Fayetteville Policies and Procedures  324.0 

Professional/Consultant Services (PCS)

The following are current requirements for contract review and approval:

PCS $0-$10,000 (excluding reimbursable expenses) may be processed on a purchase order via submission of a purchase requisition and completed University of Arkansas Request for Taxpayer Information form to the Office of Business Affairs prior to performance of the services. If more than one contract in the same Fiscal Year exceeds $10,000 with one individual or firm, details of original and all subsequent contracts must be reported to the Office of Procurement (OSP). Average process time is 24-48 hours.

PCS $10,001- $50,000 (excluding reimbursable expenses) complete entire PCS contract (pages 1-7). Submit the contract, University of Arkansas Request for Taxpayer Information, Contract and Grant Disclosure and Certification form and a purchase requisition to the Office of Business Affairs for review and processing after securing signature of the Contractor. Contracts in this category require approval by the Office of State Procurement. Average process time is approximately three weeks. 

PCS $50,001 + (total compensation, excluding reimbursable expenses) complete entire PCS contract, University of Arkansas Request for Taxpayer Information form, Contract and Grant Disclosure and Certification form and a purchase requisition to the Office of Business Affairs for review and processing after securing signature of the contractor. Method of contractor selection should be by one of the following:

  • competitive bids (minimum of three with award to lowest or justified best)
  • request for proposals with award based on the most effective solution for the price
  • single source when the first two methods are not applicable (must provide adequate justification on PCS contract seven question memorandum)

When hiring out-of-state contractors, if the contract is subject to Legislative Council or Joint Budget Committee review, written justification stating why an Arkansas resident cannot provide the services must accompany the contract. This justification must include the following information:

  • What attempts were made to locate Arkansas residents to perform the required services?
  • If Arkansas residents were located, what competitive bidding process was followed?
  • If Arkansas residents were not selected, why couldn't they provide the required services?

Contracts in this category require further approval by the university vice president for finance, Office of State Procurement and Legislative Council.

Note:

  • All reviews and approvals must occur prior to contract executive date.
  • Amendments extending contract duration beyond contract ending date requires submission of original and amendments to Legislative Council for review.
  • Legislative Council may review or exempt from review any contact or group of contacts.
  • Legislative Council may require an agency representative to be present at time of review.

This process can take from six to eight weeks depending on Legislative Council’s schedule, so contact Purchasing early in the process.

Architectural, interior design, engineering, data processing and telecommunication service contracts require additional justification and review processes. Contact Purchasing for additional information.

Instructions and Professional/Consulting Service forms can be located on the Office of Business Affairs web site. http://procurement.uark.edu

Reformatted for Web May 23, 2014
Revised April 1, 2014
Revised October, 2002
Revised August 1, 1997
April 13, 1989