Administration Policies & Processes Manual -FD006

I. Office Stationery & Supplies

1. Overview
   This policy covers the rules, standards and guidelines that govern the University's office stationery and supplies activities.
2. Objective
   The objective of the Office Stationery and Supplies policy is to ensure that the various Colleges, Divisions, Departments and Offices have sufficient office stationary supplies to meet business requirements and enable them to perform their duties and functions.
3. Policy Details
   1. To define guidelines and standards for publishing and printing of stationery and define procedures for ordering and distribution of stationery.
   2. To define standard and non-standard stationery items and define a process for ordering and distribution of stationery items.
   3. The purchase of stationery and office supplies and materials shall follow the policies and procedures being developed by the Procurement Department.
   4. The purchase of office supplies shall be based on established re-order points of the items that shall not go beyond the three-month requirement.
   5. Office supplies and materials shall be obtained locally. The Facility Department shall make sure that the items available shall meet the quality specifications of the users. In the absence of the requested items, these will be substituted with items nearest to the specified commodity, in consultation with the requesting Department.
   6. The Facility Department shall maintain a stock card for each item in the storeroom, which shall record the purchases, price, withdrawals and running balance of stock.
   7. The Facility Department shall ensure that, in maintaining a certain supply level of stocks, the stock levels will be sufficient to meet the projected requirements for a certain period while attempting to keep stock levels as low as possible. This will avoid using excessive storage space and avoid wastage due to expiration of items and/or inventory surplus.
   8. Requests for office supplies/materials shall be originated from the Department level and not by individual user, allowing for easy monitoring and control. This shall be done on a monthly basis.
   9. It is the responsibility of the Facility Department to check that the amounts requested from the University’s departments are reasonable and in line with, where appropriate, previous usage quantities.
   10. The use of stationery/letterheads bearing the Alfaisal University logo shall be limited to external communications. Inter-office communications shall be on paper with letterhead. The same size of paper shall be used in all office documentation, policies, procedures, and manuals. As much as possible, office forms shall be on A4 size paper as a standard size.
4. Types of Stationery
   Stationery, for the purpose of this policy, comprises of:
   • Standard Stationery: Standard and uniform printed communication, including graphic material that is, and must be used, across the Alfaisal University.
   • NON STANDARD STATIONERY: Non-Standard printed communication, including graphic material that is used for a specific purpose by one/few Alfaisal University’s Departments.
     1. Standard Stationery
        Standard Stationery includes only the following items:
        1. Letterheads
        2. Continuation Sheets (Pages)
        3. Half Sheets / Pages
        4. Envelopes
        5. Pens & Pencils
        6. Memo Pads
        7. Fax Cover Letter Pads
        8. Business Cards
        9. Newsletters
        10. Greeting Cards
        11. Purchase Orders
        12. All internal Alfaisal University’s forms
     2. Non-Standard Stationery
        Non-Standard Stationery includes, but is not restricted to:
        1. Posters
        2. Flyers
        3. Pamphlets
        4. Leaflets
        5. Brochures and Guides
        6. Graphic material
        7. Other specific publicity material
5. General Guidelines for Printing Stationery
   1. Only stationery that is approved and supplied by the Facility Department shall be used by employees to conduct the Alfaisal University’s business. Private stationery for conduct of the Alfaisal University business shall not be permitted.
   2. Alfaisal University stationery shall not be used by employees for personal purposes.
   3. All STANDARD stationery shall be approved by the Facility Department in accordance with the Delegation of Authority Matrix.
   4. All NON-STANDARD stationery must have approval in accordance with the Delegation of Authority Matrix.
   5. Specifications relating to Logo, Paper, inks, and typefaces used shall be standard on all printed materials in order to promote a consistent visual identity. Logo size will differ based on size of material on which it must be printed. These standards will be set by MPR/ the Development Division and enforced by the Facility Department.
   6. The printing and supply of stationery will be done by outside suppliers identified by and contracted by the Facility Department in accordance with the Procurement Policies and Procedures of the University.
   7. To obtain economical rates, consistent visual identity and better quality control, the Alfaisal University shall have no more than two approved third party suppliers of printing and publishing services.
   8. An individual’s name and title cannot be printed on stationery unless the individual is an employee of the Alfaisal University. Memo Pads, however, may incorporate in an individual’s name and title with prior approval from the immediate line manager of supervisor and the HR Department.
   9. The employee shall not tamper, alter, personalize or modify the Alfaisal University’s stationery for any purpose. This includes introducing or altering the design, logos, graphics, markings, wordings, color, etc.
   10. All STANDARD stationery that is printed shall be done in Arabic and English languages. While facing the printed item, its right side shall have the English version and left side, Arabic.
   11. Business cards for non-faculty members shall not contain the educational qualifications of the employee. However, doctoral titles for can be used subject to prior approval from concerned line manager or supervisor and the HR Department.
   12. This policy applies to all providers of printing and publishing services to the University regardless of the vendor and it is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that the vendor complies with these policy guidelines.
6. Types of Office Supplies
   1. Office Supplies include the following types:
      • Commonly used stationery items such as pencils, writing pads, registers, adhesives, scales etc. to carry out the Alfaisal University business and;
      • Commonly used office equipment consumables such as printer cartridges, toner cartridges, paper for photocopying and printing etc.
   2. The Facility Department will ensure the availability of sufficient office supplies to be allocated to each department based on prior approval from concerned line manager or supervisor.
7. General Guidelines for Requesting Office Supplies
   1. Only stationery that is approved and supplied by the Facility Department of shall be used by employees to conduct the Alfaisal University’s business.
   2. The concerned Department’s Administrative Assistants/Secretary shall create an MRS in ERP system, obtain authorization of Head of Department and notify the Facility Department by the fifth last working day of the month for the use of the next month.
   3. The Facility Department shall consolidate the order, procure and/or distribute the printed stationery and office supplies by the last day of the previous month for next month’s use, record usage and obtain acknowledgement of concerned Department’s Administrative Assistant/Secretary.
   4. Non-Standard printed stationery and office supplies shall be ordered at least 15 working days prior to date of requirement. Administrative Assistants/Secretaries shall create an MRS in ERP system, obtain authorization of Head of Department (for non-standard stationery) and inform Facility Department for placing order.
   5. Clear and complete specifications and instructions must be given by Department’s Administrative Assistants/Secretaries of the nature of non-standard requirement. If the specifications or instructions are not clear or complete, it will delay the order and the Facility Department would seek additional clarifications, until the requirement is clearly defined.
   6. Non-Standard Printed Stationery requests shall be accompanied, to the extent possible, by:
      • Hard copy of material to be printed
      • Soft copy of material to be printed, through e-mail; on disk (wherever possible)
      • Any necessary photographs (if applicable) or illustrations
      • Sample of previous or similar publication, if available
   7. No NON-STANDARD printing or office supplies shall be procured until the final proof /sample is approved by the concerned Head of the requesting Department and by MPR wherever applicable. The Facility Department shall obtain approval of the Head of Department on the proof of printed stationery and on the quotation for stationery/office supplies.
   8. Facility Department shall record all stationery and office supplies ordered and supplied in separate registers maintained by them. Reconciliation of the suppliers invoice with the register shall be done prior to authorization for payment is given by the Facility Department to the Financial & Accounting Department.
   9. Facility Department is responsible for safe storage of stationery and supplies until distribution. After distribution to concerned Departments, the Department’s Administrative Assistants/Secretaries shall become responsible for safe storage and proper utilization of their office supplies and stationery.
   10. Office stationery and supplies shall be kept under lock at night or out of working hours and the keys with the Facility Department and Department’s Administrative Assistants/Secretaries for safety reasons and to prevent misuse of the University’s office supplies.
8. Planning and Budgeting for Office Stationery and Supplies
   1. Each Head of Department shall identify the quantity of standard and non-standard office stationery and office supplies required for the year at the start of each year. Estimated costs of various standard items shall be circulated by the Facility Department to assist in budgeting.
   2. Facility Department shall make budgetary provision for stationery and supplies at the start of each year based on estimates of the concerned Head of Departments.
   3. Overuse and above the budget requests shall be approved based on proper and business justification in accordance with the Delegation of Authority Matrix at the request of the concerned Department’s Head.
   4. The Financial & Accounting Department shall settle supplier invoices in accordance with the Procurement Policy and terms and conditions of the service contract.

II. Office Support Services

1. Overview
   This policy covers the rules, standards and guidelines that govern the University's office support services activities.
2. Objective
   This policy is aimed at providing administrative support services in a coordinated manner as required by all Colleges, Divisions, Departments and Offices to allow them to fulfill their functional responsibilities. Office support services assist in enhancing the effectiveness of the operating departments and include diverse activities such as mail services, phone services, office machinery services, utility bills, administrative logistics, refreshment service, etc.
3. Policy Details
   1. Mail Services
      1. Incoming Mail
         1. Incoming Mail is mail that is received from external sources and consists of the following:
            • Mail delivered through Saudi Post
            • Mail delivered to University office by courier/s
            • Hand delivered mail at University by other individuals/organizations
         2. It is the policy of the University to centralize all incoming and outgoing mail and courier services.
         3. Each function shall give the use of electronic mail higher priority in order to reduce mail costs, expedite mail dispatch and save paper work.
         4. The Facility Department shall assign a Messenger/Driver to deliver/collect mail packages to/from the Saudi Post Authority before working hours and at regular intervals during the day.
         5. The Facility Department is responsible to contract with express services (DHL, FedEx, Aramex, UPS, etc).
         6. All incoming mail to the University shall be received and sorted out by the Facility Department and will be ready for distribution within the same day using the form (Alfaisal University AD -10 Incoming Mail Form).
         7. Incoming mail shall be time stamped, sorted and distributed to concerned Divisions/ Departments early enough to minimize delay and ensure that the mail has reached the recipient.
         8. Administrative Assistants/Secretaries are responsible to collect incoming mail from the Facility Department Mail area.
      2. Outgoing Mail
         1. Mail that is for outside distribution or that is to be sent to other employees is known as Outgoing Mail and will be dispatched / delivered as per the following outgoing mail dispatch/delivery schedule:
            • Dispatch through Saudi Post
            • Dispatch through express/courier mail
            • Dispatch internally for inter-office mail
         2. All outgoing mail shall be sent to the Administration Services to manage its distribution (external or internal). This needs to be done within the same day.
         3. Outgoing mail shall be collected from Administrative Assistants/Secretaries in different Departments, on a regular basis during the day using (Alfaisal University AD-11 Outgoing Mail Form).
         4. All outgoing courier mail (DHL, FedEx, Aramex, UPS, etc.) shall have the approval of the Concerned Department Manager.
         5. Once collected from Departments, mail shall be sorted out by class, urgency and destination by the Facility Department.
         6. Once volume justifies, outgoing mail shall be dispatched to the post office by the Facility Department.
         7. All external mail shall utilize University’s envelopes (Envelopes are labeled with University’s name, logo, and address).
   2. Photo Copiers
      1. The ITS Department must ensure the availability of adequate copying machines either through leasing or direct purchase, at the various University’s premises and locations.
      2. Private Photo copying, whilst permitted in small quantities, shall be discouraged, to prevent disruption in the use of the machine for the University activities.
      3. A logbook shall be maintained for all Photo Copiers order to keep track of all charges.
      4. Photo Copiers shall be located in a locked room; entry to that room shall be restricted to authorized personnel only.
      5. The ITS Department by utilizing the services of Facility Department is responsible to ensure valid maintenance contracts for all the copying machines in the University and that proper maintenance is carried out on all these machines.
      6. Only the authorized personnel shall operate photo copying machines.
   3. Telephone and Fax Machines
      1. The ITS Department by coordinating with Facility Department must ensure the availability of adequate telephone sets and fax Machines either through leasing or direct purchase.
      2. A logbook shall be maintained for Telephone and Fax Machines in order to keep track of all communication charges.
      3. If needed, Fax Machines shall be located in accessible room/area and entry to that room/area shall be restricted to authorized personnel only.
      4. A separate fax machine shall be used by each Department in order to expedite response times.
      5. Administrative Assistants or Secretaries shall sort out and distribute faxes according to their priority to Departments.
      6. Copies of faxes shall be time stamped and filed at the secretarial level to ensure adequate recording of all incoming and outgoing faxes.
      7. The ITS Department by utilizing Facility Department Services is responsible to ensure valid maintenance contracts for all the University’s Telephone Sets and Fax Machines.
      8. Only authorized personnel shall operate Fax Machines and other office machinery.
   4. Telephone Calls
      1. An automated call distribution system shall be in place, and it is responsible for managing all the phone calls of the University.
      2. Outgoing telephone calls are for business purposes only.
      3. All international calls shall be recorded using the automatic billing system. A printed report shall be produced, sorted out and sent for approval by the respective Department Manager on monthly basis.
      4. Telephone bills shall be received by the Facility Department, sent to ITS Department for review, then prepared and forwarded to the Finance Department for processing.
   5. Bulletin Boards
      1. The Facility Department is responsible for the University Bulletin Boards.
      2. General Memos and circulars issued by the University shall be posted on the bulletin board and shall be distributed to all employees by fax or email.
      3. General Memos and circulars posted in University’s Bulletin Boards shall be removed on agreed expiry/removal dates.
      4. The employees shall not have the right to post any document or personal notice on the bulletin board unless the concerned line manager together with the MPR and Facility Departments approve it and a removal date is determined.
   6. Utility Bills
      1. The Facility Department is responsible to collect and receive University utility bills.
      2. University utility bills (Telephone, Electricity, Water, etc) received from utility Companies shall be paid within specified time frame without any delays.
      3. The Facility Department shall coordinate with the Finance Department to prepare the necessary vouchers concerning all utility bills.
   7. Vehicles Administration
      1. The Facility Department should maintain a file for every vehicle owned or leased by the University.
         This file should include copies of:
         • Original vehicle registration and official documents.
         • Date of vehicle purchase.
         • Istimara date and motor vehicle periodic inspection (MVPI) Fahes Dawri documents.
         • Vehicle reports and tickets issued.
         • Lease information, if applicable.
         • Original insurance policy document.
         • Vehicle maintenance record (includes all the maintenance invoices);
         • Vehicle expected maintenance date.
         • Status of maintenance and repairs history.
         • Driver’s personal information.
         • All vehicles gas consumption.
      2. All University’s vehicles should be either owned or leased and maintained in the University’s financial books as fixed assets.
      3. All University’s vehicles must be insured by a reputable insurance company.
      4. A logbook will be maintained for each vehicle. The face of the logbook (cover) shall bear the name of the driver, vehicle type and plate number.
      5. A ledger for the cost of fuel and maintenance of each vehicle shall be maintained at the Finance Department.
      6. The Facility Department shall ensure the availability of sufficient gas coupons to fuel the University’s vehicles.
      7. The Facility Department is responsible for ensuring that the University’s vehicles are well maintained and ensured.
   8. Telephone Directory
      The ITS Department is responsible to maintain and update the University’s directory at all times.
   9. Office Keys
      The Facility Department is responsible to control all office keys of the University including key issuance, duplication and custody.
   10. Office Reception
       1. HR Department is responsible for monitoring receptionist works and behavior on constant basis.
       2. Reception personnel are considered the ambassadors of Alfaisal University, they should be polite, professional, neat, well spoken, and give attention to customers and visitors.
       3. Reception personnel should use standard and concise greeting words while answering telephone calls.
       4. Reception personnel shall control the reception area with assigned department and guide and assist visiting clients and guests.
       5. Reception personnel shall allow authorized personnel only to enter the premises of the University.
       6. Reception personnel shall ensure that they register on the visitor’s logbook the name of the visitor, date and time of arrival, purpose of visit, person to visit, and the time the visitor is leaving the premises.
       7. Reception personnel shall provide directions or escort visitors / clients to their destination.
   11. Community Services & Social Responsibility
       1. The HR Department in coordination with MPR and Facility Department should plan the nature and level of social, cultural, religious, sports and other related activities for its personnel as per management directives.
       2. If so requested by senior management, the HR/ Facility Department is responsible for the negotiation of any rates or special packages for health clubs, vehicles insurance, etc., for its employees.
       3. The Facility Department should make available and maintain mosque facilities and HR is responsible for facilitating the upholding of prayers and religious ceremonies.
       4. The HR by coordinating with Facility Department may facilitate, organizes and sponsors Omrah trips and religious competitions as per management directives.
       5. The HR by coordinating with Facility and MPR Department may facilitate employees who wish to conduct sports tournaments and other social events for University employees and their families as per management directives.
       6. The Facility Department shall participate in public services activities and sponsor community activities (cleaning of public areas, garbage collection, etc.) as per management directives.
   12. Planning and Budgeting for Office Support Services
       1. Each Head of Department shall estimate the office support services including mail services, phone services, office machinery services, utility bills, travel services, administrative logistics, etc. required for the year at the start of each year. Estimated costs of various standard items shall be circulated by the Facility Department to the various Managers to assist in budgeting.
       2. Facility Department shall make budgetary provision for the office support services and supplies at the start of each year based on estimates of the concerned Heads of Departments.
       3. Use over and above the budget shall be approved based on proper and business justification in accordance with the Delegation of Authority Matrix at the request of the concerned Department.
       4. The Finance Department shall settle supplier invoices in accordance with the Procurement Policy and terms and conditions of the service contract.

III. Filing & Archiving Services

1. Overview
   This policy covers the rules, standards and guidelines that govern and clarify the University's archiving services and activities.
2. Objective
   This policy has been developed to ensure that essential records and documents of the University are retained for the required length of time. This will be achieved by filing documents and records in accordance with the need for future access to these records and while at the same time ensuring safe and secure shortage of important University’s records.
3. C. Policy Details
   1. The intention of this policy is to provide clear guidelines to all employees regarding the appropriate filing, retention and disposal of University’s records and information via an agreed archiving process.
   2. The University has an obligation to implement and preserve good archiving procedures and processes to protect its records and information.
   3. Each Department within the University is responsible for the filing and storage of its own records and documentation. As far as possible this shall be within the same Department or close to the area of work within the University’s premises if frequent day-to-day access is required.
   4. Local filing procedures regarding the archiving of files and destruction of files reaching their destruction date shall be agreed on with each College / Department.
   5. As Colleges / Departments are responsible for their own filing and archiving. There is NO need for other departments to retain duplicate copies, unless they have a specific need for their own purposes, e.g. Finance & Accounting will file or archive ALL invoices. Therefore individual departments will avoid keeping duplicate records.
   6. To use filing/storage space to its best advantage within colleges / departments there shall be a discipline to constantly review whether the records need to be archived.
   7. The Facility Department is responsible for managing and allocation of space for all closed files to be archived in the University’s central archives.
   8. It is the responsibility of all line managers and staff to ensure that records and information are filed and archived correctly.
   9. It is the responsibility of all line managers to identify and destroy or archive unnecessary records and paperwork on a regular basis.
   10. It is the responsibility of all employees to keep information of a confidential nature safe and properly filed for easy of access and reference.
   11. Every employee will be responsible for the management of archive records for their business areas under the advice of their line managers.
   12. The HR Department is responsible for maintaining employees’ personnel files and records in a safe and fire poof cabinets.
   13. The HR Department will adopt appropriate and adequate security measures for storage of and access to archival records in whatever format, dependent on the record type.
   14. Shredding of University’s documents and files are only allowed after the expiry of the retention period.
4. Filing
   1. Copies of all incoming and outgoing documents shall be filed in a systematic manner according to their nature either sequentially or by date.
   2. Filling system shall be capable of preserving necessary information and of retrieving it accurately and quickly when required.
   3. Department Administrative Assistants/Secretaries shall coordinate with their Department Managers to design the filing system that is most suitable for their business requirements and operations.
   4. The basic elements that shall be available in an effective filing system are:
      • The method or combination of indexing methods.
      • Suitable stationery and supplies.
      • The basic procedure for filing and retrieval material.
      • A designated Committee to handle the process of reviewing all documents and determining retention and destruction periods of data and records.
      • Periodic review of University’s documents and records.
   5. All documents shall be grouped and filled according to a predefined classification scheme.
   6. The newest addition to a file shall always be placed on top of other papers in the file.
   7. When filling documents that can be classified in more than one file, a cross-reference sheet shall be prepared and filed as appropriate.
   8. When filing a document that needs follow up, a follow up slip shall be prepared and filed in a tickler file.
   9. When a document is withdrawn from a file, an out card shall be inserted in its place. The card shall show the date of the withdrawal and the name of the person who has the document in order to easily locate the document and ensure its prompt return.
5. Sending Records to the Central Archives
   1. All formal documents and communications issued or received by the University shall be archived in the Central Archiving System by the respective department’s Administration Services Staff through Facility Department.
   2. The Archives might consist of important data and information, Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting minutes, committees’ meetings minutes, contracts and agreements of any kind, correspondence of senior management, financial records, past employee records, projects records, research records of former staff, records of collaborations with outside bodies, etc. shall be archived by the Administration Services of the concerned Department in line with the Archiving Policy guidelines.
   3. The University’s archival records are those records which are no longer current but which have been chosen to be preserved, for a specified length of time.
   4. Before the archiving process is implemented, all collections of paper forming a file must be checked by the concerned Departments for duplicates to ensure that the minimum number of papers is kept. In addition, only papers considered essential to the file shall be kept.
   5. Any duplicates identified must be destroyed in local confidential paper disposal facilities or by other appropriate confidential methods e.g. shredding machines by concerned Departments.
   6. All remaining papers and records must be correctly filed according to departmental procedures and needs. The file must not contain loose papers unless the file is to be sealed.
   7. Each file must be clearly and appropriately labeled with detail of the file content and agreed archive date or destruction date as a minimum.
   8. Each Department is responsible for cataloguing its records. The retention must be completed, including a signature from either the concerned Dean of College or Head of Department.
   9. The Facility Department if requested shall provide carton boxes specifically designed for archiving purposes.
   10. The concerned Department Manager who intends to send records to the Central Archives shall fill out a form (Alfaisal University AD-07 Archiving Form) or send an email to the Facility Department.
   11. A log book shall be maintained for all, incoming documents coming to the Central Archives by the Facility Department, stating:
       • Source
       • Addressee
       • Incoming date
       • Subject
       • Classification
   12. All incoming documents shall be filed in a systematic manner according to their nature either sequentially or by date.
   13. It is extremely important to note that each box of records that is sent to the Central Archives has a cost implication in terms of the cost of moving the record, the cost of storing the record for the agreed retention period and the cost of retrieval.
6. Retrieval of Records from Central Archives
   1. Only complete boxes will be retrieved from the University’s Central Archives, not individual files.
   2. Retrieval can be arranged by completing the Retrieval Form (Alfaisal University AD-08 Retrieval Form) which shall indicate the Box Reference Number and File Number if appropriate.
   3. The Requester for records retrieval shall fill out the above form and send it to the Facility Department stating the number of box and the contents of the box.
   4. Boxes can only be retrieved by fax or by email with an official Retrieval Form including an authorized signature from the manager or supervisor of the requesting department.
   5. Archive boxes that need to be returned to storage can either be returned immediately or await the next collection.
7. Records Retention
   1. The records that are eligible to become archived may need to be kept permanently because they are evidential, or for some other legal reason, they may be a historical record of the University, they may have a wider value to the community or they may have a business need value.
   2. All University files, information and documents that are no longer needed in day-to-day operations shall be retained for a specific period of time in the University’s central archives depending on the importance.
   3. Each Department shall develop a Records Retention Schedule for all its records and documentation specifying the type of documents as well as the retention period for each type of records.
   4. All records that are kept at the University’s archive will be included in the Records Retention Schedules.