Procurement Agreements Management

If a procurement agreement meets the criteria to be submitted to Purchasing for a university signature, follow these guidelines:

• Submit the agreement through OnBase, the university's contract  agreements management tool. Failure to comply could result in audit findings.
• Each agreement must be entered into OnBase separately.
• We no longer send back wet signature copies unless specifically asked to return them to the department.
• Each college/unit is responsible for keeping copies of the fully executed agreement for the life of the agreement plus six years.

• Name documents to reflect the parties involved in the agreement or other distinguishing characteristics (e.g. “Custodial Services Agreement – Goodwill FY21”) vs. generic descriptions such as “agreement.” 
• Enter the information into the "Entry form" field completely and accurately. This will help you and your successors down the road when searching for an agreement. It will also help ensure your agreement is directed to the right person or people.

Tips

• Use words that will help you or others search for the agreement later. Name the supplier, type of contract and year when applicable.
• Standardize the names of suppliers and avoid acronyms (e.g. “ODH” should be entered as “Ohio Department of Health”)
• Use a naming convention (e.g. "Custodial Services Agreement – Goodwill FY21”) to simplify file management and ensure that agreements can be easily located within OnBase. These tips will distinguish similar documents or multiple agreements with a supplier. 

• An agreement for goods or services using less than $500,000 of university funds
• Statement of Work (SOW) that requires signature
• Terms and conditions when buying something via Pcard
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a supplier or outside vendor
• Gift in Kind for Agricultural equipment only
• No cost loan and rentals for Agricultural  equipment
• BAA – Business Associate Agreement
• Independent contractor agreements

The following types of contracts should follow the process outlined by the Office of Legal Affairs to obtain the signature of the Senior Vice President of Business and Finance and CFO:

• Contracts involving $500,000 or more of university funds
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between OSU departments
• Services Engagement Authorization
• Sponsorship Agreements
• Gift in Kind (except for Agricultural equipment)
• Privacy Statements.
• Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA).
• Field Service Reports (FSRs)
• Quote from an internal OSU supplier/provider
• Quotes without terms and conditions AND using PO to make the purchase.
• Contracts for after-the-fact purchases
• Contracts that include intellectual property.
• Credit Applications
• Request for Alcohol or Alcohol Applications.
• Skilled Trades
• Copiers/Printers
• Utilities & Water, City or County Certifications
• Driver’s Background/ Authority to operate a Vehicle and Construction

• Process agreements in a timely fashion: If your agreement has a deadline to be completed, please ensure that you allow for enough time for it to be reviewed, including the possibility that edits will be required. The standard turnaround time for review and approval is typically two weeks. However, depending on available staff and complexity of the agreement, it may take additional time to finalize. Please be conscientious of our lead times.
• Always obtain the counter-signed copy in a timely manner. From a legal standpoint, an agreement that is not signed by both parties could be challenged. Make sure the other party provides a signed copy.
• Crosstrain: Make sure that there are initiators to cover in case someone is on vacation, off during the holidays or otherwise unavailable.
• Expedited Review Process: Available for agreements under $25,000 that meet the criteria described in the Expedited Review Process guide. Qualifying agreements must use the Disclaimer Addendum.