University employees are expected to transact all University business in conformance with policies and procedures and accordingly have an obligation to become familiar with those that bear on their areas of responsibility. Each member is expected to seek clarification on a policy or other University directive he or she finds to be unclear, outdated or at odds with University objectives. It is not acceptable to ignore or disobey policies if one is not in agreement with them, or to avoid compliance by deliberately seeking loopholes. (University of California, Statement of Ethical Values May 2005)
In order to provide responsive service to the Business Contracts customers, it is important that these customers understand the overall contracting process and include sufficient lead time in their requests to allow Business Contracts to complete its responsibilities. Complex contracts may affect more than one department, pose significant financial risk and/or liability to the campus, do not conform to approved legal form, have campus wide-significance, or in some other way deviate from the standard contracting procedure, will require departmental collaboration and appropriate business and policy review. The following information is to assist departments in formulating an effective contract planning strategy.
The roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in the contracting process are defined to ensure the following basic functions are accomplished:
- Assessment of any potential financial risk and/or liability to the campus
- Preparation of the contract document
- Appropriate review of documents for compliance with University policies
- Negotiation with the contracting party
- Approval by General Counsel if required
- Secure authorized signatures