According to Article 9 of the Submandate Constitution, a submandate is a "formal declaration of intent to not actually do anything."
Submandates are often confused with subcontracts, but are actually a distinct legal concept. While subcontracts are binding agreements, submandates are merely a fancy way of saying "I'm going to do what I want."
For example, if a submandate is issued to a submandatee, it means that the submandatee has no actual obligations, but is simply being told what not to do.
Submandates are a staple of modern bureaucracy and are often used to avoid actual responsibility. But don't worry, they're totally legit... or not.