3.5.1: Policy on Consultancy


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Policy Document on Consultancy

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Policy on Consultancy

 

The Institution has a policy on consultancy including revenue sharing between the institution and the individual/ agency

 

Write description in maximum of 500 words

 

Consultancy is considered to be one type of enterprise activity and is recognized as a valuable mechanism for facilitating knowledge and technology transfer through which the organization believes it can contribute to creating economic and social impact.

The purpose of consultancy policy is to set out the principles and procedures governing consultancy services and other outside services undertaken by teaching and non-teaching staff members of the University.

Consultancy is well recognized as an effective way to disseminate knowledge, expertise of the human resources, available physical resources and make it available for an early and direct impact on society.

This Policy provides provisions for conducting consultancy to ensure that consultancies undertaken by staff are consistent with the University’s strategic and operational objectives and the costs are sustainable. 

 

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University is committed to making its expertise available through service to various industries, academics, government, other educational institutions and research organizations.

Objective: To establish a framework to support consultancy activities under various schools and departments at the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University.

 

The Policy: All Research and Non-research consultancies as described in this Policy are governed by the following guiding principles: 

a.         There should be demonstrable benefit to the University from the consultancy through income, enhanced reputation, and/or expanding the expertise of the staff member. 

b.        The Consultancy must not be in conflict with University policies including those governing employment; 

c.         The Consultancy must not be in conflict with the functions, objectives or interests of the University or damage the University's reputation. 

d.        At a minimum, the salary and on-cost charges set by the University must be applied to all project budgets. All Consultancies are required to include overheads. 

e.         Officers / Staff members shall not undertake external research activities where no formal agreement has been sanctioned by the University unless they are on leave without pay, approved by the director concerned. Such faculty may not use their BAOU affiliation or academic title when providing research services that are not permitted by the University.

 

University Research Consultancy: A Research Consultancy exists where an academic staff member provides research skills or expertise in return for remuneration from an external funder. A Research Consultancy may be the outcome of a tender or an individual negotiation.


University Non-research Consultancy: Non-research Consultancies include non-research activities performed under contract for a third party. Non-research Consultancy would include the provision of professional services to external agencies for a fee. This would include, but not be limited to, routine activities of specialization of schools or departments i.e. analysis of data such as market surveys, opinion surveys etc., the provision of professional services such as designing, development of applications, preparation of DPR for an entrepreneur by members of faculty and staff.


Private Consultancy: In Principle a faculty or staff member is not supposed to undertake a Private Consultancy unless it is approved by the Director of the School and the Registrar. However, the faculty or staff conducting private consultancy shall ensure that such work does not affect their allocated duties, obligations to the university. 

None of the benefits set out for University Consultancy are available to faculty and staff undertaking a Private Consultancy. 

It is the responsibility of the staff member undertaking a Private Consultancy to make clear to the person or body for which the Private Consultancy is undertaken that it is the staff member and not the University who is carrying out the work, and that the University has no responsibility or liability whatsoever in the matter. A staff member conducting a Private Consultancy must ensure that the following criteria are met: 

a.                   The carrying out of tasks associated with the Private Consultancy will be accomplished without unduly affecting the duties of the position; 

b.                  The use of University trademarks such as letterheads, brands etc. or University intellectual property is strictly prohibited in Private Consultancies; 

c.                   No University facility (including library resources, power, space, equipment, consumables and telephone and or internet facilities) will be used to fulfil the requirements of the Private Consultancy 

d.                  The Private Consultancy is not within an area in which the University might be contracting to provide a service on a commercial basis, possibly utilizing the skills of the staff member involved;

e.                   University is not bound by any agreement (written or otherwise) relating to the Private Consultancy; 

f.                   The staff member agrees to indemnify the university and its representatives from and against all actions, claims, loss, damage, costs, charges, liabilities and demands arising directly or indirectly from or in respect of the Private Consultancy activity; and 

g.                  The staff member declares any real or potential conflict of interest to their manager.

Staff Entitlements: The University allows staff to engage in Research, Non-research and/or Private Consultancies provided they do not interfere with the discharge of their duties. Consultancies shall be undertaken only with the approval of the designated Director of School. No limit is placed on earnings. However there is a limit on the time spent on Consultancy.

1.        Academic Staff may spend one day per week on approved Consultancies, with a maximum of 48 days per year. Variations to this time commitment require the approval by the Director concerned. A lesser time commitment may be approved when the proposed Consultancy interferes with the discharge of responsibilities. 

2.        Directors must obtain written permission from the Vice-Chancellor to undertake Consultancies.

3.        All Consultancies are required to include overheads. 

4.        The revenue generated from the consultancy project is shared by the member and the university in a 70:30 ratio after deducting the overheads and all other expenses met by the university. 

5.        If more than one member takes up the consultancy project the 70% amount shall be shared equally.

 

Approval: All University approved Consultancies are required to be approved and managed in accordance with this Policy, associated documents, and other University policies.

 

Intellectual Property 

Any intellectual property arising from any Research and Non-research Consultancies will be governed by the Intellectual Property Policy.

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