Administrative Procedure 515
PURCHASING / ACQUISITION AUTHORITY Background The purchase or acquisition of real property, appropriate materials, goods and services in the proper quantities and of the proper quality for the District is to be done in an efficient, effective, open, fair and competitive manner to ensure accountability and fiscal responsibility in the use of funds. Centralized purchasing of materials, goods and services optimizes the value received through efficiencies and volume price discounts and enables schools and departments to focus on their core responsibilities. Procedures 1. The Chief Superintendent delegates to the Secretary-Treasurer responsibility for ensuring the purchase of real property, appropriate materials, goods and services at a fair price, within budgetary and legal constraints. 2. All funds available to the District, schools and departments, are considered public funds regardless of the source, and are subject to District administrative procedures. 3. Authority to acquire materials, goods and services at a fair price, regardless of the source of funds (including school generated funds), is delegated by the Secretary-Treasurer to the Manager, Supply Management unless specified otherwise by Administrative Procedure or the Secretary-Treasurer. The Manager, Supply Management shall follow the Code of Ethics of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada. 4. All purchases shall be from District approved suppliers, unless otherwise authorized by the Secretary-Treasurer or as outlined in the “Acquire Guide”, and shall not knowingly include purchases from employees, their families or a firm owned in whole or in part by an employee or by an employee’s family member unless approved in advance by the Secretary-Treasurer due to exceptional circumstances. 5. Purchases (including those made directly by schools using school-generated funds or made by School Councils) become the property of the District and are subject to the same controls and procedures that govern the use of all District owned property. 6. To ensure accountability and fiscal responsibility, the Manager, Supply Management recommends, applies, and monitors appropriate acquisition standards and procedures within the District. Standards and procedures are outlined within the District’s “Acquire Guide”. All employees of the District shall comply with the standards and procedures outlined in the District’s “Acquire Guide” or, where relevant, standards established by the Director, Construction and Maintenance. All exceptions require approval from the Secretary-Treasurer. 7. The Manager, Supply Management and the Director, Construction and Maintenance, where applicable, shall develop product or service specifications in collaboration with the end user school Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual
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or department. If a dispute arises regarding product or service specifications the matter is to be referred to the respective superintendent(s) and Secretary-Treasurer for resolution. 8. All purchases shall be within approved budget levels and only for appropriate purchases approved in the budget, unless approved in advance by the Secretary-Treasurer. All purchases will be recorded / encumbered to the appropriate account by the school or department making the purchase. 9. All fixed asset purchases ($5,000 or greater including un-recovered GST) shall require approval of the Secretary-Treasurer through the, Manager, Supply Management, unless where an Administrative Procedure allows otherwise, or the Secretary-Treasurer approves acquisition through the Director, Construction and Maintenance. 10. All non-school based furniture and equipment purchases (with the exception of chairs, file cabinets and bookcases, with a value of $500 or less) require the prior approval of the Secretary-Treasurer. 11. All rental-purchase equipment agreements shall be established through the Manager, Supply Management or, where applicable, the Director, Construction and Maintenance. 12. Purchasing functions delegated to the Director, Construction and Maintenance, but requiring Secretary-Treasurer approval, are: 12.1
Design and construction of new buildings, improvements, additions and restorations;
12.2
Ongoing maintenance or caretaking contracts;
12.3
Building permits;
12.4
Furnishings, equipment and other materials required for the completion of capital or upgrading projects that are not normally provided through the Manager, Supply Management, including, but not limited to: 12.4.1 Carpeting and flooring permanently affixed; 12.4.2 Millwork; 12.4.3 Lockers; 12.4.4 Whiteboards, chalkboards and tack boards; 12.4.5 Bleachers; 12.4.6 Light fixtures; 12.4.7 Window coverings; 12.4.8 Painting; and, 12.4.9 Telephone, communications, lighting and sound systems.
12.5
Other materials, goods or services as approved prior to purchase by the Secretary-Treasurer.
13. Principals and department managers are delegated by the Secretary-Treasurer the authority to purchase, without following the required purchasing or ordering procedures, the following goods or services:
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13.1
Tuck shop sales material;
13.2
School, class or student photography;
13.3
Yearbooks;
13.4
Milk programs in elementary and junior high schools;
13.5
Miscellaneous instructional supplies approved prior to purchase by the Manager, Supply Management;
13.6
Professional development workshops under $500; and,
13.7
Individual honoraria to District employees under $200 (processed through the District’s Payroll department with appropriate statutory deductions).
14. This delegation allows schools or departments to order the above-named goods and services directly from a supplier without going through the Manager, Supply Management, but does not relieve them of any of the other approvals or limitations placed by District procedures. Approval Date:
April 12, 2016
Reference:
Section 20, 60, 61, 80, 113, 116, 121 School Act Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act School Buildings and Tendering Regulation 383/88 Agreement on Internal Trade; Annex 502.4 Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement New West Partnership Trade Agreement National Institute of Governmental Purchasing – Code of Ethics Purchasing Management Association of Canada – Code of Ethics Acquire Guide CIBC VISA Purchasing Card Program User’s Guide
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