Consultant Policy

Overview of Consultant Agreements at Columbia

A consultant agreement is a mechanism for establishing a contract under which a person or firm is hired by the University for the primary purpose of obtaining the benefit of its professional knowledge, skills or expertise. It is the policy of the University to contract for consultant services when factors such as timing, costs, qualifications or the nature of the service to be rendered make it more beneficial for such services to be acquired outside of the University rather than to be performed by employees of the University.

Consultant agreements define the scope of services the consultant will provide, and the terms under which the services will be provided, including price, duration of services, insurance and indemnification provisions, etc. The General Counsel's office has approved standard contract formats and terms and conditions in order to ensure that the University's interests are protected with a minimum of legal review and negotiation for individual transactions. Any modification of these standard terms and conditions requires the approval of the General Counsel's office.

As in the case of all purchasing transactions, University Purchasing Guidelines mandate that consultant contracts be awarded through a competitive or negotiated selection process that ensures price reasonableness, and clearly establishes the qualifications of the consultant to perform the required tasks. See the Purchasing Guidelines for specific requirements; the Lamont Purchasing Office is also available to assist with the selection and negotiation process.

In other words, you can't hire a consultant without benefit of a University Purchase Order.

For questions or assistance with this policy please contact the Lamont Purchasing Office.

Further information and on-line forms are available on the University Web Server at: New Consultant Policies and Procedures.

This Policy has been revised as of March 23, 2004.