Frequently Asked Questions - Financial Delegations
- How do I obtain authority to undertake international travel?
The process for authorising International Travel is outlined in the Travel – Procedure located on The Guide, paragraphs 6 – 14.
Travel – Procedure, paragraph 9.2 states 'Enter the travel details via the Staff Travel Database (which can be found at www.deakin.edu.au/travel) at the travel planning stage (i.e. pre approval). Print a Travel Booking Form and ensure it is signed by the relevant travel approver(s) in the staff member’s faculty/division/institute.'
The authorisation referred to relates to the Financial Delegation – enabling policy.
Financial Delegation – enabling policy, paragraph 17 states 'Authority to undertake international air travel including accommodation by staff members must be approved prior to booking by an authorised officer to whom the staff member reports with a delegated authority designated in Schedule 1 –‘International Travel’, or higher.'
The authorisation of the Travel Booking Form is the authorisation required in the Financial Delegation – enabling policy. It should be noted that the Financial Delegations – enabling policy allow authorisation via email.
Schedule 1 designates the following to authorise International Travel
Overseas travel and expenses:- Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Senior Executive member , Deans, CEO DeakinPrime and CEO Callista Software Services
The Travel Procedure sets out the steps to be taken following the authorisation being obtained.
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- How do I obtain authority to approve expenditure incurred during international travel?
The Travel Policy states 'Upon completion of air travel, staff are required to have their expenses approved by an authorised signatory (in accordance with the
Financial Delegations enabling policy)' Financial Delegation – enabling policy, paragraph 10 states 'Reimbursement of expenditure incurred by staff members must be
approved by an authorised officer to whom they report with appropriate signing authority as provided in Schedule 1.' Schedule 1 designates the following to authorise
expenditure incurred during International travel. The delegation applies to all types of expenditure, including credit card, reimbursement to staff for expenditure
incurred and paid for by them, cash advances expenditure. Reimbursement of Expenditure Incurred by Staff and Credit Card Expenditure:- Vice-Chancellor, Senior
Executive member, Deans, CEO DeakinPrime, CEO Callista Software Services, Directors, Heads of Schools and Heads of Business Units. The expenditure incurred during
International Travel will only be approved if the initial travel has been appropriately approved.
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- How do I obtain authority to undertake domestic travel?
The process for authorising Domestic Travel is outlined in the Travel – Procedure located on The Guide, paragraphs 2 – 5.3. Travel – Procedure, paragraph 4.2 states
'Enter the travel details via the Staff Travel Database (which can be found at www.deakin.edu.au/travel) at the travel
planning stage (i.e. pre approval). Print a Travel Booking Form and ensure it is signed by the relevant travel approver(s) in the staff member’s
faculty/division/institute.' The authorisation referred to relates to the Financial Delegation – enabling policy. Financial Delegation – enabling policy, paragraph
15 states 'Authority to undertake domestic air travel including accommodation by staff members must be approved prior to booking by an authorised officer to whom the
staff member reports with a delegated authority designated in Schedule 1 –‘Domestic Travel’, or higher.' The authorisation of the Travel Booking Form is the
authorisation required in the Financial Delegation – enabling policy. It should be noted that financial delegation allows authorisation to be by email. Schedule 1
designates the following to authorise Domestic air travel:- Vice-Chancellor, Senior Executive member, Deans, CEO DeakinPrime, CEO Callista Software Services,
Directors, Heads of Schools and Heads of Business Units. The Travel Procedure sets out the steps to be taken following the authorisation being obtained.
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- How do I obtain authority to approve expenditure incurred during domestic travel?
The Travel Policy states 'Upon completion of air travel, staff are required to have their expenses approved by an authorised signatory (in accordance with the Financial
Delegations enabling policy)' Financial Delegation – enabling policy, paragraph 10 states 'Reimbursement of expenditure incurred by staff members must be approved by
an authorised officer to whom they report with appropriate signing authority as provided in Schedule 1.' Schedule 1 designates the following to authorise expenditure
incurred during Domestic travel. The delegation applies to all types of expenditure, including credit card, reimbursement to staff for expenditure incurred and paid
for by them, cash advances expenditure. Reimbursement of Expenditure Incurred by Staff and Credit Card Expenditure:- Vice-Chancellor, Senior Executive member,
Deans, CEO DeakinPrime, CEO Callista Software Services, Directors, Heads of Schools and Heads of Business Units. The expenditure incurred during Domestic Travel will
only be approved if the initial travel has been appropriately approved.
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- What is included as domestic travel?
The application of the Financial Delegation – enabling policy paragraphs 15 – 16 and the reference to Domestic Air Travel in Schedule 1 only applies to Domestic travel
which includes air travel. If air travel is included, it is considered appropriate that all expenses, including meals, accommodation, credit card expenditure etc.
incurred in the trip be approved through the same process. Domestic Travel, in this context, does not include car parking, vehicle bookings for intercampus travel,
vehicle hire, taxis etc., unless incurred in conjunction with a trip requiring air travel approval.
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- The requirements of reimbursement of expenditure incurred by staff do not seem clear.
The interpretation of this section of the Financial Delegations – enabling policy has caused much discussion. The enabling policy prior to amendment included a section
on 'Personal Expenditure'. It was considered that this wording was not appropriate. But the more generic reference to reimbursement of staff expenditure, despite
reference to '…expenditure in which they are personally involved eg. travel, expenses, entertainment attended by a staff member.' has confused some. The interpretation
of the policy in reference to 'Reimbursement of Expenditure Incurred by Staff' should be interpreted as expenditure reimbursements of a personal nature only eg. air
related travel, entertainment, meals, ADSL lines to home, membership subscriptions. It does not refer to petty cash reimbursements for office related expenditure,
coffee, tea, milk, biscuits for the department, vehicle travel between campuses, car parking, fares. Note approval of credit card expenditure is covered by a different
section.
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- When should corporate credit card expenditure be approved?
The approval to provide a University credit card to a staff member is not contemplated by the Financial Delegations – enabling policy. Financial and Business Services
Division do, however, require that the application form be approved by an authorised officer. The use of the credit Card must be in compliance to the Financial and
Business Services Division web site guidelines and in accordance with the direction provided by the staff member’s manager. The authorisation for credit card
expenditure will be exercised by the appropriate authorised officer when the statement is received. It is not expected that written authorisation is required prior to
purchases made. The Financial Delegation – enabling policy paragraphs 13 – 14 refers to the appropriate authorising process. Schedule 1 designates the following to
authorise credit card expenditure. Reimbursement of Expenditure Incurred by Staff and Credit Card Expenditure:- Vice-Chancellor, Senior Executive member, Deans,
CEO DeakinPrime, CEO Callista Software Services, Directors, Heads of Schools and Heads of Business Units.
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- Do the Financial Delegations limits apply to internal charges?
Yes. Orders made by Faculties, Divisions and others must comply to the financial delegation limits, eg to the Printery (printing requests), Property Services
(work requests), Human Resources Services (advertising requests), etc.
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- Are the authorised officers listed under 'Recurring Expenditure, Operating Contracts and Capital Expenditure Contracts' the only staff that can sign these categories of expenditure?
No. The Authorised Officers with financial delegation (within Approved Budget) may sign the expenditure up to their expenditure limits. Additional delegation has
been provided to senior staff to cater for larger transactions such as taxes, utilities, telephone charges, superannuation, lease payments, work cover, cleaning etc.
They are:- Recurring Expenditure2, Operating Contracts3 and Capital Expenditure Contracts4
Vice-Chancellor $10,000,000
Vice-President $5,000,000
Chief Financial Officer $5,000,000
Chief Operating Officer $5,000,000
2Recurring Expenditure:- Taxes, Utilities, Telephone, Superannuation, Lease Payments, Work Cover etc
3Operating Contracts:- To approve expenditure required under an approved Contract
4Capital Expenditure Contracts:- To award contracts and make payments to suppliers for an approved Capital Expenditure Project, compliant with Tender and
Contract Policies
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- Do the staff 'Acting' in a role assume the same delegation as the authorised officer for which they are 'Acting' for?
Yes.. The Financial Delegation – enabling policy paragraphs 6 – 7 states: '6. Staff appointed as ‘Acting’ take full authority of the position unless otherwise stated.
7. Deputy assumes the limit of the permanent officer when the latter is absent or on leave.' In addition paragraph 14 states: '14. Where it is impractical to comply
with paragraph 13, another of the authorised officers with appropriate signing authority as provided in Schedule 1 – ‘Credit Card Expenditure’ may approve the
expenditure and notify the staff member's supervisor.' The onus is on the person authorising a transaction for payment to ensure they comply to the policy. They
should adequately notate that they are “Acting” and nominate the Authorised Officer they are “Acting” for. A person may only be “Acting” when the Authorised Officer
is absent for at least a two days. They may not be considered as “Acting” if the Authorised Officer is not available at that particular time eg in a meeting. The
accounts payable staff and cashiers are not responsible to verify the legitimacy of each claim that a person is “acting”. However, they should exercise discretion in
relation to these paragraphs. The person “Acting” should ensure that they have documented the time and reason for the period they “Act”, so they may verify the
validity to assume this authority and for audit purposes.
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- Does the policy apply to Cab Charge vouchers??
The application for Cab Charge vouchers must be approved by an Authorised Officer. The application form is available from the Financial and Business Services web site
and requires an account code that will be charged when vouchers are used. The issue of individual vouchers is the responsibility of the area holding the issued
voucher packs.
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- Do Deakin Charge Card purchases need to be approved?
Purchases made on a Deakin Charge Card are charged to the designated account at the end of each month. Until such time as an acquittal system like the Corporate Credit
Cards can be instituted it is recommended that the card holder seek approval from an Authorised Officer when the Card Statement is received and reconciled. Applications
for a Deakin Charge Card requires authorisation from an Authorised Officer. (Application form is available on the Division of Student Life Deakin Card web site.)
For more information email:
warren.harriss@deakin.edu.au
