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Contracts Administration

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

The objective of SMU's Contract Administration is to assist the University by efficiently managing contract processing in a professional and prompt manner, while also ensuring adherence to policies and procedures. To ensure that all SMU contracts receive the necessary review and approval from the designated individuals, it is imperative that all contracts be directed through the Contract Administration process.

The goals of the Contract Administration is to:

• process contracts in a timely and cost effective manner
• maintain standard contract templates for use across campus
• provide constructive input on legal contract documents relating to purchasing items, conditions, indemnification, intellectual property, etc.
• manage complex processes across functions, including legal and risk
• address vendor performance issues
• manage the contract tracking software

What is a contract?

A contract is an agreement between two or more parties with a shared understanding of the terms, mutual obligations, and legal considerations. A contract may be called several different things: a memorandum of understanding, an agreement, an electronic agreement, a memorandum of agreement, etc. A document may be considered a contract even if SMU is not paying anything or receiving service (ex. non-disclosure agreements). While contracts can technically be oral, SMU requires that all SMU contracts be in writing. If you question whether the document you are reviewing is a contract, please contact your department’s Contract Lead or melanieb@smu.edu.

Contract Templates

Under specific conditions, utilizing an SMU Standard Contract Template is the recommended approach for acquiring goods, services, or engaging in other types of agreements. Kindly reach out to your Contract Lead at melanieb@smu.edu or ola@smu.edu to obtain the relevant SMU Standard Template.

Independent Contractors

Changes to current process implemented for 2017 services

• Classification will be determined by the Tax Department
• Revised checklist for services performed in 2017 (see link below)

/BusinessFinance/OfficeOfBudgetAndFinance/TaxCompliance/IndependentContractorDetermination

• Section A - Drop down features for some fields on electronic form
• Sections B and C - Changes to questions
• Section D – Statement of work required 
• Section D – Specific dates of services require that if a date range is entered that the number of times worker will be used,  estimated dates of service and total expected costs must be provided

A statement of work is a document that lists the project-specific activities, deliverables, and timelines for an individual providing service to SMU.  Below are tips to writing a statement work and also an optional statement of work template.   

Tips - Writing a Statement of Work

Statement of Work Template

Review the SMU Policy

A central contract lead will facilitate the process for specific areas on campus.  These identified employees are called Contract Leads and will receive specialized training on the administration software and best practices.  They will also become part of a community of practice to share information and learn from each other.  Contract leads will work with their area to process and track the contracts.

Contract leads are identified as:

Contracts Metrics

Links to OE2C Initiative Blog Posts:

Contact Us:

Melanie Bailey, Senior Contracts Administrator: 214-768-1294 or melanieb@smu.edu.