In light of recently updated guidelines from the State Auditor’s Office, the WVU Procurement Contracting and Payment Services team reminds employees confirming orders are not permitted when purchasing goods and services.
Beginning July 1, the state will reject confirming orders and require an individualized memo explaining why the confirming order occurred and what methods are being used to avoid future confirming orders.
A confirming order occurs when an employee works directly with a supplier to have a good or service delivered without first submitting a requisition in Mountaineer Marketplace and having a purchase order issued.
Examples of confirming orders include:
An employee brings an individual on campus to speak at an event. The employee works with the supplier directly via email or phone and does not submit a requisition in Mountaineer Marketplace for approval until they receive an invoice from the supplier once services are completed. Though the employee may have the supplier complete an Independent Contractor Form, that form does not serve as an agreement and does not eliminate the transaction from being considered a confirming order.
An employee orders a piece of equipment via email or phone, and the supplier provides the employee with an invoice that needs to be paid via check or Automated Clearing House (ACH).
An employee allows a supplier to provide a service (i.e., consulting, labor, IT, graphic design, inspections, sub-contract, etc.) without submitting a requisition in Mountaineer Marketplace or working with PCPS beforehand. This also includes situations in which services begin before an agreement is finalized or executed.
Due to the nature of these orders, the University cannot accurately forecast upcoming spending, assumes greater liability and risk, may duplicate payments and takes additional time and effort to document the purchase.
Confirming orders are only permissible in emergency situations or a specific situation where the PCPS team has explicitly instructed the employee to process an order in this manner. Employees who submit confirming orders that are not an emergency or who are not specifically directed by PCPS to do so may be personally responsible for the payment of the invoice.
Assuming the order is a critical need and should be purchased under current budget restrictions and guidelines, employees should follow these steps to make their purchase:
For goods: Check PCard guidelines to see if the PCard can be used to purchase the goods. If the purchase cannot be made via PCard, submit a non-catalog order form in Mountaineer Marketplace before the goods are ordered or provided.
For services: A non-catalog order form should be submitted in Mountaineer Marketplace before the services are provided. An agreement will likely be needed. The Independent Contractor Form does not serve as a service agreement. If services are ongoing but the exact dollar amount is unknown, one non-catalog order form should be submitted for the fiscal year. The University can then create a blanket purchase order.
The PCPS team appreciates your cooperation with these guidelines.
For additional information on confirming orders, please visit the PCPS website. If you have any questions about confirming orders, please email pcps@mail.wvu.edu or call 304-293-5711, Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.