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A recent audit by the Auditor-General's Department identified shortcomings in the University's contract management and recordkeeping procedures. Most notably, some records in the University's Contract Register are missing key information (such as start and end dates, contract value, and key performance obligations), and some contracts are not recorded at all!

The University's Contracts and Agreements Policy ("the Policy") requires all contracts and agreements to be recorded in an Approved Contract Register. Content Manager is the University's central Approved Contract Register. University staff must ensure all contracts are lodged as a "Legal Document" (LD) with Records Services. This is done by emailing a copy of the fully signed contract and the completed Legal Document Lodgement Form to Record Services.

Item 5 of the Form refers to the University's and other parties' contractual obligations. Whilst this is an optional field, it is a good practice to have that information clearly identified and recorded in the register for easy access and reference, and to assist contract monitoring and management practices. The Contracts Management Handbook provides comprehensive instructions on how the University's contracts and agreements must be managed. Compliance with the requirements of the Policy and the Contracts Management Handbook is not discretionary.

Legal Services has periodically published guidance to assist staff in managing contracts, which can be revisited anytime. Below is a list of the most recent publications:

• Executing University Contracts – guidance
• Changes to the University's Contracts Register
• Managing University Contracts
• Managing University Contracts – recent Policy updates

Please ensure that your staff is familiar with the Policy's requirements and can demonstrate compliance with it. For further information about policy requirements, please contact Legal Services. For assistance with the Legal Document lodgement process, please contact Records Services.