UTMB Management Responsibilities Handbook

Acquisition of Goods and Services

Accountability

In the area of acquiring goods and services, the department head is responsible for:

• Fostering a departmental environment that respects State, UT System, and UTMB    procurement rules and policies.
• Supporting administrators and individuals with specific, delegated responsibilities by    clearly delineating roles for the purchase of goods and services within the department, and    appropriately responding to compliance issues that are brought to the department head’s    attention.

Department Head Responsibilities

In departments that have a department administrator, the department head may delegate specific duties to that individual. The department administrator may further delegate responsibility to individuals. Accountability may not be delegated and rests with the department head. In delegating responsibilities to employees, it is essential that the employee clearly understands the responsibilities delegated; will abide by the policies and procedures governing the assignment; and understands the administrative structure that provides advice and has jurisdiction in the assigned area. While the following list is not all-inclusive, it represents the procurement responsibilities which may be delegated by the department head:

• Assign responsibilities clearly and effectively by maintaining up-to-date job descriptions.
• Maintain up-to-date skills, rules, and policy training for employees responsible for    requisitioning and approving the acquisition of goods and services.
• Consider Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) per IHOP Policy 4.2.1 when making    buy, lease or rent decisions.
• Authorize the acquisition of goods and services only to the extent allowed by IHOP    Procurement Policy 4.5.6.

Potential Problem Areas

While the following examples are not all-inclusive, they do serve to illustrate precautions to be taken in situations that may cause problems. The acquisition of goods and services by departmental individuals without delegated authority may place the department and UTMB at risk by:

• Not complying with the State of Texas purchasing guidelines
• Not complying with UT System and UTMB procurement policies
• Not executing agreements and contracts when appropriate
• Purchasing goods and services outside the requisition and small order system (SOS)    processes when the purchases are not exempt from existing procurement rules.

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