Treasury Board Secretariat Delegated Purchasing Authorities

When you're tracking federal procurement opportunities, understanding delegated purchasing authorities helps you gauge which contracts require ministerial approval and which can be signed off by departmental officials. These are the specific dollar thresholds that Treasury Board assigns to each department, allowing them to execute contracts without climbing the approval ladder beyond a certain point. The limits vary by department and are designed to keep the procurement process moving without bottlenecking every purchase order at the executive level.

How It Works

Treasury Board doesn't just hand out contracting authority and hope for the best. The framework is laid out in the Treasury Board Contracts Directive, which sets the policy limits for goods and services contracts across government. Deputy heads then delegate this authority in writing to specific officials within their departments, but always within the thresholds Treasury Board has determined. You'll find the complete breakdown in the Supply Manual Chapter 6, Section 6A on Approval and Signing Limits, which serves as the authoritative reference for these thresholds.

In practice, these limits work alongside the Financial Administration Act, particularly section 32, which deals with commitment authority. Before any money gets committed, someone with the proper authority level must certify that funds are available and the expenditure is legal. This means you're really looking at two layers: the transaction authority (the power to negotiate and prepare contracts) and the commitment authority under section 32 of the FAA. The Supply Manual's Annex 6.1 spells out specific conditions imposed on departmental personnel approval limits. Guardrails exist.

Different departments receive different thresholds based on their mandate and purchasing volume. PSPC, for instance, has broader authorities given its central role in government procurement, while smaller client departments and agencies might have more restricted limits. When a contract value exceeds a department's delegated authority, they either need to seek additional approval up the chain or route the procurement through PSPC's common service channels.

Key Considerations

• These limits aren't static across government. Each department operates under thresholds specific to their delegation from Treasury Board, so what National Defence can approve directly might require ministerial sign-off at a smaller agency.

• The authority to sign a contract doesn't mean unlimited discretion. Officials must still comply with the Treasury Board Contracting Policy, Government Contracts Regulations, and departmental procurement procedures regardless of their signing limit.

• Watch for exceptional circumstances. Some departments have received special contracting limit authorities for specific situations, which can temporarily alter the standard thresholds you'd normally expect.

• Delegation doesn't transfer accountability. Deputy heads remain accountable for all contracting decisions made under their authority, even when they've delegated signing power to officials several levels down.

Related Terms

Client Departments and Agencies, Standing Offers, Supply Arrangements

Sources

• Supply Manual - Chapter 6, Section 6A: Approval and Signing Limits

• Guide to Delegating and Applying Spending and Financial Authorities - Treasury Board Secretariat

• Audit of Exceptional Contracting Limits Authority - RCAANC

If you're monitoring procurement activity, knowing a department's delegated limits helps you predict approval timelines and understand when a requirement might get pushed to a central purchasing authority instead of being handled in-house.