Procurement procedures detail the practical day-to-day job of implementing and supporting the institution's procurement policy and procurement strategy. The procedures state how staff should approach each procurement exercise. The amount of work, detail and effort involved should reflect the value and risk represented by the exercise. For example, the replenishment of a stock item in a laboratory store will require less time and effort than that needed to procure a major item of laboratory equipment.
The procedures are a set of rules and regulations that outline the standards to be applied when committing the institution's funds. They also provide protection to staff engaged in a procurement process and are used by the auditors to test compliance and control. The procedures state financial thresholds above which more involved, formal competitive processes will be required to demonstrate that appropriate efforts have been made to optimise value for money.
Areas to be included within a procurement procedure manual may be sub-divided into three main groupings:
Indicative thresholds are provided for procurement exercises where the estimated value of the expenditure is less than the current EU Public Procurement Regulations thresholds. Readers are advised to check their Procurement Office's web site to find out the thresholds that apply within their own institution.
Also available are Sample procurement procedures provided by other educational institutions that may prove useful as a starting point when devising your own procedures.