1 Policy Statement

Under the Financial Accountability Act 2009, Section 60, the University is required to establish and maintain appropriate systems of internal control to ensure its operations are carried out effectively, efficiently and economically. In addition the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009, Section 21, requires the Accountable Officer of the University to keep a written record of the disposal or loss of University property.

The University will maintain a University wide Portable and Attractive Items Register to record the receipt, movement and disposal of non-consumable items of a portable and attractive nature.

2 Principles

By definition Portable and Attractive Items do not meet the asset capitalisation threshold and, consequently are expensed in the year of acquisition.

All University staff who are involved in the purchasing, disposal, using, keeping, allocation and/or management of Portable and Attractive Items are responsible for maintaining an up-to-date- knowledge of this Policy and these procedures, to ensure the University can comply with legislative obligations regarding the holding and disposal of University property.

Responsibility for the control and safe custody of a Portable and Attractive Item remains with the faculty or department who makes the purchase decision/acquires the item.

Although Portable and Attractive Items are assigned to a custodian, the item remains the property of the University at all times.

The University will maintain a Portable and Attractive Items Register and this register will be subject to an annual stocktake.

3 Procedures

3.1 What is a Portable and Attractive Item (PAI)?

A Portable and Attractive Item (PAI) is a non-consumable item of a portable and attractive nature valued between $300 and $4,999 (exclusive of GST). At the discretion of the Chief Financial Officer, and in exceptional high risk cases, non-consumable items valued at less than $300 may be deemed as a Portable and Attractive Item for the purposes of this Policy.

The Chief Financial Officer will review and may adjust the lower value limit annually.

3.2 Acquisition, Identification and Control

Portable and Attractive Items will be identified, uniquely tagged and registered in the Portable and Attractive Items Register (PAIR), at the time of acquisition.

• For items purchased by University held funds, identification, tagging and recording will be the responsibility of the Procurement Officer or Finance Officer and items will be added to the Portable and Attractive Items Register (PAIR) via the Spendvision System or the PeopleSoft purchase order process.

• For items gifted or donated to the University, the Faculty or Department Manager will advise the Assistant Accountant (Operations) or designated Finance Officer who will arrange for the item to be tagged and recorded.

Control over and safe custody of, a Portable and Attractive Item, remains a dual responsibility of the Faculty or Department who makes the purchase decision/acquires the item and the custodian.

Where the custodian is a University staff member, and the staff member ceases employment with the University, Managers of Faculties and Departments will integrate, within their standard termination processes, the return of all PAI prior to the staff member’s departure.

Where the custodian is a University student the Faculty or Department Manager will ensure the return of all PAI prior to the student ceasing their enrolment with the University.

3.3 Portable and Attractive Items Register (PAIR)

Financial and Business Services will maintain a single, University wide PAIR in the Asset Management module of the PeopleSoft Finance System.

The register will hold the following information for each item:

• Category type

• Unique tag number

• Description

• Serial number

• Model Number

• Brand/manufacturer

• Supplier/donor

• Purchase/acquisition date

• Purchase cost/estimated gift value

• Refresh Program (if applicable)

• Custodian (faculty/school/department/division/staff or student name and number)

• Usage (e.g. general, academic, lecture theatre, student lab)

• Location (campus, building and room number)

• Disposal date

• Disposal method

Portable and Attractive Items stored in a location other than a University campus require the prior written approval of the Manager of the Faculty or Department.

3.4 Transfer or relocation of Portable and Attractive Items

Managers of Faculties and Departments are responsible for reporting the transfer or relocation details of Portable and Attractive Items, other than official ICT computer refresh installations. The Manager will advise their designated Finance Officer or the Assistant Accountant (Operations) in writing giving details of the:

• Unique tag number (clear identification of the PAI)

• New Custodian

and/or,

• New Location

ICT computer and equipment refresh installations and PAI relocations will be managed by the Assistant Accountant (Operations), Financial and Business Services in consultation with the responsible ICT Officer, and where possible will include an automated load process.

PAIR data accuracy is a joint responsibility of Financial and Business Services, ICT and Faculties and Departments.

3.5 Disposal of Portable and Attractive Items

A Financial Delegate must give written approval before an item can be removed from the PAIR.

Prior to disposal of a Portable and Attractive Item the requesting officer will:

• Seek advice from the Supervisor Procurement and Contracts on the appropriate method of disposal

• Complete an Asset/PAI Disposal Request Form

• Obtain the signature of the relevant Financial Delegate

• Attach additional approvals/documentation (if required)

• Forward the form to the Assistant Account (Operations), Financial and Business Services

Requests to donate Portable and Attractive Items to an external party, at no consideration, must be made in writing to the Chief Financial Officer, prior to the disposal of the PAI.

Disposal methods of a PAI will be conducted in accordance with the QGCPO – Guidelines for the Disposal of Computer Equipment and the “Disposal of Surplus Government Assets” – QGCPO Procurement Guidance. The method of disposal may be through auction, private treaty (with approval from the Chief Financial Officer) or tender with consideration given to the location of the items and potential buyers, ensuring the process is fair, open and competitive.

Where a Manager of a Faculty or Department becomes aware that a PAI has been lost or stolen they will immediately contact the Assistant Accountant (Operations), Financial and Business Services who will assist the Manager to complete the disposal form and will advise the Chief Financial Officer, in accordance with Section 3.7 of this Policy.

3.6 Annual Stocktakes of the PAIR

Financial and Business Services staff are responsible for conducting/co-ordinating an annual stocktake of the Portable and Attractive Items Register. This may be a rolling stocktake conducted throughout a year.

Managers of Faculties and Departments are responsible for providing:

• reasonable access to their section areas for the purposes of the stocktake; and

• specialist staff support to help identify PAI and their location during the stocktake.

In consultation with each Faculty or Department Manager, the Manager Financial Operations will plan the timing and areas (buildings, floors, offices) to be covered for each stocktake.

Portable and Attractive Items annual stocktakes will:

• Confirm the existence of the PAI; and

• Where necessary update location and custodian details; or

• Where an item cannot be accounted for, or is noted as being obsolete, damaged or beyond repair the responsible officer, conducting the stocktake, will arrange for the disposal of the PAI and the completion of a signed Asset/PAI Disposal Request Form and the item will be removed from the PAIR.

• Where an item cannot be accounted for and the responsible office and / or Faculty or Department Manager considers the item may have been lost or stolen the matter will be dealt with in accordance to Section 3.7 of this Policy.

Where a stocktake indicates that PAI are unaccounted for due to incorrect disposal processes, The Manager, Financial Operations will provide a report to the Faculty or Department Manager, and discuss the effectiveness of their PAI controls and where necessary recommend control improvements.

3.7 Reporting Lost or Stolen Portable and Attractive Items

Where a stocktake indicates, or a Manager reports, that an item may have been lost or stolen, the matter will be referred to the Chief Financial Officer. In accordance with Section 21 of the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009, the Chief Financial Officer is required to keep a written record of all property losses and under Section 22 is required to investigate all material property. A written record of the loss will be retained including details of the following:-

• A description of the property, including its value.

• The reason for the loss.

• The action taken about the loss, including but not limited to, review of faculty/department processes/procedures, control of property, action taken to recover the loss (if applicable).

Where the loss is a result of official misconduct under the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001 the Chief Financial Officer will report the matter to the Chief Operating Officer for action under the University’s Fraud and Corruption Control Management Policy.

3.8 Reporting

Financial and Business Services will, upon request, provide faculties and departments with a range of standard management reports on Portable and Attractive Items. Examples include:

• PAI by custodian

• ICT items due for refresh by department or faculty

• PAI by location

• PAI by faculty or department

• PAI by category

• PAI by value

3.9 Continuous Improvement in the Portable and Attractive Items Activities

The University’s Continuous Improvement Framework is inclusive of staff at all levels and is formed by the following principles:

• Delivers measurable improvement in critical end-to-end business processes.

• Improvements in services are focused on customer needs.

• Empowering frontline staff to develop solutions to problems and, in so doing, begins to change the culture.

• Involves multi-level, multi-functional teams of staff, thus breaking down barriers, developing relationships and allowing a share of best practice.

• Contributes significantly to the creation of a strong culture of learning and encourages creativity and risk-taking whilst stimulating challenge, innovation and change.

• Improvements are sustainable because they become embedded in operational procedures.

• Cost effective – solutions depend on creativity, not capital investment.

The Chief Financial Officer will adopt the ADRI cycle (Approach, Deploy, Results, Improve) of continuous improvement in the Portable and Attractive Items activities of the University.

The Chief Financial Officer will encourage Procurement Officers and Finance Officers, and all staff involved in the processes of recording, managing and stocktaking Portable and Attractive Items (PAI), to:

• provide feedback on the methods employed to identify and record PAI.

• provide feedback on the PAI stocktaking processes and associated outcomes.

• provide suggestions on how processes may be streamlined when maintaining the PAI Register.

• provide suggestions on what items should be included in the PAIR, their value and nature.

• be involved in workshops to discuss the responsibilities associated with recording, managing and stocktaking PAI.

• be involved in workshops that will share knowledge and provide background information on the framework in which the University manages its Portable and Attractive Items.

The Chief Financial Officer will incorporate agreed outcomes from this continuous improvement initiative in the KPIs within the annual Corporate Procurement Plan, record keeping and Portable and Attractive Items.

4 References

Financial Accountability Act 2009, (Section 60)

Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009, (Section 21 and 22)

Crime and Misconduct Act 2001

QGCPO – Guidelines for the Disposal of Computer Equipment

“Disposal of Surplus Government Assets” – QGCPO Procurement Guidance

5 Definitions

6 Other Policy Information