| 1.1 | Purpose |
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Mount Allison requires a broad variety of goods and services. Identifying procurement requirements is the responsibility of faculty and staff. Management of the procurement function is the responsibility of the Financial Services Department. This
Policy outlines the following elements of the University’s
procurement process |
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Faculty and staff conduct as it relates to procurement activities is governed by the Code of Business Conduct policy (http://www.mta.ca/administration/vp/policies/7910.htm). |
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| 1.2 | Application |
| This
policy applies to the procurement of all goods and services funded
through all accounts administered by the University, including those
funded by operating, ancillary, special purpose, research, contract,
endowed and capital funds. Exceptions may be reported in accordance with the University’s Disbursements Made as Exception to Policy policy (http://www.mta.ca/administration/vp/policies/7904.htm). |
| 2.1 | Authority to Purchase Goods and Services |
| Except
as noted below, the procurement of goods and services is authorized
through issuing University Purchase Orders. The Procurement Manager,
or his designate, is the only official authorized to issue University
Purchase Orders.
Purchase Orders will only be issued before the goods are received or the services are rendered. The following goods and services are not procured through a Purchase Order: |
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| The Director of Facilities Management and Security, or his delegate, has the authority to procure goods and services directly on behalf of the University where delay would interfere with the ability to protect the safety of individuals or University property. | |
| 2.2 | AUTHORITY TO SIGN PURCHASE DOCUMENTS |
| The
Controller may review and request changes to contracts.
Contracts having a value greater than $5,000 must be signed as per the Signing Officers policy (http://www.mta.ca/administration/vp/policies/8001.htm). The
Controller or Procurement Manager may sign sales agreements, applications
for vendor credit, purchase orders, vendor services agreements and
contracts less than $5,000 where the document accompanies a purchase
order. |
| 3.1 | Responsibility for Procurement Requests |
| The Procurement Manager is responsible for arranging for the purchase of goods and services so that they will be available in the appropriate place at the proper time, of the appropriate quantity and quality and at the appropriate price. The Procurement Manager has authority to question purchase requests, specifications and suggested sources and to provide input and request alternate terms and conditions or additional quotations. The Procurement Manager shall not alter specifications without involvement of the initiator or the initiator’s department head. | |
| 3.2 | Reviewing and Preparing Procurement Requests |
| The Procurement Manager is responsible for reviewing specifications and sources to ensure they are appropriate. In particular | |
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Authorizations b) Quality c) University standards. d) Appropriate for the intended use. e) Tenders have been issued where necessary f) Requests for sole source purchases that exceed public tendering thresholds |
| 4.1 | Guidelines for the use of Purchasing Methods |
| The
University will use a number of methods to purchase goods and services,
including Purchasing Cards, Purchase Order Requisitions and Bid Processes.
The process to be followed depends on the estimated cost of the proposed purchase, including the price, freight charges, and insurance, customs and other related costs. Financial Services can require a competitive bid process to be used regardless of cost if the process is deemed to be in the University’s best interest. The term “competitive bids” includes Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests or Invitations to Tender (tenders, ITT, RFT), Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Quotations (RFQ) and Requests for Pre-Qualification. Commitments to purchase will be communicated by Financial Services and not the initiator unless the purchase is made using a procurement card. When a procurement card is used the initiator may commit the University in accordance with the University’s Purchasing Card Policy and Procedure. |
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Purchasing Cards: Purchase of low dollar items from a supplier in Canada should generally be processed using a University Purchasing Card. The University’s Purchasing Card Policy and Procedure is available at http://www.mta.ca/administration/vp/policies/7102.htm. Procurement of Goods or Services up to $2,000 Procurement of Goods or Services over $2,000 and up to $10,000 Any one item or an accumulation of items over $2,000 and not exceeding $10,000 in value may be purchased by Financial Services based on the initiator’s knowledge of and experience with the supplier and at least one original supplier quotation forwarded to Procurement Services with the initiator’s purchase order requisition. Procurement of Goods or Services over $10,000 and up to $25,000 for Goods, up to $50,000 for Services and up to $100,000 for Construction Services. Any one item or an accumulation of items over $10,000 but not exceeding $25,000 for goods, $50,000 for services and $100,000 for construction services may be purchased by Financial Services on the basis of at least 3 written competitive quotations. All original quotations must be forwarded to Financial Services with the department’s POR. Supplier terms and conditions, letters of agreement or contracts will be vetted and approved by appropriate University signing officers. Procurement of Goods over $25,000 or Services over $50,000 The University is required to follow the Province of New Brunswick’s Public Purchasing Act which mandates that purchases of goods above $25,000 and services above $50,000 be publicly advertised. Therefore, any one item or accumulation of goods over $25,000 or services over $50,000 will be purchased using a publicly advertised process administered by Financial Services. Some purchases may be exempt from public tendering requirements. Please contact Financial Services to determine if an exemption applies to a particular purchase. Construction Contracts over $100,000 The University is required to follow the Atlantic
Procurement Agreement which mandates public advertising for
construction services above $100,000. |
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| 4.2 | Purchasing Agreements with External Organizations |
| Wherever
feasible, the University supports the volume purchase agreements negotiated
on its behalf by CAUBO or Interuniversity Services Inc. (ISI). Suppliers
awarded agreements through the processes of these groups will be viewed
as suppliers of first choice.
In addition, the University may take advantage of volume purchase agreements negotiated by the New Brunswick Government. The Procurement Manager is the primary University
contact for evaluation of CAUBO, ISI, or government agreements.
Where practical the contract details will be distributed to departments.
Specific agreements, such as multi-function printers, require direct
departmental involvement. |
Examples of where this has been done include personal computers, ergonomic seating, office furniture, letterhead, and network hardware.
Vendors supplying the University with its standards will be preferred vendors. Selection of preferred vendors usually results from a competitive process although competitive sources may often be limited in number.
Any
department may recommend goods or services to be identified as University
Standards. Departments who do so must provide Procurement Services with
information outlining why the good or service deserves to be identified
as a standard, including technical specifications, supplier service expectations,
current costs, an estimate of costs over five (5) years and an estimate
of benefits to the University from standardization. The Procurement Manager
is responsible for evaluating any such departmental recommendations and,
where appropriate, determining sources for goods or services that meet
the standard and informing the University community of the Standard.
The University considers supplier quotations to be confidential information and will not share information about a supplier's quotation with another supplier.
The University will not disclose prices submitted by bidders except as required by law.
Faculty
and staff involved in the procurement process will direct any requests
for prices from a bidder, supplier or the public to the Procurement Manager.
This means that the University will purchase, subject to availability and economic considerations, goods and services which:
- Contain post consumer recycled materials.
- Contain materials that lend themselves to recycling.
- Contain a minimum of packaging.
- Are not harmful to the environment, where less harmful alternatives are available.
Warranties: Goods or services supplied to the University should carry an appropriate warranty, indicating a specific warranty period and remedies available to the University.
Guarantees: In appropriate cases, goods or services supplied to the University should be guaranteed by the supplier to be fit for the purposes for which they are intended.
Public Liability and Property Damage Insurance: Suppliers who are providing services on campus must have sufficient current Public Liability and Property Damages insurance. Generally the amount should be two million dollars ($2,000,000).
Workers Compensation: Suppliers whose personnel are on campus must be in good standing with the workers compensation authority in the province of New Brunswick. In any case where the supplier’s personnel might be required to be on campus, requests for competitive pricing should require potential suppliers to include proof of their Workers Compensation standing as a condition of receiving any award.
Licenses:
Where necessary, suppliers providing goods or services must be licensed
to provide those goods or services.
Shipments of personal property to employees must not be addressed to the University and will not be processed through customs by the University’s contracted Customs Broker.
Goods imported into Canada will be inspected by Canadian Customs and may be subject to customs duty depending on the type of goods, end use and location of manufacture. All imported equipment must meet CSA or similar standards or have the capability of meeting CSA standards. Suppliers of these goods are required to complete a Canadian Customs Invoice or a Commercial Invoice containing certain information available from Financial Services at purchasing@mta.ca.
All University personnel ordering materials from suppliers outside Canada must be aware of these requirements and ensure that the supplier knows that the goods are being exported to Canada.
Faculty
or staff wishing to ship University goods outside of Canada for repair
or other purposes should contact Financial Services at purchasing@mta.ca
before shipping the goods.
January 26, 2012