Review Guidelines
Procurement Services’s Contract Review team MUST review all purchase agreements, no matter the value, when there is a written contract, agreement or purchase order involved. The guidelines for contract review include:
- Select a contract template from the Standard University Agreements if applicable.
- Complete and submit a Contract Review Form.
- Participate in the negotiation process, if necessary:
- The submitted contract and supporting information are reviewed for standard legal terms and conditions.
- Negotiations may be required between the University department, the contractor, Contract Review Services and Office of General Counsel.
- All necessary modifications are made to the contract.
- The department will receive an email notification when their contract is fully signed. The signed agreement can be found in the contract system under the Documents tab as apart of that contract record.
- Administer and monitor the contract throughout its terms. Reference the Contract Monitoring Checklist for assistance.
Independent Contractor Guidelines
An independent contractor is a person, business or corporation that provides goods or services to the University under terms specified in a written contract or agreement. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor does not work regularly for an employer, but works when required. It is important to look at the scope of the work and determine if it is comprised of tasks best accomplished by an employee. The OGC developed a checklist that will aid with this determination. NC State University cannot pay employees as Independent Contractors.
- Complete the Checklist for Determination of Independent Contractor Status, and evaluate the employment status results.
- Upload the completed checklist with your contract submission with all independent contractor agreements where the contractor is an individual.
- Independent Contractor or Employee? More guidance is available on the IRS website.
- Payment(s) to individuals for services? See more information here.
SERVICE AGREEMENT TYPE | DEFINITION | NEXT STEP |
Personal | Personal/professional services such as lawyer, doctor, architect, engineer | 1. Complete a Contract Review Form. 2. Provide sole source memo for services above $5000 at time of submission. |
Academic | Professional instruction, curriculum development, academic oriented research | 1. Complete a Contract Review Form. 2. Provide sole source memo for services above $5000 at time of submission. |
Administrative/Consultant | Professional who provides expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, finance | 1. Complete the Contract Review Form. 2. Provide scope of work and specifications for the competitive bid process or provide sole source memo at time of submission. 3. Initiate requisition if cost is above $5000. |
Contract Administration Guidelines
- Each University department is responsible for ensuring that the contractor meets all contractual obligations.
- While administering a contractual project, the University department MUST process the invoices for payment and monitor the funds spent against the contract.
- If changes to the contract are required after it is fully executed, use the contract amendment form to enumerate the specifics such as the cost, term, or scope of work.
- Complete the contract “amendment” form.
- Submit a Contract Review Form and select “Amendment” as the record type.
- Upload the completed amendment form as your main document (attachment type = Contract Amendment).
Contact Us
Questions? Email purcontracts@ncsu.edu.