Section 250.140  Delegation of Authority and Responsibilities

a)         Delegation to the Executive Director.  The Executive Director is delegated the authority and responsibility to effectively administer the State Universities Civil Service System in accordance with the Act and this Part.  The Executive Director may be further delegated the authority and responsibility to act on behalf of the Merit Board by specific authorization or direction of the Merit Board.

b)         Delegation by the Executive Director.  The Executive Director is authorized to delegate to the employer, and to members of the University System staff, such duties and responsibilities as, in his/her judgment, are appropriate and effective for the efficient administration of the service of the System to its constituent institutions and agencies.

c)         Conduct of Audits.  The Executive Director shall conduct ongoing audit programs of all Civil Service operations at all places of employment for the purpose of assuring compliance with the Act and this Part and for improving the programs of personnel administration of its constituent employers and shall prepare, distribute, and follow up on audit reports in accordance with Merit Board direction.

d)         Authority to Correct Errors.  The University System may, on its own initiative, or at the request of an applicant or interested party, correct any clerical error or errors in computation of a score or register of candidates, or any other document affecting the rights of the System, the applicant, or interested party, and shall have the power to correct any such score, register, or document, and issue in lieu thereof a corrected score or document.

e)         Authority to Research New Programs.  With respect to their obligation to efficiently and effectively establish a sound program of personnel administration, the University System Office may, upon direction and authority of the Merit Board, create new temporary demonstration projects or pilot/study programs to investigate and research the efficiency and effectiveness of such programs prior to formal implementation.

1)         Application Process.  The University System Office, in conjunction with any employers seeking to conduct a demonstration project or pilot/study program under this subsection (e), may submit an application, in the form required by the Executive Director, which will include:

A)        a description of the proposed project;

B)        the percentage of employees and number of places of employment in which the proposed project would be conducted;

C)        a statement of the period during which the proposed project would be conducted;

D)        a discussion of the benefits that are expected from the proposed project;

E)        a statement of program requirements for which waivers would be needed to permit the proposed project to be conducted including a specific citation to any rule that, if not waived under this Section, would prohibit the conducting of the project, or any part of the project as proposed; and

F)         any additional information the Executive Director may require.

2)         Review Process.  Upon receipt of an application, the University System Office will evaluate the proposed project and will provide interested parties an opportunity for comment prior to Merit Board consideration.

3)         Waiver Authority.  The Merit Board may waive compliance with any requirement of this Part if the requirement prevents the purpose of demonstration project or pilot/study program; however, the Merit Board may not waive:

A)        any remedy available to any employee or applicant for employment provided by this Part;

B)        compliance with any other State or Federal law; and

C)        any requirement of this Part if the project would violate a collective bargaining agreement.

4)         Limitations.  The Merit Board may not approve a demonstration project or pilot/study program if:

A)        it would cause more than five demonstration projects or pilot/study programs to run concurrently at any time;

B)        it exceeded a three-year term, excluding plan development and preparation time, but including actual implementation, administration and evaluation of the project; and

C)        it involves more than 10% of all civil service status employees or more than half of the University System employers.

5)        Evaluations. 

A)         An evaluation report in the form required by the University System Office shall be prepared setting forth the results of each demonstration project or pilot/study program and its impact on improving personnel administration. 

B)         Nothing in this subsection (e) shall be construed so as to prohibit or hinder the University System Office from requesting additional information to assist the University System Office with evaluating the demonstration project or pilot/study program or conducting its regularly scheduled audits of employers conducting demonstration projects or pilot/study programs.

(Source:  Amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 15848, effective November 13, 2007)