The head of business collaboration and the head of innovation at Enterprise and Innovation's managerial responsibility and applicable delegation provisions are described here, in addition to what forms of decision-making power the head of business collaboration and the head of innovation at Enterprise and Innovation. may delegate.
A necessary precondition for delegation is regular briefing, coordination and communication between the person who delegates decision-making or signing authority,referred to as the delegator, and the person who receives decision-making or signing authority, referred to as the delegate.
The following delegation provisions establish the boundaries of decision-making authority and signing authority for managers at all levels at Aarhus University (AU).
These delegation provisions have been drafted within the framework of the University Act and AU’s by-laws.
The delegation provisions include both mandatory provisions (must) and discretionary provisions (can). The discretionary provisions allow for a degree of discretion or flexibility for the units in deciding whether to delegate from one level to the next.
Managers exercise financial decision-making authority on the condition that a budget has been delegated to them and that the expense can be incurred within the approved budget. Decision-making authority for each level of management is expressed in terms of approval limits for each level. Financial decision-making authority applies to purchasing decisions that involve a binding purchase or binding agreement for multiple purchases from the same supplier.
Financial transactions outside the approved budget can only be carried out after prior approval by the level of management immediately above. Decision-making authority applies to all financial transactions, regardless of whether they are made with AU’s institutional funding or with funds from an external grant.
Level-three managers can set a de minimus threshold for one-time transactions of up to DKK 2,000 for all employees or a group of selected employees at their own department/school (institut).
The description below relates to the decision-making and signing authority delegated to each level of management in regard to concluding and terminating lease agreements. Decision-making authority means authority to make decisions about and approve transactions. Signing-authority in this context means authority to conclude binding agreements on behalf of the university as a signatory or by (written or oral) confirmation.
Out of consideration for coordination, all signing authority in connection with concluding lease and sublease agreements, as well as the termination of such agreements, is delegated to the deputy director for AU Estates Projects and Development (with the exception of visitor accommodation, which is handled by the faculties), and is conditional on the involvement of AU Estates Projects and Development when the process is initiated with a view to quality assurance of the contracts.
A condition for delegation of authority in this area is that transactions must take place within the framework of the campus development plan adopted by the board.
Decision-making authority, but not signing authority, with regard to the conclusion of lease and sublease agreements with a non-cancellation period of up to one year and/or a total rental obligation for the university of under DKK 1 million in fixed prices as of the agreement date.
Overall and operational people management must at all times be conducted in accordance with the locally and centrally established guidelines and rules, including the rules in the collaboration agreement, frameworks established in the collective agreements and other relevant legislation in the area.
People management is defined as the decision-making authority to manage, hire, dismiss and take disciplinary action against employees, including decision-making authority to agree on the specific terms and conditions for employment as well as to assign specific tasks to employees.
Involuntary dismissal of employees with special protections against termination (union reps, occupational health and safety reps, members of liaison committees and the occupational health and safety organisation) is subject to the approval of the rector.
The delegation provisions distinguish between overall people management and operational people management.
The head of business collaboration and the head of innovation at Enterprise and Innovation have overall people management responsibility for the employees in the unit.
The head of business collaboration and the head of innovation at Enterprise and Innovation can delegate overall or operational people management responsibility for employees in their unit to level-four/five managers.
Legally responsible entity
AU Research is always legally responsible for approving and signing the following types of agreements:
In addition, AU Research is responsible for reviewing and approving research collaboration agreements, with a particular focus on agreements involving rights to exploit research results and/or utilise personal data (standard agreements), however not fast-track agreements drawn up by AU Research (standard agreements).
Enterprise and Innovation is always responsible for approving and signing commercialisation agreements (licensing agreements, patents, transfer of rights).
Vice-deans, heads of dept./school (institutledere), centre directors (AIAS, CED, SDC, DCA, DCE), heads of adm. ctr., heads of staff and deputy directors have decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve research collaboration agreements that involve their units.
Level-three managers can delegate decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve research collaboration agreements that exclusively apply to their units to level-four managers.
However, with regard to agreements referred to in the introduction, decision-making and signing authority in connection with such collaboration agreements is conditional on their prior approval by the legally responsible unit/entity.
When delegating authority, managers must complete a delegation letter for the delegate(s). It is important that the correct template is used, as the template contains a code that must be registered in mitHR so that it can be used in the administrative support of the provisions.
If you are missing a letter or if you have a question regarding filling out a letter, please send an email to Tove Bæk Jensen, the Rector’s Office, at legal@au.dk.
Template (Word document) for download:
Select the template which describes what the manager has been delegated