A commitment is any financial or resource obligation being made between NCSA and another entity. The CT tool allows us to process and monitor commitments between individuals or departments. Examples of commitments include MOU’s, cost-sharing or proposal matches, recruitment and retention packages or sponsorships.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a type of agreement that serves to document arrangements between units, departments, and other partners. In this way, it serves both as an outline and reminder of expectations or obligations pertaining to specific projects, staff members, initiatives, or other commitments on behalf of each signatory and their respective groups. Agreements or MOU’s with parties outside of the university need to go through the Contracts+ campus tool and not this process, please contact the Business Office for further details. See the MOU-FAQ Wiki for additional information.
Below is an overview of NCSA’s Commitment Tracking Tool process. This process leverages the CT Tool for many aspects but also includes steps that are performed outside of the tool The first chart shows an overview of the main stages in the process. The subsequent charts provide further definition of each stage and the responsibilities for each of the roles. Please see the CT Tool Job Aide for step by step instructions on how to utilize the CT Tool.
High Level Process Flow:
Description of the main stages:
- Initiation: Identification and documentation of basic information about a new commitment opportunity provided by the Submitter and/or Champion.
- Pre-Approval: Review of commitment opportunity by the Directorate AD and Deputy Director.
- Commitment Development: Completion of the commitment documentation by the champion assigned by the Directorate AD.
- Business Office Approval: Review of the draft commitment and entering of CFOPA information by the Business Office.
- Compliance Approval: This is a multi-step review process (Review 1: CWG and Directorate AD, Review 2: Director, Deputy Director & Director of Operations) to allow key stakeholders time to review/update the commitment as needed.
- Signature Custodian: Collect Signatures: This step will include a review phase (Review 3: Signee Review) for individuals identified as “signees” of a commitment followed by routing the commitment for actual signature. Note: Although some signees have the opportunity to review in earlier steps, this review will enable all signees, especially non-NCSA staff, an opportunity to provide feedback.
Roles involved in the process:
- Submitter: enter a new opportunity into the tool before commitment is drafted.
- AD’s/Deputy Director: the MIS MOU tool will notify AD’s and the Deputy Director by email for pre-approval. Full review and signatures will be coordinated via email by the Commitment Coordinator/Signature Custodian.
- AD’s: review opportunity and assign a champion.
- Champion: develop and draft commitment document, complete Commitment Tracking tool form fields.
- Business Office Contact: the MIS MOU tool will notify you by email to review and provide CFOPA information and review and edits to the commitment and tool information.
- Commitment Coordinator: reviews the Commitment Tracking tool and commitment document for completeness and accuracy and facilitates the internal reviews.
- CWG: will be notified by the Commitment Coordinator via email and have 72hrs to review and provide edits and comments.
- Signature Custodian: will be notified by the Commitment Coordinator via email when the commitment is ready for non-NCSA signee review and signatures but will leverage the MIS Commitment Tracking tool for final documentation.
Detailed Process Flows:
