Purchasing

Other Information

• The Purchasing Office maintains a list of persons who are authorized to sign Purchase Requisitions and Request for Payments.
• The authorized signature list should also list any limitations to the authority of the persons.
• This list is reviewed and updated at least once a year by October 31.
• The Purchasing Office should be notified of employees as soon as they are authorized to sign Purchase Requisitions and Request for Payments.
• The Purchasing Department will return any forms that do not have an authorized signature and contact the person's supervisor.

Only the Purchasing Director, Purchasing Agent, Controller, Vice President of Administrative Affairs, or the NDSCS President are authorized to commit NDSCS for goods and services.
Commitments by any other member of the faculty or staff are not binding on NDSCS, and vendor's invoices covering these commitments will not be honored.
Receiving premiums from a vender on a purchase requisition is against NDSCS and the State of North Dakota purchasing policies.
When the Purchasing Department receives such requisitions, they will be returned to the issuing department as an unauthorized purchase.

Blanket Purchase Orders are created for vendors with whom a department has repetitive purchases either daily, weekly or monthly.
If your department would like a Blanket Purchase Order, submit a request to the Purchasing Department, upon approval a Blanket Purchase Order will be created.
Vendors who have Blanket Purchase Orders are authorized to "charge" to NDSCS employees.
NDSCS receives monthly statements for charges. A request for payment is prepared by your department, the invoice is attached and forwarded to Accounts Payable.

State law prohibits a public employee from using public property for personal purposes when the employee knows such use is unauthorized and the employee knows that there is some risk of loss or detriment to the government. N.D.C.C.12.1-23-07.
Various state laws and NDSCS rules apply to personal use of public property. State law specifically prohibits using a state car for private use. N.D.C.C. 39-01-03.
NDSCS employees should also be aware of the conflict of interest rules and the surplus property rules.
NDSCS, in addition to the specific requirements of these laws and policies, strives to encourage its employees to avoid even the appearance of impropriety so as to not violate the public trust.

Equipment which is furnished for NDSCS use by outside agencies on a rental or lease basis, whether for a definite or indefinite period, will be covered by a formal purchase order or contract.
In the case of leased equipment, the department concerned will clearly mark the requisition "Lease Equipment" and specify whether it is a new or renewal lease.
All leases, whether for equipment, fixtures or real property (land or buildings), must be approved by the President or Chief Financial Officer of NDSCS.
The President or Chief Financial Officer are the only individuals authorized to sign a lease for the institution, any lease arrangement made without the approval of the President or Chief Financial Officer will not be binding on NDSCS.
All leases shall be on file in the Business Affairs Office, Purchasing Department, and the benefited department.
All real property leases and any equipment or fixture leases shall be obtained under the Purchasing policy of the State Board of Higher Education.

This division of Purchasing is maintained for the purpose of redistributing and disposing of all unwanted equipment, supplies, and materials.

All property that becomes excess or surplus to the needs of a department shall be reported to the Purchasing Department and Property Control. Except for surplus property where there are federal funds involved and federal regulations prohibit, this policy will be followed.
Neither NDSCS employees nor anyone else will be allowed to obtain personal possession of scrap, even if discarded, unless such property is handled as surplus property.
Non-College property, such as property of students that is scrapped or discarded by students, while not technically surplus property will be handled pursuant to the surplus property rules if an NDSCS employee wants to obtain such property.

Reporting of surplus property is done through the Property Control Department. Description, model number, serial number and item inventory number is needed to process the request.
Distribution of NDSCS surplus property will be at the discretion of the Purchasing Department and Property Control.
The surplus item may be transferred to another NDSCS department without cost or at fair market value.
If not disposed of under above procedures, the item will be disposed of under N.D.C.C. 54-44-04.6 and ND Office of Management and Budget requirements.
Surplus property items will be sold on a regular basis on campus pursuant to Purchasing Department procedures. Items sold at auction sales are sold as is and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Bid forms will be available at time of inspection, terms of sale are cash or check upon pickup of items.

It is the policy of the State of North Dakota that the disposition of state surplus property be accomplished in such a manner as to prevent material benefit to any employee by virtue of their employment.

Incoming items will be inspected by the surplus manager to determine if the item has utility or not. (Utility is defined as being useful to the campus, state or public).

It is the department's responsibility to keep NDSCS Property Control informed on all changes in their equipment inventory including moving of equipment, trades, transfers to another department, deletions, disposal etc.
Purchasing will coordinate and request approval to trade-in, dispose of, or sell excess surplus property from appropriate Office of Management and Budget personnel in accordance with Century Code Requirements.
Trade-in and disposal of equipment requires state approval which is processed through the Purchasing Office. Please allow two to three weeks.