ESM-PR-002: Equipment Management for Schools

Outlines the department's equipment management requirements including stock-take and loan of equipment and appropriate disposal and write-off process.

Relevant legislation and policy

Legislation and/or regulations

Financial Accountability Act 2009 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/F/FinAccountA09.pdf
Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/F/FinAccPManSt09.pdf
Public Service Act 2008 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/P/PublicServA08.pdf
Public Service Ethics Act 1994 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/P/PublicSecEthA94.pdf

Substantive policy

Code of Conduct http://www.psc.qld.gov.au/library/document/catalogue/equity-ethics-grievance/qps-code-conduct.pdf
Leasing in the Queensland Public Sector Policy Guidelines - Queensland Treasury, August 1998 http://www.treasury.qld.gov.au/office/knowledge/docs/leasing-in-qld/leasing-in-qld.pdf
Crime and Misconduct Guidelines on Disposing Scrap and Low Value Assets, 2002 http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/43004001131402215791.pdf
Non-Current Asset Policies for the Queensland Public Sector http://www.treasury.qld.gov.au/office/knowledge/docs/non-current-asset-policies/non-current-asset-policies-complete.pdf

Related procedures

FNM-PR-010: Financial Practices in Schools and other Education Centres /strategic/eppr/finance/fnmpr010/
ESM-PR-001: Resource Replacement Scheme /strategic/eppr/equipment/esmpr001/
FLM-PR-001: Fleet Management /strategic/eppr/fleet/flmpr001/
IFM-PR-008: Managing the Department's Records /strategic/eppr/information/ifmpr008/

Statement of intent

The Department of Education and Training is committed to ensuring that a suitable equipment management system operates within schools for important departmental assets and equipment.

The department's equipment management system includes:

documented acquisition and recording processes;
equipment management processes including stocktake and loan of equipment; and
appropriate disposal and write-off process.

Records kept include information regarding acquisition, transfer, loan of equipment, and disposal.

Stocktakes are undertaken annually to assist in identifying assets that need replacing, are missing, or are obsolete.

An equipment replacement plan is prepared to facilitate periodic replacement of equipment which:

is a five year plan;
covers all items of capital assets and higher cost portable and attractive equipment (for example, computers);
is updated every year; and
is consulted in the budget development process.

Equipment is disposed of by:

transferring to another school, business unit or other organisations
selling, as trade-in, or by dumping
writing-off equipment: under warranty, beyond economic repair, stolen, or missing.

Equipment management also involves dealing with issues of fraud, private and or unofficial use of equipment, conflicts of interest and misuse of resources.

Responsibilities

Principals:

Ensure records are kept of portable and attractive ($100 to $5000) and capital assets (over $5000) on SMS Asset Register.
Ensure Capital assets (over $5000) are recorded in Department of Education and Training central asset register.
Ensure proper maintenance of an equipment register for new equipment with a value in excess of $100.00 using the SMS Asset Register including:
- new acquisitions
- donations from community organisations
- transfers from Parent and Citizens Associations (P&Cs)
- via Department of Education and Training projects
- transfers from other schools or business units
Ensure proper equipment control measures including:
- maintenance of an equipment loan register and review of long term loans;
- authorise and maintain supporting documents for all acquisitions, transfers, loans (EQ11), disposals (including transfers to external organisations) and write-offs (EQ13), of equipment;
- retain records as per Records Management for Schools;
- conduct an annual stocktake of equipment;
- review equipment management practices and data;
- prepare a replacement plan for equipment;
- ensure equipment is kept secure and protected from loss, including marking equipment clearly and permanently with an asset number;
- ensure local safety instructions are issued relating to use, storage, and movement of equipment where applicable. Apply and maintain warning signs and labels where required;
Ensure proper disposal of equipment including:
- approve the disposal of any item of equipment with a written down value than $1,000;
- approve the write-off of any item of equipment with a written down value less than $1,000; and
- ensure the appropriate disposal of equipment for schools officially closed and or permanently vacated or vacated for an extended period.
Ensure equipment is used for official purposes only;
Advise Fixed Assets Team, Finance Branch of acquisitions (SMS Asset Register over $5,000 report), disposals and write-offs (EQ13), and transfers (SMS Disposed School Asset Form) of capital assets within one month of the transaction occurring;
Acquire equipment through a lease in accordance with Leasing in the Queensland Public Sector Policy Guidelines.

Fixed Assets Team, Finance Branch:

Provides advice on equipment management issues;
Coordinates schools stocktake by:
- providing schools with a capital assets report
- provides a school stocktake checklist, change assets detail form, and school stocktake certification form;
- processes stocktake returns by recording acquisition, disposal and write-off, and transfers of capital assets on the central office assets register;
records all returns on database;
Records Capital assets (over $5000) in the Department of Education and Training central register
contacts schools with outstanding stocktakes; and
notifies schools with outstanding stocktake non-compliance
escalates non-completion of stocktakes to department senior management and internal audit

Forms

Guidelines

Not applicable

Contacts

For information on equipment management for schools, contact: No results from phone include!

Document information

Approval record: 09/184415 Doc. Ref. 09/184415
Date of implementation: 2009-11-20
Date of publication: 2009-11-20
Date to be reviewed: 2010-11-09
This procedure replaces:

AM-08: Equipment Mangement - Version: July 2001
ESM-PR-002: Equipment Management for Schools - Version: 2.0

Uncontrolled copy. Please refer to Education Policy and Procedure Register at http://iwww.qed.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/ for latest version.

Uncontrolled copy. Please refer to Education Policy and Procedure Register at http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/ for latest version.

^ Top of page