Guidelines for signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

The broad guidelines for signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with external agencies, institutions, industry partners, service providers, NGOs or other organizations for activities conducted under the C-CEOP shall be aligned with the standard MoU drafting guidelines followed by IIITA for academic, research, and collaborative engagements. Since C-CEOP is specifically mandated for the conduct and management of outreach, continuing education, certification, and training programs, matters that are unique to outreach programs and not explicitly covered under general Institute MoU guidelines shall be:

• evolved on a case-by-case basis, and
• finalized in consultation with the C-CEOP’s BCD and other competent committees, as applicable.

Such provisions may include (but are not limited to):

• revenue sharing and fee collection,
• certification and branding,
• program delivery responsibilities, and
• post-program obligations.

1. MoU and Approval Process

• Standard MoU templates for organizing short-term courses, certification programs, training programs, internships, and other outreach activities with external entities will be:
  • maintained by C-CEOP, and
  • used as the default reference for drafting program-specific MoUs.
• Any deviation from the approved template shall require prior approval of the competent authority through C-CEOP.

2. Approval Process for MoU

The approval process for signing an MoU under C-CEOP will follow the steps outlined below:

1. Initiation of Proposal: An external entity or C-CEOP, a faculty member of IIITA, department or center of IIITA may initiate a proposal for an MoU.
2. Preparation of Draft MoU: The initial draft may be provided by the external entity, or prepared using the C-CEOP standard MoU template.
3. Vetting of Draft MoU
   • The draft MoU shall be vetted for: policy compliance, legal implications, financial terms, IPR and confidentiality clauses, and institutional obligations.
   • Vetting may be done using Institute experts, and/or external legal/subject experts, if required.
4. Finalization of MoU
   • After mutual agreement by both parties, the MoU shall be finalized.
5. Preparation of Approval Note
   • A formal note file shall be prepared by the C-CEOP Office.
   • If the MoU originates from a faculty member, the faculty shall be involved in:
     • finalization of the MoU, and
     • preparation of the approval note.
6. Approval by Competent Authority
   • The note file shall be forwarded for approval to the competent authority of IIITA, as per the Institute's delegation of powers.
7. Execution of MoU
   • Upon approval:
   • Two copies of the MoU shall be signed on behalf of IIIT Allahabad by the authorized signatory (e.g., Director/Head C-CEOP, as approved).
   • one signed copy shall be retained in the records of C-CEOP, and
   • the other copy shall be provided to the external entity.