Financial FormsNirvana Contract for Professional Services Off-line Procedures

1. For $10,000 to $50,000
   1. Receptionist forwards any Contract for Professional Services forms (or Contract for Professional Services Amendments) to CPS-PA.
   2. CPS-PA reviews paper forms for appropriate or missing information. See check list. (Link to checklist) The paper Contract for Professional Services form should have the vendor signature at this point.
   3. CPS-Buyer reviews the paper contract for quality of write-up for Scope of Work, Basis for Vendor Selection, Price Reasonableness, etc.
   4. CPS-Buyer retains any contracts that need further research or OGC review.
   5. CPS-Buyer signs Financial FormsNirvana paper contracts and forwards to CPS-PA
   6. CPS-PA uses paper Contract for Professional Services to locate the electronic contract on Financial FormsNirvana and applies the online approval to finalize the contract and then distributes copies.

2. For $50,000 or more
   1. If OLD PAPER Contract for Professional Services: CPS-Buyer will call the department if they have only sent a paper Contract for Professional Services. Since Financial FormsNirvana will not allow them to enter a contract at this dollar level, it is assumed they sent an old paper form. Regardless of the Contract for Professional Services form, the CPS-Buyer will request a requisition and RFP document to bid (or an Exception form.)
   2. RX / RFP for professional services are logged by Files-PA and forwarded to the Director of Purchasing. (Files-PA: Professional Services Object Codes are 7201 and 7200). Any RX / RFP (Or sole sources) that come in directly to the buyer (like hand carried or e-mailed to the buyer) should be taken to Files-PA, just like any other RX for logging. If it is for 7200 and 7201, Files-PA will advise that the Director of Purchasing needs to review) NEW: Files-PA, lets put some kind of colored paper (1/2 or 1/3 sheet) prefilled out and stapled on the front. The Director of Purchasing may not always be there when you go to drop them off and there should be no confusion as to why the Director has a requisition on the chair. This can also instruct the Director to return the requisition to you - not the assigned buyer so you can finish the logging.
   3. The Director of Purchasing reviews the Service RX / RFPs and determines the appropriate buyer and returns them to Files.
   4. Files-PA finishes logging the Service RX / RFP with the assigned buyer information and routes the documents to the assigned buyer.
   5. Process RX / RFP as usual. OPEN ISSUE: Will CPS-PA be doing the RFPS in BIS etc. or will the bidding buyer's PA will do the RFP. RFPs are evaluated as usual to the point of issuing the award document. Then it goes to the CPS-PA. OPEN ISSUE: PA (Or CPS-PA) will make a ________ colored file folder for the Contract for Professional Services RFP. File folder is kept in Files-PA's regular bid and RFP files until after award.
      Professional Service RFPs must follow the standard processes through Purchasing. Departments cannot do these RFPs or parts of the RFPs themselves at $50,000 and above. Even if the department chooses to do an RFP under $50,000 through Purchasing, they must follow the entire process through Purchasing Services.
   6. CPS-PA enters a Financial FormsNirvana Contract for Professional Services to award the RFP. Identify whether a Contract for Professional Services was bid or not or whether it was a sole source when the Contract for Professional Services Contracts are $50,000 or more. All of these will be entered by CPS-PA and the CPS Bids will be entered as " Per RFP #" and the CPS Sole Sources will be entered as "Per RX #".
   7. CPS-PA prints the Financial FormsNirvana contract. Be sure to only approve it far enough to get the contract to print without 'Draft" on it. Then forward the paper Contract for Professional Services to the vendor with a Cover Memo requesting they sign the contract and return it to Purchasing to finalize the contract so work may begin.
   8. See Receiving Contract for Professional Services Copies. (Link down?)
   9. Buyer reviews the signed contract for any terms and condition changes.
   10. CPS – PA forwards the contract to the Contract Administrator with a memo advising them: 1) review the contract for any errors 2) verify all appropriate attachments are there 3) seek department signature from the department’s delegated authority. Return the entire packet to Purchasing for signature and completion. Do not begin work until the completed contract is returned to your department by Purchasing
   11. Buyer signs the contract up to $249,999.99. If $250,000 or more, the buyer will bring the contract to the Director of Purchasing. The Director of Purchasing will sign the Contract for Professional Services if it is $250,000 or more and return it to the buyer.
   12. The Director of Purchasing will route the Contract for Professional Services back to CPS-PA to approve the documents on-line. The other buyers will also route their Contract for Professional Services documents back to CPS-PA for the on-line approval and copy distribution.

3. DISTRIBUTING AND FILING THE APPROVED Contract for Professional Services COPIES
   1. CPS-PA has the original contract signed by the vendor and the buyer (or Director). This original is used to fax a copy to the vendor.
   2. CPS-PA then faxes a copy of the Contract for Professional Services to the department with a standard fax coverpage.
   3. CPS-PA files the Contract for Professional Services contract in the Contract for Professional Services files alphabetically by the vendor name and cross references the RFP number on the Contract for Professional Services and the Contract for Professional Services # on the RFP folder.
   4. Files retains the RFP and its responses in the standard bid / rfp files.

4. TERMS AND CONDITION CHANGES
   1. Who Reviews Changes:
      If the vendor changes the Contract for Professional Services terms and conditions or adds attachments that incorporate additional terms and conditions, the changes must be reviewed with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) - Arnie Frishman, OGC, 300 Gateway, Mpls, MN 55455.
   2. Approved Changes to Terms and Conditions:
      If OGC, department and vendor arrive at acceptable wording, OGC notifies Purchasing to proceed with final signatures. OGC forwards a notification e-mail to Purchasing referencing the Contract for Professional Services # and indicates that the Contract for Professional Services, as revised, is acceptable from a legal perspective.

5. APPROVING THE CONTRACT
   • Under $10,000:
     The department signs the contract and retains the OGC's notification e-mail in their Contract for Professional Services file if there were any alterations.
   • $10,000 to $49,999.99 (or an amendment with a new total of $10,000 or more) :
     The CPS-Buyer signs.
   • $50,000 to $249,999.99:
     The Buyer assigned the RFP signs the Contract for Professional Services.
   • $250,000 and over:
     The assigned buyer will handle the RFP process. The Director will sign the Contract for Professional Services

6. EXCEPTION TO BIDS - SOLE SOURCES
   The Contract for Professional Services Buyer (if under $50,000) or the assigned Buyer(for $50,000 or more) will work with the department to complete the sole source forms. (Link to new forms used just for Contract for Professional Services - have to find link) The departments Exception to Bid form and the Buyer's Exception form are both submitted to the Director for review along with the RX and any vendor quote available.

7. FINANCIAL FORMSNIRVANA APPROVAL
   Purchasing reviews the paper Contract for Professional Services form printed from Financial FormsNirvana and signed by the vendor and approves the on-line Financial FormsNirvana Contract for Professional Services. The CPS-PA applies the final Financial FormsNirvana approval on - line based on the Director or Buyer's signature on the printed Financial FormsNirvana contract. (Director of Purchasing working on this: CPS-PA should probably have something in a file delegating the authority to approve the on-line once the paper form has been approved by the CPS-Buyer and the Director of Purchasing off-line. )

8. CANCELING A CONTRACT
   • If not approved yet in Financial FormsNirvana: the preparer can use the hide function. At the next archive/cleanup (usually 63 days) the document is removed from Financial FormsNirvana and no record is sent to CUFS.
   • If approved but not Signed by Vendor: Communicate (e-mail) to vendor to cancel the contract. The Financial FormsNirvana Contract for Professional Services document may be closed with an ER document to close the encumbrance.
   • If approved and work started: Use the Amendment form to communicate the cancellation to the vendor. Use the ER document to close the Contract for Professional Services document in Financial FormsNirvana / CUFS.