The main office must establish:
- What types of documents field office staff will have the power to sign,
- Up to what financial value for each, and
- Which budget codes the sub office should use.
We’ve included two tools to help you start to document this.
- We have attached a blank Table of Authorities Template. It is not a complete list of all forms in the office (e.g. It doesn’t include any warehousing forms), but it will get you started in a discussion with the CR and MQC.
If you formalize this list with position names and dollar levels of authority, make sure everyone has a copy (post it in a central location in the field office) or knows where to find one.
- We have also attached a template that you can use to document Who Can Sign for How Much and on Which Budget Codes and get signature samples.
Fill this out in cooperation with the country program’s MQC and HOP. Then make sure the main and sub-office finance offices each have a copy.
As this document, when completed, will include sample signatures, give the original to finance and copies to only those people who will need to check signatures on a regular basis (e.g. Purchasing)
Assign someone in the office to review and update the list on a regular basis (e.g. every week if there are a lot of temporary people coming in and out, every two weeks, or every month). You can use a finance staff person for this.