The purpose of this manual is to set out procedures for the procurement of goods and services, as introduced by the Director Finance and Business Services from time to time. The procedures are for use at University of Canberra (UC) by the University Group, being UC and its controlled entities i.e.: UCU Pty Ltd, University of Canberra College Pty Ltd, or any other controlled entity of the University that exists from time to time. 

This manual describes the procurement cycle and how purchasing activities are to be conducted. In addition to the acquisition of goods and services by UC Group for its own use, these procurement procedures include the purchasing of goods and services on behalf of UC by another agency or a third party.

What is Procurement?
Procurement encompasses the end to end process of acquiring goods and services. It begins when a need has been identified and ends with the awarding of a contract and/or delivery of and payment for the goods and services. It can also include, where relevant, the ongoing management of the contract and consideration of disposal of goods.
Procurement does not include:

1. provision or securing of grants;
2. investments (or divestments); nor
3. engagement of employees.

1. Procurement Principles
   1. Value for Money
      Obtaining value for money does not mean that UC is obliged to accept the lowest price. Value for money is about obtaining the best quality and value for the price offered and ensuring that the quality of the goods or services meets UC’s requirement and budget. Factors which may be considered in assessing value for money include:
      1. fit for purpose;
      2. whole of life costing;
      3. timeliness;
      4. service, support and warranty;
      5. the level of risk;
      6. quality; and
      7. efficiency and effectiveness.
   2. ​​​​Ethical and Fair Treatment for all Potential Suppliers 
      Providing for ethical and fair treatment of potential suppliers means conducting all dealings in an open, honest and impartial manner. All procurement must be undertaken in a manner that ensures:transparent and competitive tendering;
      1. straight forward and user friendly tender documents;
      2. clear and easy to understand evaluation criteria and methodology;
      3. consistent processes; and
      4. the opportunity of feedback on outcome decisions.
   3. Risk Management
      Risk Management is about ensuring potential risks associated with the purchase of goods or services are identified, assessed and managed to minimise unexpected or undesirable outcomes while achieving maximum benefit from the procurement. (Risk Management Plan).
   4. Accountability, Transparency and Probity
      The principles of accountability, transparency and probity exist to ensure the integrity of the procurement process and actions taken by UC staff.
      All procurement must be undertaken in a manner that ensures:
      1. clearly established roles and responsibilities;
      2. appropriate record keeping and documentation;
      3. transparency of decisions;
      4. the confidentiality of all commercial information; and
      5. identification, disclosure and management of conflicts of interest.
   5. Role of a Probity Advisor
      A Probity Advisor is a UC individual or external organisation engaged to observe, review and provide guidance on the probity framework and/or processes of a procurement project, with the primary concern being the integrity of the procedures and processes adopted. That is, the focus is on the process, not the end result of the project. The advisory role is essentially preventive. For this reason, if a Probity Advisor is to be used for high risk or high value procurements, they must be engaged at the earliest stage possible, ideally to assist with project establishment, and before any significant issues arise. A Probity Advisor has three main roles;
      1. the provision of advice during a procurement process on probity related issues, to ensure that any problems or questions are dealt with satisfactorily;
      2. the provision of independent scrutiny of the procurement process to ensure that agreed processes are adhered to; and
      3. the provision of a report at the end of the process which records an independent view of the way in which the procurement process was managed from a probity perspective.
         A Probity Advisor cannot be expected to;
         • protect against errors in decision making;
         • comment on the commercial effectiveness of the project team in its negotiations with tenderers; nor
         • try to rescue a procurement process and remedy an already tainted process by being called in part way through a process.
2. Financial Delegations
   The Financial Delegations Policy (Financial Delegation Policy) establishes the framework for delegating financial authority within UC and mechanisms by which UC enables staff to take financial related action on its behalf.
   1. Purchase Orders
      A Purchaser does not have to hold a delegation in order to submit a Request for Purchase Order, however all Requests for Purchase Orders must be approved and signed by the appropriate  ‘Financial Delegate’ before a formal UC Purchase Order will be raised. By signing the Request for Purchase Order the Financial Delegate is confirming the need for the purchase and that funds are available to make the purchase.
   2. Credit Cards
      Staff issued with a UC Corporate Credit Card are authorised to incur expenses and conduct procurement to a pre-determined value. A Corporate Credit Card is the preferred mechanism for ordering and paying for goods and services up to a value of $5,000.
3. Procurement Processes
   1. IT/Desktop Computer/Mobile Computer (e.g. laptop, tablet and phone) Purchases
      All computers (Desktop Computers, Mobile computer, Laptops etc.) regardless of the price, are officially registered as UC assets and must be obtained through Digital Information Technology Management (DITM) procurement. This equipment must not be purchased on a UC Corporate Card nor reimbursed through UC’s expense management system (iCMS). This includes purchases under grant conditions. PC purchases made outside the DITM method are not supported by DITM on the UC network.
   2. Standing Offer Arrangements (SOA)
      An SOA is a general agreement between UC and a supplier which defines:
      1. the nature of the services to be provided by the supplier;
      2. the financial limit and duration of the agreement; and
      3. may include a schedule of charges to operate during the life of the SOA.Parties with whom UC enters into an SOA are referred to as “Preferred Suppliers”. An SOA is not itself a legally enforceable contract in respect to any individual arrangement for the acquisition of goods or services until a Purchase Order or work order is placed with the supplier. At that time, the terms and conditions of contract (which have already been agreed with the supplier) come into effect.​​​​​​There are two types of SOA implemented at UC:
         Mandated Single Supplier: Involves one supplier for a category of goods/services, from which UC can order scheduled goods/services at agreed rates, without the need to obtain further quotes.
         Pre-qualified Panel of Suppliers: These consist of a panel of specialist suppliers in a field or industry who have been selected through a competitive tender process. Purchasers will still need to obtain quotes from these suppliers as per this Procurement Procedures Manual.​​​​​​
         Where SOA and Panels have been established for the provision of certain goods or services, the use of companies outside these arrangements must be approved by the Director Finance and Business Services.
   3. Using ACT Government SOA
      As an ACT statutory body, UC is entitled to utilise current supplier arrangements put in place by ACT Shared Services Procurement (ACT SSP) (External Site). In the situation where there is no UC SOA in place for particular goods/services, a UC Purchaser has the option of utilising ACT SSP arrangements. Purchasers will still need to obtain quotes from these suppliers as per this Procurement Procedures Manual.
   4. Procurement Thresholds
      There are 4 monetary thresholds, all GST exclusive. Each has its own procurement process requirements. The full value of the purchase must be taken into account when deciding on the threshold of the proposed procurement. Goods and services being procured must not be split into components or a succession of orders for the purpose of avoiding requirements of this manual. Any financial extension to Purchase Orders must be approved by the original Delegate or at a higher level if the total cost is outside their delegation. All proposed purchases must have prior “in principle” agreement and support from the delegate.
      1. Procurements up to and including $20,000
      2. Procurements from $20,000 up to and including $200,000
      3. Procurements from $200,000 up to $1,000,000
      4. Procurements $1,000,000 and above
          
   5. Procurements up to and including $20,000
      Goods and Services (excluding those items purchased through an SOA or considered ad-hoc minor consumables, e.g. printing; office consumables; laboratory consumables; conference registrations etc.) require 1 written quotation as a minimum, and may be paid by:
      1. corporate credit card (only to amount allowed to card holder);
      2. Request for Purchase Order raised/signed by the Financial Delegate ; or
      3. obtain Financial Delegate’s written approval and pay on receipt of invoice.

         Procurements Less than $20,000.00 (GST exclusive)	Procurement Types up to and including $20,000.00	Is a Quotation Required?	Is a Purchase Order Request Required?	What Payment Options are Available?
         	IT equipment cannot be purchased by an individual. IT equipment eg all IT/Desktop/Mobile Devices must be obtained through DITM. (Refer clause 3.1)
         	Purchase through an existing SOA. eg: mandated single supplier eg Office Supplies, Travel  Pre-Qualified Panel of suppliers Refer to Preferred Suppliers for a full list of Standing Offer arrangements. Note: If you do not have a financial delegation or a credit card you can only initiate the transaction but not approve the final purchase.	No    Yes	Optional   Yes	Corporate credit card   Accounts Payable invoice
         	Ad-hoc purchase of minor consumables eg: consumables for office or laboratory; tea and coffee supplies; conference registration; entertainment etc. No		No	Corporate credit card preferred, only to the value allowed to the card holder
         	Other services and equipment up to and including $20,000 not included above.	Yes – one (1) written quote	Optional - but recommended	Accounts payable invoice Purchase Order  and  Goods Received Notice

   6. Procurements from $20,000 up to and including $200,000
      1. Obtain “in principle” agreement and support from the delegate for the proposed purchase.
      2. Request a Trim folder and use the Trim no. as the contract reference number.
      3. Plan and document the procurement strategy prior to seeking quotations/bids. The planning must include consideration of:
         1. the relevant market;
         2. UC’s objectives for the procurement;
         3. scope of the requirements;
         4. the manner in which quotes will be obtained; and
         5. the assessment criteria for identifying value for money.
      4. Consult with Procurement and Contracts if complex, high risk or over $50,000.00
      5. Obtain 3 written quotations based on a written scope of requirements.  An RFQ document may be used to obtain the written quotations.
      6. The request for quotation should include the following information for potential suppliers:
         1. a description of the goods or services;
         2. a specification including the evaluation criteria;
         3. contact details for the requesting staff member;
         4. delivery time or other requirements; and point
         5. of delivery or performance as applicable.
      7. When obtaining and recommending written quotations the Purchaser should ensure that:
         1. all prices/quotations have been obtained from a fair selection of potential suppliers on the same basis and no particular supplier has been given an unfair advantage;
         2. all prices are GST exclusive;
         3. all suppliers receive the request at the same time;
         4. all suppliers are given the same time to respond;
         5. the same documented specification/requirement has been provided to all potential suppliers; and
         6. the specification/requirement has been defined in such a way as to not limit the ability of a supplier to provide a quotation.
      8. Select Supplier/Contractor based on Value for Money.
      9. Refer to Legal Unit for contract advice and approval (Legal@canberra.edu.au)
      10. Raise a Request for Purchase Order with quotation and approved procurement plan attached for reference.
      11. Forward the approved Request for Purchase Order, signed by the appropriate Financial Delegate, to Finance and Business Services for processing.
      12. Forward a copy of the signed contract to Procurement and Contracts for inclusion in the Contract Management Register and send the original contract, in the Trim file, to Registry.
          
          Diagrammatical Process and Check List - Procurements from $20,000 up to and including $200,000
          
   7. Procurements from $200,000 up to $1,000,000
      1. Obtain “in principle” agreement from the appropriate delegate for the proposed procurement.
      2. Appoint a Project Manager. This Project Manager may become the Contract Manager, if required, once the procurement process is complete. (refer clause 6).
      3. For high risk or high value procurements appoint a Probity Advisor if required (refer clause 1.4.i)
      4. Plan Procurement with involvement of Procurement and Contracts staff at the earliest practical opportunity.
      5. A Procurement Plan must be prepared and approved by the appropriate delegate before inviting bids. The purpose of this plan is to confirm that appropriate procurement planning has been undertaken and to ensure that, before calling for quotes or tenders, key issues have been addressed and that a clear and logical, fair and ethical approach to the market will achieve value for money for UC. The plan should summarise a range of factors including (but not limited to):
         1. the procurement requirement and how it will be specified;
         2. the method of procurement (refer clause 4);
         3. options considered and a justification for the recommended approach;
         4. market research and spend analysis;
         5. milestones and target/key dates;
         6. Stakeholder information;
         7. risks and proposed treatment; and
         8. evaluation planning including potential assessment criteria.
      6. Establish an Evaluation Team. That team must be agreed with Procurement and Contracts and should include (but is not restricted to) key stakeholders, the Project Manager, category experts, and end users of the services or goods.
      7. A Risk Assessment must be prepared for all procurements greater than $200,000, in accordance with the Risk Management Plan .
      8. Prepare tendering documentation (refer Procurement and Contracts). The documentation must be in UC’s agreed form and should include:
         1. conditions of tendering;
         2. UC’s requirements;
         3. supplier response schedule templates;
         4. evaluation criteria; and
         5. a draft contract.
      9. Prepare a Tender Evaluation Plan. This must be prepared and signed off by the members of the project or evaluation team, prior to the release of the RFP/T. Each member of the Evaluation Team must sign a Conflict of Interest Declaration (templates available from Procurement and Contracts).
         A procurement of this value must go to “open tender” to attract the strongest field of suppliers. 
         The justification for not pursuing an open tender must have signed approval from the appropriate delegate. (Refer clause 3.10)
         Diagrammatical Process and Check List- from $200,000 up to $1,000,000
         
   8. Procurements $1,000,000 and above
      1. Obtain “in principle” written agreement from the appropriate delegate for the proposed procurement (ie. Vice-Chancellor or Council).
      2. Appoint a Project Manager. It is advisable that this Project Manager will become the Contract Manager, if required, once the procurement process is complete
         (contact the Procurement & Contracts Team).
      3. Appoint a Probity Advisor. (refer clause 1.4)
      4. Plan Procurement with involvement of Procurement and Contracts staff at the earliest practical opportunity.
      5. Prepare a Procurement Plan before inviting bids. The purpose of this plan is to confirm that appropriate procurement planning has been undertaken and to ensure that, before calling for quotes or tenders, key issues have been addressed and that a clear and logical, fair and ethical approach to the market will achieve value for money for the University.  The plan should include (but not be limited to):
         • the procurement requirement and how it will be specified;
         • the method of procurement (refer clause 4);
         • options considered and a justification for the recommended approach;
         • market research and spend analysis;
         • milestones and target/key dates;
         • stakeholder information;
         • risks and proposed treatment (Risk Management Plan ); and
         • evaluation planning including potential assessment criteria.
      6. Establish a Project Control Group (PCG) to oversee the process.
      7. Establish a Project/Evaluation Team. Must be agreed with Procurement and Contracts and should include (but is not restricted to) key stakeholders, Project Manager, category experts, and end user staff. Procurement Officer is to attend for advice.
      8. Prepare a Risk Management Plan.
      9. Prepare tendering documentation (All tender documents and contracts must be in UC’s agreed form. Procurement and Contracts will consult with Legal.) which must include: 
         1. conditions of tendering;UC requirements;
         2. UC requirements;
         3. supplier response schedules/templates;
         4. evaluation criteria; and
         5. a draft contract.
      10. Prepare a Tender Evaluation Plan which must be signed off by the members of the PCG prior to the release of the RFP/RFT. Each member of the Evaluation Team must sign a Conflict of Interest Declaration and Confidentiality Undertaking form.
      11. A procurement of this value must go to “open tender” to attract the strongest field of suppliers. The justification for not pursuing an open request must have signed approval from the appropriate delegate. (Refer 3.9 Exemption Process for Procurements)
      12. Diagrammatical Process and Checklist for Procurements $1,000,000 and above
          
   9. Exemption Process for Procurements
      The requirement to obtain the minimum number of quotes, or deviate from open tender, may be dispensed with on one of the following grounds:
      1. the required supplies or services are available only from one source;
      2. the item is a component of equipment in service and obtainable only from the manufacturer of the original equipment;
      3. the item must be compatible with existing equipment for reasons of satisfactory operation, staff training already carried out, or prior investment in spares and maintenance facilities;
      4. a limited increase in quantity is required to an item already being supplied or manufactured; or
      5. there is an urgent and unexpected need (it should be noted that lack of planning is not recognised as an urgent and unexpected need). (Where an exemption sought is based upon an “urgent and unexpected need”, and a relevant pre-qualified register exists (refer to clause 3.2), procurement must be made from that register.)
         Where such circumstances exist, the approval of the appropriate delegate must be obtained to vary the specific requirements in this Manual. Refer Financial Delegations (Tenders). The form “Exemption from Quotation or Tender” (Templates available from Procurement and Contracts) must be used as the basis for obtaining this approval. This must be kept on file.
         Direct sourcing must not be used to avoid competition or discriminate against any potential supplier. The requirement to achieve value for money remains paramount.
4. Tendering Advice for Procurements
   1. Tendering Options for purchases up to $200,000
      For procurements up to $200,000 it is permissible to use a Request for Quotation (RFQ) as an additional option to those mentioned in 5.2 below. RFQs should include the specifications of the goods/services to make sure all the suppliers are bidding on the same goods/service.
   2. Tendering Options for purchases over $200,000
      1. Expression of Interest (EOI) or Registration of Interest (ROI)
         Openly advertised to the public.
         Purchaser has a firm idea of the solution they require and has compiled a performance specification with most likely some technical requirements. This process is used for short listing suppliers in the first step of a competitive process to determine their capability or capacity to respond to a Request for Tender (RFT). This process should not be used as an alternative to supply market analysis and market sounding, but rather as part of a staged approach to ensuring that only competitive firms respond via an ‘RFT’ (ie must go to RFT or RFP).
      2. Request for Tender (RFT)
         Openly advertised to the public.
         Purchaser has a firm idea of the solution they require and has compiled a performance specification with most likely some technical requirements. This process is used in a competitive market and where market soundings have confirmed a viable level of interest and capacity amongst prospective suppliers. This process can entail multiple phases for more complex requirements and is the most viable and transparent procurement method. A Purchaser would most likely use a blend of a performance and technical specifications for this tendering option.
      3. Request for a Proposal (RFP)
         Openly advertised to the public.
         Purchaser is open to suggestions for appropriate solutions. A functional specification will likely be used in this case. This process is used to encourage suppliers to propose solutions to achieve a desired outcome or resolve a specific problem, especially for larger, more complex requirements, or to demonstrate a capability. An RFP should focus on the broad capabilities or capacities of suppliers to meet the need. There is generally more scope for suppliers to provide innovation or alternative options via an RFP than in other methods.
      4. Select RFT or Select RFP
         The Purchaser may select who they wish to invite to tender, instead of advertising the RFT or RFP to the open (public) market. Select tendering is not the preferred approach, but is acceptable after a shortlisting process, preceded by an EOI or ROI. Generally, select tendering is also acceptable for construction works only where the University has already pre-qualified a panel of preferred contractors through an openly advertised EOI or ROI process.
   3. Tender Documents
      Tender documents must be clear, concise and accurate and include:
      1. if identified, an appropriate specification clearly detailing the requirement (i.e.: functional, technical or performance specification);
      2. a procurement schedule, including when tender responses are due, an expected decision date and the tender validity period;
      3. nominated  delivery schedule for the acquisition;
      4. the method and time of lodgement;
      5. evaluation criteria and their weightings;
      6. contact details for questions relating to the tender;
      7. details of any briefing sessions for tenderers;
      8. general conditions of contract standard in the industry, and for UC, with special conditions only where necessary;
      9. all known information that may affect the risk in the delivery of the contract;
      10. clearly defined proposed contractual obligations for all parties; and
      11. a draft contract. ( Legal unit to be consulted)
   4. Tender Lodgement
      All tender documentation is to be emailed to Procurement and Contracts prior to tendering.  The tender process will be managed by Procurement and Contracts, via the UC’s electronic tendering system (Tenderlink), with the involvement of the Purchaser.  After the tender closes, all tender documents will be given to the evaluation panel for evaluation.
      Late submissions will not be accepted by UC, except where UC determines that a mishandling by UC has occurred or if there are extenuating circumstances.
   5. Pre-Tender Briefings
      Briefing Sessions with prospective tenderers are aimed at ensuring tenderers are fully aware of the scope of the tender, the tender documentation and the proposed commercial terms and conditions. Briefing sessions should be arranged when the scope of the work or service is unusual or complex or when there is a need to specifically highlight certain aspects of a tender process or the tender documentation.  Sessions should be conducted in the form of a meeting with all tenderers present and should be made mandatory for all those who potentially wish to submit a tender. Discussion should be documented.
   6. Questions from Tenderers
      When receiving and answering questions put forward by prospective tenderers during the tender period:
      1. questions must be provided in writing;
      2. questions and answers should be distributed to all tenderers unless there is an apparent breach of intellectual property;
      3. responses should be provided in a timely (i.e. within 24 hours if possible) manner; and
      4. questions will not be received/responded to within 48 hours of the close of tender. (To be stated in tender documents)
   7. Contact with Tenderers
      Procurement and Contracts must coordinate this process.
      Other than through briefings written question and answer processes, contact with potential tenderers should be avoided in the period immediately prior to and during the processing of a tender.
      University staff must not accept any gifts, and must refuse any invitations to events and the like put forward by potential tenderers during the preparation, issuing and consideration of tenders. (refer Charter of Conduct and Values) 
   8. Tender Presentations
      If presentations by short listed tenderers are required they must be undertaken consistently and fairly. All presenting tenderers should be given the same period of time in which to present and the format of presentation should be similar. Tender presentations should not be an opportunity to revise a submission but rather a means of further refining the shortlist process.
   9. Tender Evaluation
      All tenders shall undergo a formal evaluation process:
      1. in the event that the procurement has been facilitated by a party external to UC, the evaluation panel must include a representative from the external party;
      2. all tenders must be evaluated in a consistent manner against the evaluation criteria adopted for the tender with the use of a weighted matrix analysis.
      3. tenders offering an alternative solution that meet the performance and functional requirements should be considered on their merits particularly if a fully conforming solution has also been offered.  Alternative proposals may lead to innovative or creative solutions.  A comparable price for the alternative should not be obtained from other tenderers nor should the alternative be used as the basis for recalling tenders;
      4. post tender negotiations must only be undertaken with short listed tenderers or the preferred tenderer, and the same general questions and proposals must be put to all short listed tenderers.  The objective of post tender negotiations is to obtain the optimal solution and commercial arrangement and not merely the lowest price.  Matters that may be discussed at post tender negotiations include additional value adding options, specific contract management arrangements, accountable personnel for various stages or commitments, intellectual property issues, warranties and other arrangements.
   10. Tender Evaluation Reports
       Following the identification of a preferred tenderer an evaluation report shall be prepared which should detail, but not be limited to:
       1. the procurement process undertaken;
       2. the list of tenders received;
       3. risk management issues;
       4. environmental considerations;
       5. any elements of non-compliance;
       6. confirmation that the essential elements of the tender have been satisfied;
       7. the basis for the final recommendation;
       8. the capability of the supplier;
       9. the financial standing of the tenderer; and
       10. actions to be taken to ensure the delivery of the specified outputs/outcomes.
           Any decision to repeat the tendering process should be made only in unavoidable circumstances. Recalling tenders to obtain a better price should be avoided.
   11. Tender Award
       Procurement and Contracts is responsible for organising the award of the contract, the preparation or review of the contract documentation (in conjunction with Legal), and advice to unsuccessful tenderers. Advice of the outcome to all tenderers should be made immediately after the award of contract unless the Evaluation Team advises/agrees otherwise.
   12. Tender Debriefing
       Post tender debriefs may be conducted with unsuccessful tenderers if they are requested. Debriefs should be provided in a reasonable timeframe by the Chairperson of the assessment panel with at least one other panel member present. Minutes of the discussion must be recorded and filed.
       Debriefing should be limited to:
       1. what was examined during evaluation and how it was undertaken;
       2. tenderer’s performance against the evaluation criteria ie. whether they were judged as acceptable, unacceptable, superior or weak;
       3. comparison to UC’s requirements; and
       4. identity and basic other details associated with the successful tenderer (exact price details must not be disclosed).
   13. Complaints
       Formal complaints associated with the outcome of a tender or quotation process are to be referred to the Director Finance and Business Services for facilitation and resolution.
   14. Storage of Signed Contracts and the Contract Management Register
       Originals of all signed contracts must be filed in a separate TRIM file and sent to Registry. 
       A copy of the signed contract must be forwarded to Legal and/or Procurement and Contracts for inclusion in the Contract Management Register.
5. Breaches of the procurement process
   All suspected breaches of UC policy and procedures in relation to procurement should be reported to the relevant supervisor, who must immediately investigate and advise the Director Finance and Business Services of the outcome of each reported breach. All reports received will be treated with appropriate concern for the law, privacy and confidentiality. Breaches of UC policy and procedures in relation to procurement will be dealt with in a timely manner in accordance with the relevant Enterprise Agreement.
6. Relationship between contract management and the procurement process
   
   1. Developing a contract management strategy
      Refer to Contract Management Procedures Manual.
      Ideally, the Contract Manager should be designated prior to the commencement of the procurement process.
      Developing and implementing a contract management strategy should start early in the procurement process so that contract management requirements (eg Key Performance Indicators) are included in the draft contract. Refer to Contract Management Procedures Manual
      During or after engagement of the service provider the contract manager must take responsibility for the contract management process.

Responsibilities of Procurement
Staff within faculties and support units may carry out procurement activities to a value of $200,000.00, however a specialist group of procurement professionals (Procurement and Contracts) within Finance and Business Services provides general procurement and policy advice, maintains procurement systems and templates, and conducts some UC wide procurements.  Legal advice on procurement is provided through the UC Legal Services office.

Procurements valued above $200,000.00 must be referred to Procurements and Contracts.
Irrespective of value, all intending Purchasers are responsible for identifying and planning their procurement processes.  Procurement planning should take into account the following considerations (Refer clause 3.4 for individual thresholds):

1. identifying and describing the reasons behind the need to purchase;
2. determining budget and ensuring funds are available, including obtaining “in principle” agreement/support from the appropriate UC delegate for the proposed purchase;
3. determining requirements;
4. researching supplier and product options (if you have determined your requirements);
5. researching and considering sustainability options;
6. preparing a scope or specification of the required goods/service and determining evaluation criteria that will be required to be met;
7. establish realistic timeframes and milestones;
8. determining the best procurement method according to threshold of spend
   (refer clause 3);
9. identifying whether or not the procurement requires advisors such as legal, probity or technical, and developing a strategy for engaging their assistance;
10. identifying potential risks associated with the procurement;
11. determining the term of the contract and whole of life costing; and
12. obtaining approval from the appropriate UC delegate.

Legislative Framework
As UC is governed by Australian Capital Territory legislation, the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPR) (External Site) do not directly apply. However, compliance with the CPR may be a condition of specific Commonwealth grant expenditure. The CPR should therefore be treated as reflecting “advisory best practice”, except as required by grant funding requirements.

Procedure Applies to:

• University of Canberra Group
• Agencies or third Parties acting on behalf of the University

Other Relevant Policies and Procedures

• Procurement Policy
• University Contract Management Framework
• Financial Delegation Policy
• Risk Management Plan
• Resilience Management Framework
• Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) Assets Policy
• Workplace Health and Safety Purchasing Guidelines
• University Payment Card Policy
• University Payment Card Procedures Manual
• Fraud and Corruption Control Plan
• University Business Travel and Entertainment (when travelling) Policy
• Charter of Conduct and Values

Documents Replaced By this Procedure
Procurement Procedures Manual 2010

Terms	Definitions
Nil