Allocation of Resources

Aim

The allocation and monitoring of resources in a fair and transparent fashion to the benefit of the School.

Objectives

1. To balance the resources across and within the three main categories of Teaching, Research and Administration within the context of the overall resource of the School.
    
2. To take account of the needs of each sector and the categories within those broad boundaries.
    
3. To produce an allocation of funds which will be effective in delivering the teaching, research and supporting administration of the School.
    
4. To allow virement of resources by each budget holder to enable them to plan and take responsibility for the effective use of resources within their allocated budget.

Rationale and Background

The guiding principle of the School resource-allocation system is that the person responsible for delivering a teaching and learning module or research programme or an efficient administration task is best placed to decide the detail of expenditure.

Because of this, the School has run a devolved funding system for more than 10 years. It has always sought to allow those responsible for the running of the laboratories, projects, modules, etc, to organise their own spending as far as possible. This enables staff to plan and carry forward resources for major items or refurbishment.

Monthly financial control is maintained by Management Committee. A regular check on expenditure is easily available through the School accounts office both to the Head of School (or more recently the Management Committee) and the budget holder. A freezing of the account is automatically triggered in the accounts office if spending exceeds 115% of the allocated budget.

Academic control is maintained through Teaching Committee and Research Committee. The former monitors the teaching and learning outcomes via the various student and staff feedback mechanisms and the latter via research output.

Periodically, Budget Holders are requested to review their areas of responsibility for any major changes required together with a detailed budget. As a result of this process we have modernised most of the teaching laboratories and provided new computing facilities and upgrades in the last five years.

University initiatives or discretionary awards are dealt with by Management Committee on the basis of advice from Teaching or Research Committee, as relevant.

Mechanisms

1. The recurrent and equipment budgets allocated to the School are available at Easter / early Summer term. At this stage a broad budget is drawn up by the Head of School for discussion within Management Committee giving a first indication of the expenditure available after the salary component has been committed.
    
2. After discussion in Management Committee alongside the current state of the various devolved budgets, areas are identified for further investigation with the budget holders involved. This may be with a view to
   • identifying the reason, if significant sums are being carried forward, and reducing the allocation if necessary,
   • changing the allocation if concerns from either Teaching or Research Committees, School Meeting or the Budget Holder have been received as to the funding allocated, or if
   • Management Committee itself wishes to instigate an initiative in the relevant area.
   Major-budget holders (e.g. library, the various Teaching Laboratories) are always consulted by the Head of School.
    
3. Following the initial feedback, a detailed budget is drawn up in line with the University requirements for a four-year plan. This incorporates the requirements for a linkage with the School Research, Teaching and Learning, and Staffing Plans.
    
4. The allocation is circulated at the end of the Summer term or early in the summer period.
    
5. Each month management financial reports are scrutinised by Management Committee as part of its control procedures. Unusual expenditure is noted and, where necessary, taken up with the Budget Holder concerned.
    
6. The overall financial position is fed to Teaching and Research Committees and the School Meeting as part of the yearly planning cycle leading to the School plans. Any feedback is incorporated into the following year's cycle.
    

Important Dates