University funds remain the property of the University.
- Confidentiality: Confidentiality in dealings with suppliers will be honoured to the extent permitted by law.
- Probity: Employees involved in procurement actions must deal fairly, impartially and consistently with all suppliers and ensure that transactions are transparent, accountable and ethical. Employees must:
- ensure there is separation in all purchasing and payment functions in procurement processes, in particular, the ordering, receipting and payment functions
- identify and appropriately manage any actual, apparent or perceived conflicts of interest
- not accept gifts, hospitality or other benefits from current or prospective suppliers (refer to the Conflict of Interest Procedure) and
- not engage in any activity that involves corruption or bribery, whether under Australian law or under the law of any foreign country. This includes, without limitation, bribing, or attempting to bribe, a foreign public official, which is a serious crime in Australia under section 70.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (refer to the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy).
- Health and safety: All purchases must comply with relevant safety requirements and Australian standards in respect of goods, services and building works. Employees engaged in procurement actions must:
- consider safety as a mandatory evaluation criterion for all procurement
- consider accessibility for people with a disability when procuring goods and services and
- ensure purchases are consistent with the University’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy and Risk Management Policy and Procedure.
- Value for money: Achieving best value for money requires consideration of cost and non-cost factors where relevant, depending on the complexity of the purchase, where:
- cost factors may include:
- cost of sourcing, procuring and paying for the products/services
- the impact, value and benefits to be received from the goods or services, estimated cost of parts and ongoing maintenance charges
- installation and de-installation costs
- costs to manage the services provider
- costs to maintain the product to its life
- decommissioning and disposal costs
- non-cost factors may include:
- the quality of the needs analysis or scope of work, quality of goods and services
- supplier capability (e.g. financial, proven supplier)
- consistent adherence to requirements of the University’s corporate social responsibilities,
- risks inherent to the purchase options available
- availability and quality of maintenance, services and support
- intangible benefits (e.g. training, single point of contact).
- Appropriate risk management: Employees involved in procurement actions must identify, consider and, if appropriate, take steps to mitigate the risks involved in any acquisition. Refer to the ‘Risk and compliance’ heading below.
- Ethical behaviour, sustainability and social responsibility: Employees involved in procurement actions must:
- act ethically and responsibly in line with the Code of Conduct
- consider sustainability principles, including economic, social and environmental impacts (see the University Sustainability Statement)
- take steps to identify, evaluate and minimise the risk of modern slavery in the University’s operations and supply chain (see also the Modern Slavery Statement and guidance on the University’s Modern Slavery page).
- Legality: Employees involved in procurement actions must make acquisitions consistently with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as all applicable University rules, policies and procedures. Employees may seek advice via the Legal Services webpage.
- Payment to terms: Employees must act to ensure that invoices are paid as per the terms of the invoice and not expose the University to further costs through late payments (see also the ‘Supplier payments’ heading below). The University closely monitors the percentage of payments to term and publishes this in the Annual Report. Invoicing flows and goods matching are also monitored, reported and followed up regularly.
(6) Procurement practices are open to substantial internal and external scrutiny:
- Records relating to procurement processes are examined by Procurement and can be reviewed through sampling by internal or external audit processes, and/or by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
- Suppliers can seek access to information and process under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act).
- The University is compelled to publicly release information on awarded contracts over $150,000 in accordance with the GIPA Act.
- All consultancies will be reported as part of the University's Annual Report.
- The use of retrofit purchase orders and other compliance sampling of purchase orders will be performed by Procurement. Non-compliance will be addressed with Buyers and/or senior approvers prior to reporting to the Chief Financial Officer.
- The addressable spend with First Nations-owned businesses are reported to Supply Nation.
(7) Accurate and sufficiently detailed records must be kept to document the procurement process, justify outcomes and provide an audit trail for review. To achieve this, procurement activities must be managed through the appropriate University systems:
- TenderLink must be used for tenders.
- Unimarketmust be used for issuing purchase orders and approving payments. Supporting documentation (quotes, contract) are to be attached or called out in the Justification of the Purchase Requisition.
- Expenseme PRO must be used to reconcile out of pocket expenses and corporate credit card purchases, noting prior approval and receipts within five days of the expense being incurred.
- UniRecords must be used to capture signed copies of all contracts, licences and agreements recorded on the contract register.
- Banner Document Manager must be used to capture finalised invoices and transactions.
(8) See the Finance Management Policy for disciplinary or legal actions that may be taken for noncompliance with this procedure.
Roles and responsibilities
(9) Delegated approvers are responsible for:
- monitoring procurement activities within their budget centre/organisational unit and ensuring that only allowable and appropriate transactions are approved prior to being incurred,
- ensuring compliance with delegations, the Finance Management Policy and associated procedures
- reporting details of suspected inappropriate procurement activity to the Division of Finance.
- ensuring no commitment of supply is made other than via a valid purchase order
- reporting any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest.
(10) Within the Division of Finance:
- the Associate Director, Procure to Pay will:
- provide the contracts officer advice and documents to enable tenders for goods and/or services
- provide expert advice and support to staff regarding all aspects of procurement including quotes, determining fair value and preferred suppliers
- review and endorse all tender waivers and procurement exemptions
- review all advertisements for tenders
- support the chair of the Evaluation Committee as required
- the Accounts Payable team will process invoices, ensure timely payments to suppliers and payment of direct invoices and accounts receivable.
Part B - Procurement processes
(11) University procurement processes involve the following stages:
- Plan: building the foundations for the procurement, including determining how to approach the market.
- Source: finding the right supplier, going to market and awarding the contract.
- Manage: building a relationship with suppliers so they can excel while meeting obligations.
Plan
Needs analysis
(12) A needs analysis and scope of work must be completed to determine the appropriate processes for obtaining the correct goods or services. During this process, consideration should be given to the following items. Note, this list is not exhaustive and other policies and procedures relevant to the activity may provide further information:
- Use of preferred suppliers, existing supply chains and supply bases.
- Whether quotes or a tender process is required, based on potential expenditures.
- Workplace health and safety requirements and compliance.
- Compliance with any other relevant legislation, codes or standards.
- Timeframes and required from dates.
- Regional requirements, First Nations supplier base and community impacts.
- Corporate social responsibility impacts/requirements.
- Existing infrastructure and facilities, or where something similar exists within the University.
- How contractor/supplier responses will be evaluated.
- Any proposal that involves an operating or finance lease must be referred to the Director, Financial Services before the procurement process commences.
Risk and compliance
(13) A risk assessment must be undertaken for relevant procurement activities, including the implementation of risk mitigation strategies in line with the Risk Management Procedure.
(14) Pre-procurement risk identification and assessment must be completed for all procurement activities, including consideration of whether the proposed procurement may:
- negatively impact the University’s reputation (e.g. through adverse media attention) and/or student experience
- create health, safety, and wellbeing risks for staff, students and visitors, such as hazardous materials (e.g. chemicals, biosecurity hazards), construction projects, activities involving persons under the age of 18 years old, exposure of staff or students to stressful environments increasing the risk of psychosocial issues or any other hazards
- involve sharing any personal information of staff, students, patients, or research participants with a supplier and/or granting the supplier access to the University’s IT systems or technology infrastructure
- provide services that are essential to the University’s ongoing operations and need recording in the relevant business continuity plan(s)
- limit the University’s current or future partnerships or research opportunities
- include human or animal tissues used in human research
- involve a foreign entity and require consultation with the Office of Global Engagement and specialist processes relating to international agreements.
(15) If risks are present (either those listed at clause 14, or others), the employee(s) responsible for the proposed acquisition must assess the risk and take steps to ensure they are or will be managed in accordance with the Risk Appetite Statement. This may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Complete appropriate due diligence checks to ensure the supplier is reliable, financially stable, aligns with the University’s values, and is capable of mitigating risks and protecting the University’s brand and reputation and/or student experience.
- Comply with all health and safety obligations (refer to the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy), noting that staff who purchase equipment, materials or chemicals must ensure that the risk of injury or illness is appropriately managed and staff are protected from any harm or hazard.
- Comply with legislative requirements, including but not limited to government expectations outlined in the Guidelines to counter foreign interference in the Australian university sector (refer to the Countering Foreign Interference Procedure), modern slavery legislation, and privacy laws (refer to the Privacy Management Plan).
- Manage fraud and corruption risks (refer to the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy).
- Ensure the University’s information security and cybersecurity position is not negatively impacted.
(16) Procurement risks impacting specific areas of the Univeristy must be agreed to by those areas, to prevent unacceptable operational impacts and ensure relevant compliance requirements are met. Employees involved in procurement actions must obtain approval or endorsement from relevant areas that are materially impacted by the proposed procurement, including the following:
- Facilities Management, for acquisitions that impact or may impact on existing or potential physical assets such as building works and projects.
- Division of Library Services, for acquisitions that impact or may impact on the University’s library services, publications and library collection.
- Division of Information Technology (DIT), for all technology acquisitions, including any that impact or may impact on the University’s IT infrastructure and information security and cybersecurity position, data management, and artificial intelligence. See also clause 17.
- Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and/or the Office of Research Services, for any procurement that impacts or may impact on research activity.
- Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and/or the relevant faculty, for procurement that impacts or may impact on academic courses.
- Division of People and Culture, for procurement that impacts or may impact on staff.
(17) For all technology/technology service procurements, and without limitation to the above, DIT advice and approval must be obtained when acquiring or building new technologies for local use or university-wide application. All new technology/technology services, including software, computing, telephony and peripheral devices hardware, software and smart devices must be approved in advance and purchased in accordance with Delegation Schedule D - Facilities and Information Technology, the Information Technology Policy, and Information Technology Procedure - Purchasing and Disposal, to ensure that proposed solutions meet architectural and cybersecurity standards.
(18) Additional guidance on procurement risk can be sought from Procure to Pay (Procurement) or the Risk and Compliance Unit on identifying, assessing and managing applicable risks.
Market appraisal consideration
(19) A proposal (including the needs analysis and scope of work) must be submitted to the Associate Director, Procure to Pay if:
- the likely cost of the procurement will be greater than $150,000, and/or
- Band 6 determines that the proposal is of high risk to the University based on the above risk considerations.
(20) The Director, Financial Services and Associate Director, Procure to Pay will:
- ensure subject matter expertise is appropriate to the need
- evaluate high-cost and high-risk potential procurements
- review the activity scope and plan as well as seek to understand the value and risk for the University, and
- determine whether a tender process may be waived.
Source
(21) The following steps should be considered when undertaking procurement activities. The level of documentation required for each step will be according to the size and complexity of the procurement activity being undertaken:
Procurement step |
Potential actions |
Funds identification/approval |
Ensure that funding is secured and available before any requests for tender are released, or before any commitment to procure is made. |
Market analysis |
Consider the capability and capacity of the market to fulfil the procurement need in context with the existing supply chain. Consider whether it is a specialised procurement activity.
For complex procurement activities, support is available from Procure to Pay (Procurement) in the Division of Finance. |
Procurement plan (risk identification and assessment, specification and evaluation development) |
Be able to demonstrate how the procurement planning requirements have been met.
Document, at minimum:
-
the results of the needs analysis, scope of work, and market analysis,
-
any risks associated with the procurement and mitigation strategies,
-
any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest and mitigation strategies,
-
how the supplier will be selected,
-
how, if required, quotes and tenders will be evaluated, and
-
consider a nominal percentage weighting for First Nations owned and/or locally owned vendors when determining value.
|
Market appraisal |
Identify potential suppliers, issue requests for information, quotes or tenders as required. |
Evaluate, award, and release contract/purchase order |
For simple procurement – issue a purchase order using the vendor’s approved form.
For other procurement, evaluate quotes and tender, vet preferred supplier(s), negotiate and approve contracts in accordance with the section on Contracts and Agreements below (and where an appropriate contract has been negotiated which includes purchase orders, issue a purchase order using the vendor’s approved form). |
Manage contract/supplier relationship |
Ensure delivery of goods and services, reconcile invoices within required timeframes, vary or renegotiate contracts as required. |
Evaluate the procurement process. |
Review all steps of the process to ensure the required outcomes were achieved. |
(22) Comprehensive advice relating to the Procure to Pay process can be accessed via Procure to Pay process.
Specialised procurement
(23) Procurement of goods and services relating to specialised functions of the University must be placed either through or directly by the relevant division or faculty, under the guidance of Procurement. For example:
- Computers/audiovisual equipment – Computer Shop
- Books/journals/subscriptions – Division of Library Services
- Radioactive materials – Radiation Safety Committee
- Catering on campus – Residence Life
- Building works and projects – Facilities Management
- Fleet vehicles – Division of Finance
- Advertising (except recruitment) – Division of Customer Experience
- Legal advice – Legal Services
Selection of suppliers
(24) The University will utilise a centre-led approach where appropriate to seek eligible suppliers, communicate the requirements, solicit supplier proposals and create an environment of competitive alternatives.
(25) All employees involved in supplier selection processes and approvals must ensure that:
- the management of suppliers or contractors, especially those where the University represents a large proportion of a supplier’s/contractor’s total business, is fair and ethical while still having sound commercial dealings and achieving value for money for the University
- no employee undertakes negotiations or commits to contracts or arrangements with any supplier in which they or an immediate family member has a pecuniary or significant non-pecuniary relationship, and that any other actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest are declared and managed as set out in the Conflict of Interest Procedure
- all suppliers are treated fairly and impartially. Where required, suppliers will be given consistent documentation on how their proposal will be submitted and assessed, as well as relevant timelines. Suppliers will be evaluated against the same criteria and will incur minimal cost for participating in the procurement process. Specifications and tender documentation will not be prepared to favour or disadvantage particular suppliers.
(26) For the procurement of goods and services up to the value of $20,000, a supplier may be selected based on a single quote on the proviso that value can be established.
(27) For the procurement of goods and services above the value of $20,000, or from suppliers not on the preferred supplier list, authorities to approve supplier selection, variations and requirements for quotes and tenders are set out in Delegation Schedule C - Finance.
(28) Where the annual or one-off spend with a supplier is likely to be $150,000 or more, the supplier will be vetted following the process determined by the Division of Finance, as required by the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy.
Preferred suppliers
(29) The University will establish preferred suppliers for certain goods and/or services. Where the University has an agreement with a preferred supplier, that supplier must be used to procure those goods/services in the first instance, unless a variation is approved.
(30) Suppliers will be approved for addition to the preferred supplier list by the delegated authority as set out in Delegation Schedule C - Finance. Approvals are based on the following considerations:
- completion of an open tender process to become a prequalified supplier
- participation in consortia
- consistency with the Modern Slavery Statement
- requests and proposals from organisational units or purchasers (via the Unimarket supplier creation request form)
- alignment with the expenditure principles and rules set out in the Finance Management Policy
- alignment with the University’s strategic objectives.
First Nations suppliers
(31) The University is committed to developing measurable procurement practices to genuinely engage with First Nations business owners. As a member of Supply Nation, the University has the opportunity to support First Nations owned businesses where value is evidenced. The University is committed to achieving national targets for addressable spend with First Nations owned companies.
(32) In line with Universities Australia Indigenous Procurement Guidelines, the University aims to achieve 2.5% of annual average addressable procurement spend directly with certified or registered Indigenous businesses.
(33) The Director, Financial Services provides quarterly reporting to Supply Nation and the Chief Financial Officer on University spend with First Nations suppliers.
(34) The University will release requests for tender on the Supply Nation Member Opportunity Board, in conjunction with TenderLink, to allow direct communication with First Nations owned businesses on large-scale project opportunities.
Quotes and tenders
(35) The requirements for quotes and tenders are based on the value of the procurement activity.
(36) The value of a procurement activity is determined based on the total expected spend for a defined good or service within a 12-month period, or for the term of the contract (including any optional extension to the contract). The value of the procurement activity must not be divided into separate transactions for the purpose of bringing it below a threshold value that would require additional quotes, a formal quote or tender and/or a financial delegation limit.
(37) The thresholds for determining whether quotes and tenders are required are authorised by Delegation Schedule C - Finance. These are copied below, but if there is any inconsistency, Schedule C overrules this procedure.
- Where there is no preferred supplier or the requirement to use a preferred supplier is waived:
- Under $20,000 – one quote required.
- $20,000 to $50,000 – two quotes required.
- $50,000 to $150,000 - three quotes required.
- Over $150,000 – tender required.
- Where the preferred supplier list is used:
- Under $250,000 – one quote required with value to be contestable.
- Over $250,000 – tender or quotes required with guidance from Procurement.
(38) Requests for quotes may be issued through TenderLink, or via email. All documented quotes must be retained with the records of the procurement activity and attached to the justification of purchase requisition to meet review by Procurement and audit testing.
(39) Requests for tender must be issued through the University’s e-tendering portal, TenderLink.
- Employees undertaking a tender process must submit a TenderLink request form and should contact Procurement (procurement@csu.edu.au) for advice on developing tender documentation.
- Wherever possible the University will provide a contract template as part of the tender documentation.
- Procurement will liaise with Legal Services to ensure that all tender documentation meets legal expectations for the establishment, negotiation and execution of the final contract between the University and the selected supplier (see ‘Contracts and agreements’ heading below for more information about final contracts). Procurement will seek additional advice as needed, including risk advice and legal advice, when preparing tender documentation, according to the nature of the procurement, including where a procurement activity is assessed as presenting a high or extreme risk in accordance with the Risk Appetite Statement and Risk Management Guidelines.
- Tenders should specifically reference the University’s community engagement, environmental and sustainability, and corporate social responsibility requirements set out in the Finance Management Policy and require tenderers to address these in their tender submissions.
(40) Approval to release a tender is at Band 6. In approving the market approach, Band 6 confirms the need cannot be met by existing means and the necessary funding is available.
(41) Requirements for quote or tender may be waived as follows:
- The renewal or continuation for the provision of goods or services within an existing contract where recent market appraisal has been conducted to show value.
- The Director, Financial Services or Associate Director, Procure to Pay (in accordance with Delegation Schedule C - Finance) may waive the requirement for a quote for expenditure from $20,000 - $150,000, subject to the receipt of a completed Sole Supplier Form and supporting evidence that there is only one suitable source of supply and/or that calling for quotations or tenders would not benefit the University (e.g. for a unique/propriety service or product, products required to match existing equipment, or in response to an emergency).
- Chief Financial Officer on the recommendation of the Director, Financial Services and/or Associate Director, Procure to Pay, may waive the requirement for a tender process and substitute an alternative process via the submission of a Sole Supplier Form.
Contractors and consultants
(42) Contractors and consultants are engaged under the procurement processes described in this procedure, subject to:
- the additional assurances set out in the Finance Procedure - Contractors and Consultants
- authorisations in Delegation Schedule C - Finance.
(43) In particular, the issue of whether a proposed engagement is an employee, consultant or independent contractor must be determined and the evidence submitted with any purchase requisition and/or contract for a contractor or consultant, as set out in the Finance Procedure - Contractors and Consultants.
Manage
Contracts and agreements
(44) The University employee responsible for the management and completion of a specific procurement activity:
- must facilitate the establishment, negotiation, documentation and execution of the final contract between the University and the selected supplier, but only an authorised University delegate may approve and sign a contract, and
- will be responsible for ensuring that the final contract to be executed reflects the negotiated commercial terms and conditions.
(45) Authorities to negotiate and approve contracts (including licences, agreements, MOUs, etc) with suppliers are set out in the relevant delegation authorities. Authority to approve an expenditure does not necessarily confer authority to approve a contract.
(46) All procurement activities must be documented with suitable contractual documentation in accordance with the Legal Policy and the Legal Procedure - Requesting Legal Advice. Procurement may be undertaken in appropriate circumstances using the University’s suite of pre-approved Standard University agreements. Guidance on when to use Standard University agreements and when to refer such agreements to Legal Services for review may be found on the Standard University agreements webpage. Otherwise, prior to establishing the contract and in accordance with the Legal Procedure - Requesting Legal Advice:
- a request to draft a new agreement must be submitted to Legal Services, or
- a request to review an agreement prepared by a third party for execution by the University (including agreements which contemplate the issue of further purchase orders) and any departures from the approved Standard University agreement must be submitted to Legal Services for legal review.
(47) Legal Services has guidance for determining whether an agreement or procurement contract can be considered low risk (and need not be referred to Legal Services for review). That risk assessment guidance relates solely to the use of Standard University agreements and not to the assessment of procurement risk generally.
(48) All contracts for the supply of goods or services must be saved to the University records management system as set out in the Records Management Procedure. Details of contracts with a total agreed value in excess of $150,000 will be published, as required under the GIPA Act, by the Office of Governance and Corporate Administration.
Purchase orders and approvals
(49) Procurement activities should be initiated with the supplier by a purchase order issued via Unimarket. When raising a purchase order:
- a position-based approval hierarchy is followed, based on applicable delegated approval authorities, which meets audit requirements
- employees must not take receipt of a goods or service until the purchase order is issued
- Unimarket workflows are set up to ensure separation of function as far as practicable, however, employees and delegated approvers must also ensure there is an appropriate separation of functions when raising a purchase order, approving the expenditure and receiving the goods or service
- purchase orders must not be split into components to reduce the transaction cost for the purpose of exercising a lower expenditure delegation.
(50) Before approving expenditure, a delegated approver must ensure that:
- they have the necessary expenditure delegations and budget centre approver status to approve the expenditure. Where they are required to approve a variation to the cost of a procurement activity, they must ensure that the total cost of the activity is within their expenditure delegation
- appropriate market appraisal was conducted or exemptions granted and included
- funds are available for the expenditure
- only allowable and appropriate transactions are approved, in compliance with delegations, the Finance Management Policy and associated procedures.
Purchase cards
(51) Existing supply chains should be used wherever possible. Where the supplier is a genuine one off, the value of the purchase is not material or the supplier will not accept a purchase order, the use of a purchase card can be considered in consultation with Procurement.
(52) Purchase cards should not be used for subscriptions or software purchases. The use of purchase cards must be in accordance with the Finance Procedure - Corporate Credit Cards. All purchase card transactions are reviewed to ensure purchases are appropriate and reconciled in a timely manner with follow up to card holders.
Supplier payments
(53) Supplier payments must be as per the terms of the invoice (normally 30 days from the date of invoice). The purchase order must be receipted (goods matched) and the invoice matched to the purchase order.
(54) Goods matching and invoices sent to Accounts Payable within 48 hours of delivery of goods or services for all items not in dispute. Disputed items are to be raised with the vendor within seven days.
(55) Invoicing flows and goods matching is reported and followed up regularly.
(56) Employees must confirm receipt of the goods or service in the e-procurement system before invoices will be paid.
(57) Payment of invoices will be completed by Accounts Payable, Division of Finance.
(58) If a supplier does not provide an ABN, the University will withhold tax from the payment to the supplier at the highest marginal rate. Normally the University will only use a contractor or supplier that has an ABN except where:
- the supplier is not carrying on an enterprise in Australia. This will apply to imports (provided the supplier is not carrying on business through a permanent establishment in Australia). It will also apply where University staff travel overseas and make payments for various expenses (such as accommodation) to overseas suppliers
- the supplier is an individual and has completed a declaration stating that the supply of goods or services is made in the course of an activity done as a private recreational pursuit or hobby, or is of a private or domestic nature
- the payment is not for the provision of goods or services (i.e. there is no supply). Examples of this type of payment include:
- scholarship payments to students
- prize payments to students, or
- refunds of fees to students.
(59) Payments can be made to suppliers via the following payment methods:
- electronic funds transfer (EFT) - preferred option for domestic
- overseas draft
- overseas telegraphic transfer - preferred option for overseas, or
- corporate credit card.
Part C - Asset management and stocktaking
(60) All assets must be registered on the asset register maintained by the Division of Finance.
(61) Minor equipment must be maintained by organisational units and lodged annually to the Assets Manager, Division of Finance for audit inspection.
(62) Disposal of assets and minor equipment must be approved by:
- for assets, the Chief Financial Officer or delegate (unless specified otherwise in Delegation Schedule C - Finance)
- for minor equipment, the appropriate Band 6 approval authority within the organisational unit.
(63) See the Assets procedures on the Division of Finance website for more information.
Top of PageSection 4 - Guidelines
(64) See the Finance Guidelines - Entertainment, FBT and Private Expenditure.
Top of PageSection 5 - Glossary
(65) This procedure uses terms defined in the Finance Management Policy, as well as the following:
- Assets – means items costing $10,000 or more.
- Compliance – means measures undertaken to ensure adherence to relevant governance.
- Delegated approver - means the employee responsible for monitoring and approving procurement activity against an approved University budget.
- Environmentally responsible procurement - means procurement decisions made on the basis of environmental issues covering the environmental impacts of products and services from cradle to grave, including:
- reducing the amount of products purchased
- minimising energy, water and materials
- recycled, recyclable, biodegradable and reusable components
- minimal packaging, maintenance, waste, emissions, chemicals and transportation
- environmentally responsible disposal
- resource utilisation within the University footprint.
- Minor equipment - means non-consumable items costing less than $10,000.
- Preferred supplier - means a supplier appointed as a result of a market appraisal or prequalification assessment, including consortia arrangements (AUPN, SAN & BuyNSW).
- Private expense/transaction - means any transaction or part thereof that is not related to the University's business operations.
- Procurement - means the end to end process from the identification of a requirement to the disposal of the acquisition at the end of its life (in the case of goods) or the completion of obligations (in the case of services).
- Quote - means a written submission from a supplier that specifies the items sought and cost of supplying stated goods and/or services, including a record of a published price from a supplier's website or catalogue.
- Retrofit purchase order – means a procurement document issued after goods or services have been acquired or received by a buyer from a supplier without a formal purchase order in place at the time of the transaction.
- Separation of function – means maintaining clear and distinct roles in a procurement process, in particular for the ordering, receipting and payment functions, where no employee fulfils more than one key role or function.
- Gift cards – please review the Gift Card Procedure for purchasing guidelines and control of card distribution.