The fact some of the expenses will no longer be paid for by the University does not necessarily justify the suppliers to raise their cost to us. We should do our diligence to ensure suppliers we award our contracts to are not taking this opportunity to raise their cost without justification.

For allowable expenses, we need to plan ahead at the time of procurement planning and contract establishment. Doing so will help us to make these costs visible, budgeted for and under control.

Suppliers need to be informed of these rules related to expense reimbursement, such as meal, hospitality and incidental expenses can no longer be claimed, and original itemized receipt is required for any claims.

For other allowable expenses that will likely occur during the course of project, establish a contract with clauses that explicitly provide the reimbursement.

If the external committees are not paid for their services, the members of external committees are not considered suppliers or contractors. So the expense reimbursement rules for suppliers do not apply to them.

Contract revision needs to be approved according to department’s approval authority schedule and to be documented by the department.

If a purchase order needs to be revised to reflect the contract change, email Purchasing Services with all related information including the reason and what the new term is. Purchasing Services will revise the PO accordingly.

Depending on the roles of each department in the establishment and execution of a contract, the responsibility to manage and document supplier performance and contract lies with each department who is responsible for that particular procurement activity.

If there is no document arising from placing order online or by phone, try requesting the supplier to send us an order confirmation or advance shipping notice. This can also help in checking order accuracy and delivery information.

 Yes.

There is no formal written maximum term for a contract or a purchase order.

Contract means an agreement entered into by two or more parties with the intention of creating a legal obligation.

A contract doesn’t have to be in the form of a document signed by both parties.  It can be in the form of any one of the following:

Anyone who has the approved authority to commit University funds can enter into agreement or contract with suppliers within his or her signing authority.