How to purchase something
There are a number of steps to follow when purchasing something for use on the team. The team leads can help with this process.
How to purchase something new
Get in touch with the team leads. In order to seek spend approval on your behalf, they will need to know:
- what it is
- what it will be used for
- why existing tools / resources cannot meet this need
- estimated number of users (if appropriate)
- cost
- whether it was included in the budget estimation for current financial year
When making smaller purchases, such as stickers, it’s often more appropriate to make the purchase yourself then claim the money back via expenses. These purchases still come out of the team’s budget but can be self-approved on SOP. Speak to a team lead if you’re unsure.
If purchasing a new tool or resource, it will also need a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to ensure it meets the organisation’s privacy requirements. The team leads can complete this on your behalf in collaboration with the Information Assurance (IA) team. This can be quite a lengthy process so factor this into planning.
After spend and privacy approval has been given, the team leads will liaise with the programme’s Business Operations team to set up payment. This is sometimes done via corporate credit card (if it’s a recurring monthly payment) or temporary credit card (if it’s a one-off yearly payment). The team leads will make a note of when renewal is due.
At this point, the team leads will work with you to set up an account (if needed).
How to renew an existing tool
Let the team leads know if something is due for renewal. It should be included in the team’s yearly budget so seeking approval should be more straightforward. The team leads will liaise with senior leadership on spend approval then work with Business Operations to arrange payment.