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About This FAM

Responsible Agency: Office of the Comptroller General
Issued: Jan 2003
Last Updated: Aug 2009

Approval Announcements

1. Introduction

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) undertakes promotional activities in the course of delivering many of its programs and services. Promotional material is often required to support these promotional activities. Promotional activities and materials are generally directed to external parties, although under some circumstances and with appropriate approvals, internal promotional activities may be undertaken and promotional materials acquired and distributed. Whenever departments undertake promotional activities or order and distribute promotional materials, the provisions of the GNWT Visual Identity Program must be strictly adhered to.

This policy applies only to departments of the GNWT and not to their boards and agencies.

This policy does not apply to materials used to promote something other than a department or the GNWT (e.g., National Aboriginal Day).

 

2. Definitions

"promotional item"

An item used to further advertise, support, stimulate or encourage the program delivery of an identified GNWT department.
 

3. Policy

Subject to the Directives and Guidelines of this policy, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, their delegates and duly appointed service contractors may extend promotional items in accordance with this directive in order to facilitate Government business. Public officers may receive promotional items only as provided for in the Directives and Guidelines of this policy.

 

4. Directives

4.1

General

4.1.1

Promotional items must only be extended where they act to build awareness of and promote government business, goals or objectives with external parties and clients. Promotional items should not be extended solely to promote department or unit identity. Departments must have specific authority or a specific promotional budget to purchase promotional material.
4.1.2

Promotional items must not be purchased and extended to GNWT employees unless they are some part of a government-wide public service initiative (e.g., Employee and Family Assistance Program and The Bear Facts Newsletter).
4.2

Authorization and Payment for Promotional Items Extended by the Government

4.2.1

Only Ministers, Deputy Ministers and their duly authorized delegates and service contractors may have expenditure authority for promotional items. An expenditure or disbursement for a promotional item must be authorized in advance by an expenditure officer with the appropriate expenditure authority and a separate accounting officer with the appropriate payment authority.
4.2.2

Every contract to purchase goods and services for promotional items must be administrated in accordance with the Government Contract Regulations and all other applicable Financial Administration Manual (FAM) policies.
4.3

Extending Promotional Items

4.3.1

Public officers are not prohibited from purchasing with their personal funds any promotional material for their own personal use as long as the material has been approved by the Minister or Deputy Minister of the department. Directive 4.1.1 does not apply in this case.
4.3.2

Public officers are permitted to receive promotional items of small intrinsic value that are provided as gifts as part of the business protocol, hospitality or social obligation that normally accompany the duties or responsibilities of the employee and that cannot be viewed as payment. For example, free promotional items (e.g., advertisers' calendars, pens, mugs, etc.) which are within the normal standards of hospitality, from other public officers and parties outside the Government.
4.5

Variance from the Guidelines

Any variance from the following Guidelines must be made with good reason and justified for audit purposes in writing by the responsible expenditure officer, whose written justification must be attached to the related internal financial control documents. Exceptions must have the written approval of the Minister or Deputy Minister attached to the expenditure officer's written justification.
 

5. Guidelines

5.1

Extending and Receiving Promotional Material

The extension and receipt of promotional items should be limited to the standards of hospitality and gifts in accordance with the provisions of FAM Policy 2004 - Extending and Accepting Hospitality, Gifts and Other Benefits , and the Human Resource Manual.
 

6 . Authorities and References

  • FAM 2004
  • Human Resource Manual
  • GNWT Visual Identity Program
 

7 . Consequences from Failure to Comply

Failure to comply with policies and directives of the Financial Administration Manual may result in actions under Part X of the Financial Administration Act. The Government of the Northwest Territories may seek legal remedy in the Territorial Courts.