Contract Administration Guidelines

  1. All contracts issued by the College's Office of Procurement will be administered locally either by the Procurement Officer who processes the award or by a designated Contract Administrator within the Office of Procurement.
  2. The Contract Administrator's responsibility includes the authority to amend (add, delete or modify) the terms and conditions of the contract. The Contract Administrator also has the authority to extend and terminate (both for convenience and cause) contracts issued by the College. All authoritative correspondence shall be initiated under the Contract Administrator's signature. The Contract Administrator may also be required to assist in conducting financial reviews and audits during the course of the contract. Finally, the Contract Administrator will ensure the file is properly closed out upon completion of the contract.
  3. To assist the Contract Administrator in ensuring performance under service contract is within the terms and conditions set forth, a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) will be designated. This individual will normally be assigned from within the requesting department and be knowledgeable of the services being procured. It shall be the responsibility of the COTR to monitor progress on contracts and advise both the vendor and the Contract Administrator of potential non-compliances. Notification to the vendor is NOT construed to mean "negotiation". All negotiation shall be the responsibility of the Contract Administrator. Further, the COTR may be required to identify payment "milestones" identified in the contract.
  4. Verbal reporting is acceptable to ensure timely correction of problems, however, all such communication should be followed up by written record for the file. In some cases, a written progress report may be required during the life of the contract. Progress reports should be brief, factual and informal and include as a minimum:
    1. Identification of the project status relative to events and activities described in the bid/proposal
    2. Deviations from specifications/costs resulting from anticipated changes
    3. Summary of work performed during reporting period
    4. Problems / non-compliances noted and recommendations for solution
  5. COTRs should maintain sufficient informal records (of assigned contracts) to provide the Contract Administrator with a recap of the effectiveness and efficiency of contractor's performance over the period of the contract. This information may provide the basis for an informed decision on the best means and source of obtaining the contracted service in the future.
  6. In their role as "technical" representative, the COTR may be called upon to advise the Contract Administrator of any technical matter pertaining to the contract. It is anticipated that a combination of contracting expertise of the Contract Administrator and the technical expertise of the COTR will provide effective administration of service contracts.
  7. Most service contracts which are high cost, long term or complex require a pre-performance, post award conference. It is during this conference that the Procurement Officer, COTR and vendor meet to ensure all terms and conditions of the contract are understood. When requesting a bid for service, any requesting department may stipulate that a pre-performance conference is desired. The Procurement Officer may also request, based on his/her knowledge of the complexity of the contract, that a pre-performance contract be scheduled.