We have several updates on vendor contracting at Harvard.
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Contract Management Services
Would you like help managing your contract portfolio? We now provide contract management services so our customers can focus on their core mission. Service offering includes dedicated support staff for contract drafting and negotiation, creating contract records in Buy2Pay, cloud-based contract review and approval routing, and tracking and reporting contract portfolio budget and spend. Using our service allows our customers to redeploy existing staff to mission critical areas. Contact Elizabeth Copeland at elizabth_copeland@harvard.edu for more information.
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Upcoming Trainings
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation Vendor Contract Exercise June 30, 2021. This is an exciting new interactive offering! Attendees will receive a sample agreement to review and issue spot prior to the course, and we will lead a discussion with attendees as we walk through potential risks/issues in the sample agreement including ways to mitigate them. This course is designed for people who have some vendor contracting experience and want to improve their review skills. It will be held over Zoom from 10:30 – 12:00. Click here to sign up. Limited to 30 attendees. Please sign up in advance so you have a chance to review the sample agreement. Details below.
- Cloud/Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Contract Review Training June 15, 2021. A large number of Harvard’s purchases include a Cloud component. This course will teach you the basics of how to review and negotiate a Cloud/SaaS contract. It will be held over Zoom from 1:00 – 2:30. Click here to sign up. Details below.
- Total Contract Manager (TCM) Contract Manager Training Workshop June 15, 2021. Attend our TCM Contract Manager Workshop to learn how to use Total Contract Manager to manage your contract portfolio. Instructor led training on key TCM features that enable effective contract management. It will be held over Zoom from 10:30 to 11:45. Click here to sign up. Details below.
- General Contract Review Training June 15, 2021. This is a great course to learn about, or brush up on, vendor contracting. It will be held over Zoom from 11:00 to 12:30. Click here to sign up. Details below.
- Hotel/Event Venue Contracts Training October 21, 2021. If you are planning an event off-campus, this course is a great introduction to the contract issues that you will want to think about. We will also discuss how to best address Covid-19 risk in new Hotel/Event contracts. It will be held over Zoom from 11:00 – 12:30. Click here to sign up. Details below.
- TCM eLearning. Visit our Contract Management webpage to access TCM eLearning materials. We provide detailed videos on how to create contract records in TCM, route contracts for review and signature, and draft contracts using the Jagger Word App. You can take these courses any time to learn more about TCM. Click here for details.
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Updated Contract Riders
A number of contract Riders have been updated. Please see our Contract Template page for details.
- There is now a new Rider: Requirements for Access to and Protection of the Harvard Network. Use this Rider when vendors are accessing Harvard’s non-guest network or installing or supporting devices on Harvard’s network. See Rider headnote for more details.
- We have updated the Hotel Event Venue Combined Rider – to be used for both hotels or conference venues.
- The Office of General Counsel has updated the Personal Data Protection: Contract Rider.
- The Office of General Counsel has updated the GDPR Data Protection Rider.
Please use the new versions. Let us know if you have any questions.
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Covid-19 Vendor Contract Issues
- We are hearing scattered reports of vendors adding extra charges to invoices in connection with Covid-19. In many cases, this is not permitted under our contracts. Please pay attention to your invoices, and let us know if you see any unpermitted extra charges.
- In general, in these uncertain times, you may have legal questions about your contracts with vendors. Our group can help. If you need assistance, please e-mail spcontracts@harvard.edu.
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General Information
Click here to view the Strategic Procurement Contracts Group Web site. For general questions on vendor contracts, including review requests, our group’s e-mail address is: spcontracts@harvard.edu.
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Details on Upcoming Trainings
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Vendor Contract Exercise
Date/Time/Location: June 30, 2021; 10:30 – 12:00; Zoom
Course Description: Join us for an interactive contract discussion! Understanding risk and mitigating risk is a critical step in creating an effective vendor agreement. Attendees will receive a sample agreement to review and risk spot prior to the course. During the course, we will lead a discussion through the sample vendor contract, pointing out potential risks in the sample agreement and discussing ways to mitigate those risks. After this course, you will be better equipped to anticipate risks, identify contract provisions that address those risks, and be aware of ways to mitigate those risks fairly to protect Harvard’s interest. This course is designed for people who have some vendor contracting experience and want to improve their review skills.
Cloud/Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Contract Review Training
Date/Time/Location: June 15, 2021; 1:00 – 2:30; Zoom
Course Description: Most of Harvard’s technology contracts (and many non-technology contracts) now have a cloud component – meaning that Harvard’s critical tools and data are being hosted offsite on computers not fully controlled by Harvard. Harvard is often required to use vendor forms/templates for these contracts, but these documents are generally very one-sided. This class will run through the key issues to consider if you are negotiating a cloud contract. It is intended for people who have already taken General Contract Review Training or have substantial experience reviewing vendor contracts in general.
TCM Contract Manager Training Workshop
Date/Time/Location: June 15, 2021, 10:30 – 11:45; Zoom
Course Description:
This live, instructor led workshop is for Contract Managers using Total Contract Management (TCM) to store their contracts or anyone else who wants to learn more about accessing contracts in TCM and covers the following topics:
- How to Search Contracts
- Contract Manager Dashboard & Profile Settings
- How to Create/Upload Contract
- eSignature
- Contract Visibility
- Notifications
- Contract Family
- TCM Best Practices
General Contract Review Training
Date/Time/Location: June 15, 2021; 11:00 to 12:30; Zoom
Course Description: General training from Strategic Procurement’s Contracts Team on how to contract with vendors. Covers general legal concepts, Harvard-specific policies and concerns, and how to use Harvard contracts templates or work with vendor documents. Attendees who complete this course should be able to handle at least basic contracts on their own and know when and how to seek further assistance. Course is designed to be informative for all staff regardless of experience level with vendor contracting.
Hotel/Event Venue Contracting
Date/Time/Location: October 21, 2021; 11:00 – 12:30; Zoom
Course Description: Training on how to contract with hotels and other venues for events. Attendees who complete this course should be able to issue spot vendor templates for hotels and events, work with Harvard templates, as well as know when to seek further assistance. We will cover key contract areas for this industry as well as provide some business/negotiation tips. We will also discuss how to best address Covid-19 risk in new Hotel/Event contracts.
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About This E-Mail List
The Strategic Procurement Contracts Group sends e-mails to this list no more than a few times a quarter with information about our services to assist you with vendor contracting, including new developments, training opportunities, and online resources.
If you would like to be added to this list (if you received this e-mail as a forward) or removed from this list (we promise to take no offense!), or if you have any questions about this list, please contact robert_ditzion@harvard.edu.
Rob Ditzion
Principal Contracts Analyst Harvard University Strategic Procurement robert_ditzion@harvard.edu (617) 495-1517This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this e-mail and notify Rob Ditzion (robert_ditzion@harvard.edu).
Do you draft, negotiate, or manage Harvard contracts? Consider registering for a training: General Contract Review Training ; TCM Contract Manager Workshop