Contract
Nothing operational begins until this phase is closed. This phase ensures all legal and commercial agreements are in place before any project work starts. It is a hard gate: Initiation does not start, resources are not booked, and no project infrastructure is created until contracts are signed (in small projects for known clients - a contract can be replaced with a client signed Statement of Work)
The contract must cover:
- Who: parties and roles
- What: scope of work and obligations
- How much: payment and commercial terms
- How long: term and termination
- Ownership: IP and confidentiality
- Risk: liability and warranties
- Exceptions: force majeure
- Disputes: governing law and resolution
Roles
- Phase owner: Account Manager (if existing client) or New Work Team (new client)
- Supported by: Projects Coordinator, PM
- Primary Client contact:
Typical activities
- Negotiate and agree contract terms with client
- Obtain signatures from all required parties
- Confirm any DPAs or NDAs required
- Confirm purchase order or payment terms with Finance
Deliverables
| Deliverable | Owner | Shared With | Format | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signed contract | AM / New Work Team | Client + Projects Coordinator + Finance | Signed PDF / DocuSign | Before Initiation begins |
| DPA / NDA (if required) | AM / New Work Team | Client + PM | Signed PDF | Before Initiation begins |
| Confirmed PO or payment terms | AM / Finance | Projects Coordinator + PM | Email or PO doc | Before Initiation begins |
Templates
| Template | Owner | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Contract template | AM | Both |
| Data Processing Agreement | AM | Both |
Tools and platforms
- DocuSign / Adobe Sign — contract execution
- Google Docs — SoW drafting and review
- CRM — contract status tracking
Checkpoint
-
Contract signed by all parties ↳ Required output: Signed document saved in project Drive folder
-
Payment terms or PO confirmed ↳ Required output: Written confirmation from client and Finance
-
Any required DPA or NDA in place ↳ Required output: Signed and filed
-
Sponsor confirmed it is appropriate to proceed ↳ Required output: Sign-off email or meeting note
If any condition is not met, the project does not proceed to Initiation. Exceptions (e.g. a letter of intent) must be approved by the Sponsor and documented.
Handover
| From | Account Manager / New Work Team |
| To | Projects Coordinator + Project Manager |
| Mechanism | Written confirmation that all contracts are signed, filed in the project Drive folder, and Finance notified. No meeting required unless there are unresolved issues. |
| AM / New Work Team | Confirm all documents are signed and filed. Pass to Projects Coordinator to begin Initiation. |
| Projects Coordinator | Begin Initiation only on receipt of written confirmation. Set up Harvest codes and project infrastructure at this point. |
| PM | Note any contractual constraints that affect delivery approach before Initiation planning begins. |
Last updated: