About Contract Administration

What does the Contract Administration Department do?

Contract Administration facilitates the contracting process from solicitation to completion. The department processes simple contracts such as performances and workshops, as well as longer form contracts such as maintenance services for equipment.

Whether it’s new software, requesting a workshop facilitator, or a larger project, a contract is often required.

As a state entity, Western Washington University contracts require the review and approval of the Assistant Attorney General, unless using a pre-approved template. In addition, the University is self-insured for general liability losses, so Risk, Compliance, and Policy Services also reviews contracts prior to execution, to minimize both tort and contractual liability expenses.

A limited number of University employees have contract signing authority. No contractual paperwork should be signed prior to review and approval by Contract Administration. This ensures that risks have been mitigated, no duplicate purchases are being made, and that you are not making yourself personally liable for a contract, which can happen if an unauthorized person signs a contract.

What is a contract?

A contract is a written or electronic agreement between the University and a non-Western party that creates mutual obligations enforceable by law.

The Contract Management Module

Western's Contract Management Module (CMM) went live July 2nd, 2018. CMM allows for better tracking of contracts and is an automated system for approvals to be sent inter-departmentally.

What does that mean for you?

It means transparency (you can see where the contract resides within the approval process) and security that your contract is being properly processed (mitigating liability).

How does a contract get processed?

A contract gets submitted via the CMM and flagged by the Contract Administration that it needs reviewing. Contract Admins review the contract, collect any additional information which might be missing or requires clarification, create the contract document, then set in motion the approval process. The approval process has many variations, depending upon what product or service is being requested and whether or not it is on our contract templates or the vendor’s contract documents. For a breakdown of the process, see the Contract Routing Process PDF.

How do I sign up for CMM Access and Training?

To request access to the CMM, fill out this Contract Management Module User Authorization eForm

 

Training sessions will be posted on the new class scheduling system as "Submitting Contracts Online in CMM" in the Learning Library. You can add your name to the individual classes by clicking “Select a timeslot”, then choosing the date you would like and clicking “book”.

Have questions? Contact us at ContractAdmin@wwu.edu

Upcoming CMM Training

Submitting Contracts Online in CMM

Upcoming Training Dates:

  • Contact us to set up a one-on-one training

Email us at ContractAdmin@wwu.edu to register for online training.

Approving Contracts Online in CMM

Upcoming Training Dates:

  • Contact us to set up a one-on-one training

Email us at ContractAdmin@wwu.edu to register for online training.