Increasingly universities and colleges are recognising the importance of being explicit about who has the power to take what decisions, and thereby to help ensure both transparency and accountability in decision making. One way to do this is to have a schedule of delegation, and this is now generally accepted as good practice in governance. The clerk or secretary will generally be heavily involved in the production of such a schedule, and in most institutions is responsible for it.
The schedule is a list of all the main decisions that need to be made, which individual or committee is responsible for each decision, and what the limits on action are. It takes effort to produce but, by identifying where key decisions are most effectively taken, the governing body can ensure that both committees and individuals are clear about the full extent of their responsibilities. Some items that would fall into a schedule of delegation appear in the financial regulations, but the concept is much broader than this.
Typically, the schedule will also include decisions about: budgets; who can sign contracts to what level; where admissions decisions are made; who can open a bank account in the institution’s name; who makes appointments and sets salaries; tendering procedures; how investment/divestment decisions are made; who grants licences for intellectual property etc.
The schedule needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure it reflects what really happens.
As part of such a schedule, each committee must have formally approved terms of reference. These should set out: its purpose; the specific decisions it must make or advice it must give and to whom; what powers are delegated to it by the governing body; what powers it can delegate to its subcommittees, where applicable; where and how often its work will be reported; the membership of the committee, specified by category; and the quorum. Accountability for the implementation of committee decisions may also need to be specified.