Irvine Delegations of Authority (IDA) Management Guidance
What is a Delegation of Authority Letter?
A Delegation of Authority is a statement that provides specific positions with the authority to
execute defined actions and activities, including the authority to act, commit resources, execute
agreements, and other legally binding documents on behalf of the University of California.
The University of California (UC) Board of Regents is granted ". . . full powers of organization
and government . . ." of the University by the Constitution of the State of California, Article IX
Section 9. The UC Regents have delegated broad authorities to the President and to other UC
Officers through Standing Orders, Bylaws, and Policies. These authorities may be redelegated by
the UC President with more specificity and restrictions through formal Delegations of Authority
or through Presidential Policies.
Authority for making decisions at University is communicated through various means: policy
manuals, letters, Business and Finance Bulletins. The Regents may authorize the President to
redelegate certain authorities to Chancellors and other UC officers through formal Presidential
Delegations of Authority (DA).
What is an Irvine Delegation of Authority (IDA)?
The UC Irvine Delegation of Authority (DA) website contains official information about
currently active, superseded, and inactive delegations of authority for the UC Irvine campus. The
Administrative Policy Unit is the office of record for UC Irvine delegations of authority. All
currently active delegations and redelegations are available through the Administrative Policy
website.
When the Administrative Policies & Procedures Office receives communication which contains
a delegated authority (including but not limited to a Presidential delegation, Business and
Financial Bulletin, policy, letter) the redelegation is written into local policy or is numbered with
the prefix "IDA" and a 3-digit number assigned by the Office of Administrative Policies &
Procedures.
Delegations of authority are always delegated to the position, not the individual.
The Chancellor may or may not be allowed to redelegate certain authorities to UCI
administrators. The Irvine Delegations of Authority Table of Contents lists Irvine Delegations of
Authority (IDA) for those authorities which the Chancellor has chosen to redelegate.
Both Presidential and Irvine Delegations of Authority specify the title of the position to which
the authority has been delegated, the extent of the authority, and whether or not the authority can be redelegated. The Irvine Delegations of Authority Table of Contents page also lists IDAs
which are redelegations made by the administrators to whom the Chancellor delegated authority,
when further redelegation is permitted.
Assignment of Authorities
Campuswide delegations originate from the UC Office of the President in the form of a
Presidential delegation that grants certain authorities to the Chancellor. Campuswide delegations
are not used to assign specific tasks, general position responsibilities (e.g., routine office
management, administrative responsibilities), or for coverage during the temporary absence of an
official.
The Policy and Compliance Specialist is designated by the Chancellor to provide analysis,
clarification, and interpretations of authority concepts/issues to ensure alignment with
Presidential delegations of authority, University policies, and other regulatory directives. The
Policy and Compliance Specialist maintains records of all campuswide delegations of authority
on the Delegations of Authority website, and researches, prepares, and distributes redelegations
of authority from the Chancellor or the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. The Policy and
Compliance Specialist also reviews all campuswide delegations for appropriate content and
compliance with existing policies and delegations prior to their issuance.
The Delegator checks for any restrictions or limitations on the ability to redelegate authority.
The Delegator consults with appropriate offices to determine correct delegatee(s) and accuracy
of position titles and ensures that redelegation is compliant with existing policies and other
delegations, and that appropriate restrictions are clearly described. The Delegator consults with
the Policy and Compliance Specialist prior to signing and issuing a redelegation of authority.
The Delegatee carries out delegated authorities within the parameters of the source delegation,
related policies, and additional restrictions noted in the delegation. The Delegatee appoints, in
writing, an individual authorized to act during a temporary absence, noting the name of the
appointee and the inclusive dates for the temporary authorization. This document must be
maintained by the unit. The Delegatee maintains unit records of all authorities delegated to the
position and informs the delegator when updated or new redelegations are required due to a
change in the position title, reorganization, or the development of a conflict of interest. At the
time of hire, campuswide delegations of authority already issued to the Delegatee position must
be attached to the position description signed by the incumbent.
Components of an Irvine Delegation of Authority
A Delegation of Authority should include the following components according to the official
template, which can be obtained by emailing ucipolicy@uci.edu:
- Delegation number: Contact the UCI Policy Office to obtain the appropriate delegation
number. - Recipient(s): Specify the position title(s) receiving the delegated authority.
- Subject: State the subject or title of the delegation.
- Description of the authority: Detail the authority being delegated.
- Limitations: Description of limitations on restrictions
- Redelegations: State whether the delegation of authority can be further re-delegated or
not - Reference to existing delegations: Indicate any existing delegations that will be modified
(amended or superseded) by the action. - Copy recipients: List the positions or groups to be copied on the delegation of authority
letter (Note: Include the UCI Policy Office as a recipient). - Source of the authority: Identify the document where the authority is derived from such
as:- Regents Policy, Bylaw, or Standing Order
- Presidential directives
- Other Delegations of Authority
- Laws and regulations
Protocol for Issuing and Retiring Irvine Delegation of
Authority Letters
An IDA must not conflict with any UCI policy and generally includes a reference to the
Presidential DA and any specific terms, restrictions, or requirements. Since redelegated authority
remains with a position title, IDAs should not contain individual names. IDAs must be issued by
the Office of Administrative Policies & Procedures to ensure audit-worthy recordkeeping.
The office with functional responsibility over the authority being delegated is responsible for
collaborating with the UCI Office to draft the delegation for the President's consideration. The
draft delegation must be accompanied by appropriate approvals within the Division. The
Administrative Policies & Procedures Office will coordinate the required review of the
delegation before publication.
Once approved, the Administrative Policies & Procedures Office prepares the official issuance
for transmittal to the Chancellor or other designated administrator for signature, publishes the
approved version, retains records of the delegation and notifies affected administrators.
Delegations of Authority remain active until they are rescinded or superseded by another
Delegation of Authority. If a Delegation of Authority requires an update, contact the
Administrative Policies & Procedures Office.
To ensure that a Delegation of Authority may be properly rescinded, the office with
responsibility over the matter must contact the Administrative Policies & Procedures Office.
Helpful Resources
Components of and Approval Process for Presidential Delegations of Authority | UCOP
Current List of Delegations | UCOP
BFB-BUS-10 Principles of Accountability with Respect to Financial Transactions (ucop.edu)