1. Introduction
These guidelines provide an outline of the Consultancy Policy of Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (Women's University), Tirupati. A premier institution for women in Andhra Pradesh, this institution aims at emancipation of women through education and for further enhancement of academic and professional expertise of its staff and students, encourages them to extend their service beyond their normal realm of activity. Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati also strongly visualizes the benefits accrued through its engagement with industry, commerce, government bodies, non-government organizations and other areas of professional service through consultancy. University therefore views consultancy as an important channel which contributes to enhancing and strengthening productive relationships with external bodies/agencies and also as a strong indicator for professional performance.
This document includes the following:
- Benefits of consultancy to the individual and the university
- Definition and scope of consultancy
- Guidelines for Consultancy at SPMVV, Tirupati
This policy document defines the procedures to be followed while offering consultancy service / work, in a way that it protects the interests of both the University and its staff and students and paves way for enhancement of professional standards in the university.
The provisions/guidelines within this policy cover/apply to all members of teaching & non-teaching staff, research scholars and students of Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati. However, it is not expected that all staff & students will be involved in Consultancy and Allied services. The University recognizes that interested staff & students will be involved to differing extents in consultancy and allied services, depending on their nature of work as per the guidelines.
2. Benefits of Consultancy
Briefly stated, undertaking consultancy at University level has numerous benefits.
Individual level benefits include enhanced status, reputation and expertise, broader career interests; financial reward; sustained professional relationships and networking opportunities and potential research activity.
University level benefits include shaping of talented and committed staff & students; enhanced profile with business and grant agencies alike; enhanced staff expertise; and strengthening of academic programmes and research.
3. Consultancy: definition and scope defined
3.1. Consultancy is defined as work of professional nature undertaken by university staff, both teaching and non-teaching in their field of expertise, for clients outside the institution for which financial return is provided. For instance, in the case of teaching staff this professional work may involve services such as the provision of any advice, information, training, research, evaluation studies, acting as subject matter expert (research & technical) or any other for an external organization or other such professional services for a fee.
3.2. It will be governed by short-term contracts and involves extra work for existing staff & students i.e. over and above the regular work/duty at the university rather than the employment of new staff (with an exception in institutional level consultancy contracts where in specific task based hiring of staff may take place as and when required).
3.3. Consultancy may be split into two types i.e. University and Private defined as follows:
University level consultancy
Two types of consultancy work may be taken up under this category
Institution level consultancy
This refers to the consultancy works that are identified or allotted to the university at large and through the Centre for Consultancy & Allied Services (CCAS). A staff member (including Director, CCAS) provides consultancy service to a third party (external to the University) during the course of her/his employment with the University. The nature of the task arises naturally from, and is related to her University employment. In this type of consultancy, a university resource of any kind or premises is consumed in obtaining or carrying out the work, and/or Legal liability lies, in whole or in part, with the University. Thus, university Consultancy refers to activities delivered under the banner of the University, and paid for through University accounts specially created for the purpose. All the contracts/MOUS in this context will be signed by the Director, CCAS.
Individual level
This refers to the consultancy work taken up by an individual staff member who obtains the same directly from an external agency. The faculty member will intimate the Director, CCAS through proper channel following the procedures laid down in the SPMVV Consultancy policy. She/he will be responsible for the financial and audit aspects and issues related to the project. In this case contract/agreement is established between the individual staff member and the contracting agency and will be signed by the respective staff member.
Private Consultancy
Services that do not rely on or use University resources, have not been secured through connection with the University (those services/works obtained by individual staff) and whose payments do not pass through University accounts are classed as private consultancy. To avoid conflicts of interest and minimize financial and legal risks to the University, all private consultancies must be formally informed to the university authorities in writing soon after the signing of contract by the concerned faculty/staff. A copy of the same may be submitted to the CCAS.
Staff who want to undertake private consultancy need to be aware that:
- They must make their own arrangements for professional indemnity, and sign a statement accepting responsibility for it.
- They must make their own arrangements to pay tax on their income.
- There must be no identifiable conflict of interest or competition with University activity.
- The University has no responsibility for their work and timely submission of deliverables.
- Clients must be informed that the services are provided in a private capacity and the assignment per se has no connection with University.
- Failure to declare or obtain prior approval for private consultancy may result in disciplinary action by the university.
- The work undertaken should not be of a volume that is likely to impact on regular workload/liability.
3.4. The following services do not come under the purview of consultancy in case of the teaching staff.
- Reviewing publications
- Appearances in the media, e.g. television, or writing articles for general media publications, e.g. newspapers.
- External examining duties for other institutions or professional bodies.
- Acting in an advisory role for a publishing house, a Research council, Charity, or other committees, or professional bodies associated with the individual's role.
- Editorship of journals etc.
Allied services include the services offered basically by the non-teaching staff, research scholars and students in the university. Those interested in offering services in their realm of activity may be encouraged to register in the CCAS and specify the nature of services that they are interested in offering to the university community.
4. Submission of Project Details
4.1. All the requests for undertaking consultancy work should be addressed to the Director, Centre for Consultancy & Allied Services, SPMVV, Tirupati. Information should include details regarding the nature of the proposed consultancy task, the proposed timeline for the consultancy work, the details of University facilities or resource to be consumed (if any), budget heads and the level of consultancy fee involved. The project details including the consultancy fee payable to the university in each project, will be submitted to the CCAS committee for information.
4.2. On obtaining approval to undertake consultancy/service work under the provisions of the guidelines it is the responsibility of the individual staff member to ensure that the proposed consultancy does not conflict, in nature or extent, with the University duties. The individual faculty member will be permitted to avail not more than five days of 'on duty' leave per year for undertaking the consultancy work.
5. Consultancy Contract
Consultancy contract(s) for university level consultancy must be duly signed by both the parties. The contract must be represented by the Director, CCAS. Contract should include the nature of work to be for the university accomplished, financial arrangements, the time line, deliverables, use of university facilities and the ownership of property including the intellectual property (as applicable). Faculty should be aware of the legal and financial requirements related to the consultancy.
6. Consultancy fee/charges
6.1. The consultancy fee is finalized after the negotiation of the institution/staff member with the third party i.e. the client. It should be taken care to see that the price negotiated reflects the market value of the services to be provided. Fee charged to clients should not be below those charged by organizations carrying out similar work. The total fee charged should reflect a fair return to the member of staff, and the University.
6.2. After the deduction of any direct costs the standard division of consultancy income is as follows:
Teaching staff:
- Individual member of staff (permanent) : 70%
- SPMVV : 30%
- Individual member of staff (temporary) : 90%
- SPMVV : 10%
Non-teaching staff (Permanent):
- Senior Staff of Engineering / Architect / Finance / Academic / Accounts / Examinations section(s) : 80%
- SPMVV : 20%
- Skilled staff (Electrical / Plumbing / Landscaping / Gardening) : 80%
- SPMVV : 20%
Non-teaching staff (Temporary)
- Non-teaching (Temporary) : 90%
- SPMVV : 10%
Students & Research Scholars:
- Students & Research Scholars : 90%
- SPMVV : 10%
Variations (if any) in the division of consultancy fee between the staff member(s) and university will only be made by a written agreement among the Consultant(s) and the university authorities as appropriate.
7. Consultancy project management and administration
7.1. A Centre for Consultancy & Allied Services will be established in the university to undertake all consultancy related activities. This centre will facilitate the consultancy work(s) undertaken by the staff at the individual level and university level.
7.2. The centre will be headed by a Director, appointed by the University authorities for a specific period of time. She/he will be responsible for the overall functioning of the centre.
7.3. A Committee will be constituted by the university authorities to assist and advise the Director on all matters related to the Centre. All the activities and issues discussed and approved by the committee in its periodic meetings may be recorded in the minutes book maintained in the centre.
7.4. Separate files will be opened for each consultancy project to maintain the correspondence related to each project.
7.5. Interested staff, students may register by paying a nominal registration fee in the CCAS mentioning the realm of their activity so that a directory of services offered under CCAS can be generated in the due course. A nominal registration fee of Rs.50/- may be collected from students/research scholars/non-teaching staff/temporary teaching staff and Rs.100/- from teaching staff. Details about the Consultancy and Allied services may be placed on the university website.
8. Finance & Accounts
8.1. To promote ease in administration and swiftness in the consultancy work(s), the Director of the Centre for Consultancy services will look after all the financial matters. She/he will be responsible for disbursing the amount(s) as and when necessary. However, the individual staff member who undertakes the consultancy work will be responsible for all the legal, financial and audit issues related to the specific consultancy task/assignment.
8.2. A separate Bank Account in the name of Director, Centre for Consultancy & Allied services will be opened and the Director will operate all the financial transactions. When the Director takes up consultancy work at individual, she/he may do so under intimation to the committee constituted for the CCAS.
8.3. All the accounts project wise will be maintained in the Centre for Consultancy services and the finance and account matters will be governed as per the university norms and subject to statutory audit by a Chartered Accountant.
8.4. Statement of accounts along with utilization certificate should be submitted to the contracting agency as required.
8.5. The consultancy fee in respect to the individual consultancy will be remitted into the Consultancy and Allied Services Bank Account as per the terms and conditions agreed upon. The payment of the consultancy fee to staff member(s)/student(s)/research scholars for works related to University level consultancy Services will be made after making the appropriate deductions. Payments will be released to the respective individuals who have offered consultancy services, after the funds in respect of the consultancy work have been received from client agency.
9. Completion of the project
9.1. The Director, CCAS informs the university authorities in writing when a project has been completed as per the stipulated time mentioned in the project proposal unless an extension has been sought and granted. In case of individual level consultancy, the faculty member may submit a report including the details of total revenue generated to the university from the project.
9.2. All the registers pertaining to the project(s) will be deposited in the centre office after the completion and closure of the project.
10. Reporting & Publication(s)
10.1. The Annual University Consultancy report consisting of information on all consultancy work(s) undertaken by Centre during the year may be reported in the university authorities and IQAC by the end of March every year.
10.2. The Project coordinator/Consultant (in case of teaching staff) has the right to publish the work carried out by him/her, unless otherwise there is an agreement under which prior permission is to be sought. In such cases the draft paper will be submitted to the client and no objection is obtained before publications of the findings.
11. Disagreements/Disputes
11.1. Disagreements (if any) within the university arising at any stage of the consultancy project will be resolved in consultation with the university authorities to ensure an expeditious removal of bottlenecks and to ensure smooth functioning of the project.
11.2. In case of dispute arising at any stage of the project between the Consultant(s) and the client(s) the Consultant (s) will be responsible for the settlement of the dispute.
11.3. All legal actions will be subject to jurisdiction of Civil Courts at respective locations of the university.
