Departmental Role

Before contracting with an outside party, departments should first ensure that the services are necessary and cannot be performed satisfactorily and economically by internal sources. You are then responsible for the following activities:

1. Determine whether services are biddable and should be procured through the purchasing department of the campus or institute (The purchasing department can help make this determination).
2. Determine and proceed with the appropriate contracting method: competitive, noncompetitive, or informal agreement.
3. Draft the contract, using the university’s standard contract form whenever possible and the standard terms and conditions.
4. Submit the contract through the appropriate review and approval process. Be aware of such special considerations as those that apply to contracts requiring review by the state’s Fiscal Review Committee.
5. When contracting with individuals, determine whether they are independent contractors or whether they should be paid through the UT payroll system (See Policy FI0420 for guidelines on determining employee or contractor status).
6. Review and monitor the services being provided and maintain adequate records of the services, or designate an employee to perform these duties.
7. Ensure that the services have been performed satisfactorily before approving a request for payment.
8. Approve payment by signing either a vendor’s invoice and submitting approval in IRIS or by submitting a Request for Special Payment (Form T-27).