What is Delegation of Purchasing Authority?

Delegation is a formal agreement between the University of Wisconsin-Madison Purchasing Services and a University of Wisconsin-Madison Department regarding a mutually agreed upon dollar level to allow purchases at that level to be processed and approved directly in the department. The agreement is signed by the Director of Purchasing Services, the Dean's office, the Department Chair, and the departmental purchasing person responsible for the actual transactions. Reviews for compliance are incorporated into the agreement and purchases must be completed in accordance with all State Statutes, UW System and UW-Madison policies and procedures.

How Does Delegation Work?

Consideration for delegation will only be given to those departments that have sufficient purchasing workload to justify a permanent, full-time FTE responsible for procurement activity.

The Department must make a formal written request for delegation (including specific reasons for requesting the delegation) and secure signatures from the Department Chair and Dean or Director. Requests are submitted to the Director of Purchasing Services.

The Department person listed in the agreement becomes the Delegated Purchasing Agent for departmental transactions. Delegated Departments are then responsible for performing procurement activities up to their level of delegation. Requisitions initiated by the department are stamped "PO READY" and are required to be completely coded before submission to Purchasing Services. Consequently, these requisitions are not reviewed by Purchasing Services Agents.

When received in Purchasing Services, the requisition is given priority status and entered electronically to generate a purchase order. Documentation for the transaction is retained at the department level.

Responsibilities of Delegation

Purchasing Services is responsible for providing training and ongoing guidance to the Delegated Agent. Periodically, Purchasing Services will conduct a review for compliance to the Delegation Agreement, UW Madison, and State of Wisconsin policies and procedures.

The Delegated Department is responsible for insuring that the transaction is within the limits of the delegation agreement, that proper procedures are followed and that supporting documentation is readily available.