Area of Practice - Property Acquisition

In the property acquisition and management area of practice, school business officials deal with property, purchasing and supply and fixed asset management, along with all the budgeting, accounting, and contract expertise required. They have skills in preparing and analyzing RFP's, contract negotiation and auditing, and know the ins and outs of procurement, competitive bidding laws, trade agreements, code of ethics and reporting regulations. This area of practice encompasses:

PURCHASING

In this function, school business officials understand supply chain management and the laws surrounding it. They follow legislation around RFP's and understand and negotiate contracts, following the appropriate procedures for purchasing and evaluating what's ideal for the system. Because of the nature of this function, they must also understand the codes of ethics and competition laws, trade agreements and must be able to identify where they may be conflicts of interest. A school business official establishes procedures that conform to local policies, provincial and federal statutes and regulations regarding the procurement of goods and services in order to provide the best value for school authority resources. A school business official understands and demonstrates the ability to:

Understand Trade Agreements and procurement for public entities and how they apply to public school authorities.
Understand laws of competitive bidding and contract law.
Establish and implement procedures that conform to local policies, provincial and federal statutes, and regulations regarding the procurement of goods and services to provide the best value for jurisdiction resources.
Adhere to a strict code of procurement ethics and conduct all procurement without conflict of interest, impropriety, or an attempt to obtain personal gain.
Formulate and evaluate bid requirements for specifications, advertisements, and selection that complies with all federal, provincial legislation and regulations.
Understand how and when to use the Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC)
Negotiate contracts.

SUPPLY AND FIXED ASSET MANAGEMENT

School business officials in this function keep track of all the jurisdiction's assets, including buildings. They ensure processes are in place to categorize and track all assets, and understand proper use, purchasing, insurance and capital acquisition. They may also set rules and create reporting requirements. A school business official documents and records school authority assets using policies and procedures to mitigate risk of loss through proper insurance coverage to safeguard the investments of the school authority. A school business official understands and demonstrates the ability to:

Ensure compliance with all federal and provincial legislation and regulations for required reporting are followed.
Develop and maintain a replacement plan schedule, inclusive of replacement costs and incorporated into the long-range financial projections.
Develop and implement a program to effectively manage the current and long-range acquisition, maintenance, and repair of equipment.
Develop and implement a system to reallocate or dispose of surplus, and obsolete materials and equipment.
Use a fixed asset tracking system that aligns with the jurisdiction insurance provider to ensure that all fixed assets are accounted for annually and are covered on the insurance policy.
Develop a system for the financial analysis of life cycle costs and quality control.
Develop and implement a system for the proper valuation, classification, and amortization of fixed and capital assets.
Develop procedures for the acquisition and disposal of land and buildings.
Coordinate with government agencies regarding zoning, land use and other real estate issues.
Develop and implement a use-of-facility system that complies with all government regulations.