Purchasing a Professional Service

Some professional services must be purchased only by certain departments within the University:

Legal Services - Only the Office of the General Counsel (612-624-4100) is authorized to purchase legal services. Call 4-4100.

Architect and Engineer Services - Only Capital Planning and Project Management (CPPM) in University Services (612-626-1613) is authorized to purchase architect and engineer (A & E) services. In some instances, CPPM may authorize a department to purchase A & E services.

Building Repairs, Replacement and Maintenance - Contact Facilities Management (612-624-2900) in University Services to purchase building maintenance.

Processing a purchase of professional services

Professional Services $0 to $2999

1. Contact the service provider to agree on the fee and services to be provided. If the vendor is not set up on the vendor table, fill out the vendor request form and submit to Disbursement Services.
2. Direct the service provider to perform the work.
3. When the work is complete, create an electronic requisition. In the comments field for line item 1, include:
   • Justification (5 Ws)
   • Basis for Contractor Selection and Basis for Price
   • How you know the price is reasonable
   If the provider has submitted an invoice, enter the invoice number on the transaction. The system will create a requisition, route it for approvals, create a voucher and dispatch a check to the service provider. A check message will be included with the check to let providers who are classified as individuals or sole proprietors know that withholding may have occurred.

Professional Services $3000 to $24,999

1. Contact the service provider to agree on the fee and services to be provided. You may use the Data Collection Sheet to collect necessary information for the transaction. You must attach the Data Collection sheet to the requisition if using sponsored funds.
2. Enter an electronic requisition. Include as a comment to item 1:
   • Justification (5 Ws)
   • Basis for Contractor Selection and Basis for Price
   • How you know the price is reasonable
   If the provider is an individual or a sole proprietor, attach the completed Employee/Independent Contractor Determination Checklist. You must attach the completed Data Collection Sheet if using sponsored funds. The requisition will route for approvals.
3. The system will generate a Quick Contract for Professional Services (QCPS), which requires no vendor or University signature. The system will dispatch the QCPS to the vendor according to the dispatch method indicated on the vendor file. Email dispatches will go directly to the vendor’s e-mail address, as specified on the Vendor File. FAX dispatches will be faxed to the vendor by the system, unless there are attachments for the vendor. If there are attachments, the QCPS will print in the Cluster. Print dispatches will print in the Cluster also. The cluster will send the QCPS and appropriate attachments to the vendor.

   Note: If the category code you select is “entertainers/performers” or “speakers (as performers)” the system will generate a Performance Contract for Professional Service (PCPS).

4. Work may begin.

$25,000 to $49,999

1. Contact the service provider to agree on the fee and services to be provided. You may use the Data Collection Sheet to collect necessary information for the transaction.
2. Enter an electronic requisition. Include as a comment to item 1:
   • Justification (5 Ws)
   • Basis for Contractor Selection and Basis for Price
   • How you know the price is reasonable
   If the provider is an individual or a sole proprietor, attach the completed Employee/Independent Contractor Determination Checklist. You must attach the completed Data Collection Sheet if using sponsored funds. The requisition will route for approvals.
3. When the final electronic approval has been applied, the Procurement Specialist in the Cluster will generate a Print Preview of the contract, and get signatures of both the service provider and the Department Delegated Signature Authority on the contract. The Procurement Specialist dispatches the Contract for Professional Services to the service provider with the signed copy attached.
4. Work may begin.

$50,000 and up

1. Contact the service provider to agree on the services to be provided and the fee. You may use the Data Collection Sheet to collect necessary information for the transaction.
2. Enter an electronic requisition. If you are requesting an Exception to the Regents Purchasing Policy, attach the signed Request for Exception. Include as a comment to item 1:
   • Justification (5 Ws)
   • Basis for Contractor Selection and Basis for Price
   • How you know the price is reasonable
   If the provider is an individual or a sole proprietor, attach the completed Employee/Independent Contractor Determination Checklist. You must attach the completed Data Collection Sheet if using sponsored funds.
3. The system will route requisitions $50,000 and up to Purchasing Services to conduct a Request for Proposal process to select a vendor. See Overview of Request for Proposal Process. Purchasing services will forward the proposals to the Requesting Department.
4. After the department has selected a vendor, Purchasing reviews the selection process and documentation and edits the requisition to be consistent with the vendor’s proposal (example: Statement of Work may be better defined after the RFP process, hourly rate is known, time period for completion of the work is agreed upon. Purchasing attaches any documents that should be incorporated into the contract (example: Vendor's proposal, project schedule, list of deliverables). Once the edits have been made and necessary documents attached, the Requestor routes the requisition for approval.
5. When the final approval has been applied, the Procurement Specialist in the Cluster generates a Print Preview of the Contract, gets the signatures of both the service provider and the department Delegated Signature Authority on the contract, then dispatches the Contract for Professional Services, with the signed copy attached, to the vendor.

   Note: If the category code you select is “entertainers/performers” or “speakers (as performers)” the system will generate a Performance Contract for Professional Service (PCPS).

6. Work may begin.

Approvals

The requisition will route for electronic approvals to the following individuals as applicable:

• Departmental Approver - Level One (Dept ID approver)
• Second Level Departmental Approver (for high dollar contracts)
• Certified Approver if sponsored funds are used (CA may route to SPA if appropriate)
• Disbursements if the vendor table shows that the provider is an individual or a sole proprietor
• Payroll if the provider is a foreign national
• Capital Planning and Project Management if the services are architect and/or engineering services
• Associate Controller if an audit firm is used or if audit services are being purchased
• Purchasing if the purchase is $25,000 and over ($50,000 and over are bid)

Approvers may contact the Requestor (initiator of the requisition) to ask for more information. Any approver can deny the requisition.

All purchases $250,000 and up require Regents approval before awarding a contract or purchase order.

Authorizing Payment (Receiving)

When work is complete and an invoice is received at the cluster, the Requestor authorizes payment for the invoice by doing a receiving transaction for the invoice by doing a receiving transaction on the financial system. More than one invoice may be received and paid up to the dollar amount of the contract.

Amending a QCPS or a CPS

Any changes to the contract, whether they impact just the internal University (example: changing Chartfield String) or whether they impact the agreement with the vendor (example: changing the scope of the work, extending the completion date), must be documented with an Amendment. The requesting department contacts the Procurement Specialist in the Cluster, who will perform the Amendment transaction and dispatch it to the vendor.