Jefferson Lab > COO > HR
Privacy and Security Notice

Administrative Manual - 401 General

401.01 Signature Authorization

  1. POLICY
    1. Authorization to commit the Laboratory to monetary obligations is restricted to designated staff within the Laboratory, based on the mission needs of JLab's projects and organizational units (orgs).
    2. Each Division manages specific projects and orgs within which costs are accumulated. The prime authority for spending within these projects and orgs is the respective Associate Director (AD).
    3. The AD may delegate spending authority on his/her projects and orgs to other employees at the Lab, with the knowledge that the responsibility for commitments on these projects and orgs ultimately lies with him/her. Project and org managers may also delegate authority within their own projects and orgs at a dollar level equal to or below their own.
  2. PROCEDURE
    1. Associate Directors, project managers, and org managers carefully review their projects and orgs to delegate signature authority where needed at an appropriate dollar level. ADs may also designate, electronically or by hardcopy, other individuals to aid them in assigning signature authority (e.g., their deputies or administrators) up to a specified dollar level.
    2. Each AD transmits, electronically or by hardcopy, their authorization requests including the designated staff names, project(s) and/or org(s), and dollar levels for each to the responsible CFO Budget Analyst and/or Project Management staff.
    3. JLab signature authorizations are maintained by the CFO Budget Analysts and Project Management staff in the online ACM (Account Manager) system. ACM is updated as requested to reflect the most current authorization approvals. ACM is accessible to all employees in order to view which staff members have signature authority on the various projects and orgs and at what levels at the following web site: https://mis.jlab.org/mis/apps/acm/index.cfm.
    4. All purchases over $10K must be approved by the responsible CFO Budget Analyst and/or Project Management staff. Electronic data processing equipment (EDP) purchases require Computer Center approval; telecommunications equipment purchases require Staff Services approval; furniture purchases require approval by the Facilities Manager; and materials handling equipment purchases, e.g., forklifts, cranes, and other types of rigging equipment, require approval from the Materials Handling Representative. The purchase requisition system, Maximo, automatically routes purchases that fall into these categories to the appropriate people for electronic approval.


Return to Administrative Manual