Delegation of Fiscal Authority (DOA)
The Chancellor’s Office (CO) formed the Financial Business Rules Committee (FBRC) to identify a baseline delegation of authority structure for the CSU. This committee was composed of campus and CO representatives who were charged with developing this standard for approval of financial transactions. Further information about this collaborative effort is available on the CSYou Delegation of Authority webpage.
Delegation of Fiscal Authority provides signature authority to certain individuals based on their level in the organization to review and approve various transactions and authorize the expenditure of monies. Signature authority is granted by Fund or Department ID.
Individuals with this designation are expected to:
- Understand the nature or purpose of the expense/purchase and ensure supporting documentation is complete.
- Verify that the expense/purchase is utilizing the correct funding source (i.e., campus chartfields).
- Ensure that adequate funds are available to cover the expense/purchase and, if a multi-year commitment, that budget plans are fiscally sound and sustainable.
- Ensure that the funding source is appropriate for the expense/purchase and complies with any applicable spending requirements (i.e., student fee revenue).
The following structure was approved by our campus cabinet on April 24, 2025. It will act as the basis for assignment of fiscal authority for departments and related financial systems and transactions.
| Level | Level Definition | Role/Title | Expenditure/Transaction Type | Approval Authority Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Individual with oversight of campus | President -OR- CFO | Approval - All | Unlimited |
| 2 | Individuals with oversight of divisions | Provost, Vice President | Approval - CSUBUY (goods/services) Approval - Concur Travel Request and Expense Approval - Hospitality |
CSUBUY - Up to $1,000,000 Concur - Up to $20,000 Hospitality - Up to $20,000 |
| 3 | Individuals with oversight of College/Unit | Deans, Associate/Assistant Vice President (AVP), Vice Provost, Athletic Director, Management Personnel Plan (*MPP Admin III) | Approval - CSUBUY (goods/services) Approval - Concur Travel Request and Expense Approval - Hospitality |
CSUBUY - Up to $50,000 Concur - Up to $10,000 Hospitality - Up to $10,000 |
| 4 | Individuals with delegated authority to spend from and manage approved budgets | Academic Equivalent, Department Chairs, Associate Deans, Directors (*MPP Admin II) | Approval - CSUBUY (goods/services) | CSUBUY - Up to $30,000 |
It is recommended to have at least two (2) people listed as DOA for Levels 3 and 4, as anyone initiating a P2P transaction cannot also be the DOA approver for that transaction.
DOA updates are processed weekly, every Friday morning.
The Approving Authority for all DOA requests must (1) be a Level 3 or above, and (2) have hierarchical approval for the designee.
The DOA structure will include the following types of transactions:
- Purchase of Goods and Services (JGS): Authorized delegates may serve as the final approval authority on the purchase of software, independent contractor services, subscriptions, supply orders, and other transactions that have an impact on a department/fund’s budget. These types of transactions are abbreviated in the DOA Module as JGS. JGS transactions are not limited to those involving purchase order and PCard purchase reconciliation and do include purchases made with a Direct Pay.
- Hospitality (HO): Authorized delegates may serve as the final approval authority on hospitality purchases for a university hosted event. These types of transactions are abbreviated in the DOA Module as HO.
- Travel Request (TR): Authorized delegates may serve as one of the approvers on travel requests that are reimbursable by specific department funds. These types of transactions are abbreviated in the DOA Module as TR.
- Travel Expense (TE): Authorized delegates may serve as one of the approvers on travel expense reimbursements to travelers, when reimbursable by specific department funds. These types of transactions are abbreviated in the DOA Module as TE.
Complete the Delegation of Authority Request Form to add or remove delegations of authority. Once complete, submit the form through the SmartSheet DOA Request process.
Delegation of Authority Request Form (PDF)
Delegation of Authority (DOA) Request Smartsheet
Check the status of past submissions HERE.
Why are we implementing a new Delegation of Fiscal Authority?
A new Delegation of Fiscal Authority is being implemented to align with the FBRC’s CSU Delegation of Authority Standard in preparation for Procure-to-Pay.
I previously signed a Signature Authorization Form but I never signed a DOA Form. Do I still have signature authority?
No, the Signature Authorization Forms are now obsolete. In order to be an authorized signor/approver one must have an approved DOA Form on file.
Do I still need to obtain other approval signatures within my college/unit?
While Financial Services only requires the appropriate level of signature within the Delegation of Fiscal Authority, your college/unit may have other internal procedures you must follow. Please refer to your college/unit policies and procedures.