Requirements for Contract Managers
Determining Who Must Be Trained
Pursuant to Gov't. Code §2262.053, the Texas Procurement and Support Services (TPASS) administers a training program for state agency contract managers.
A contract manager is a person who is employed by a state agency and has significant contract management duties as determined by the agency in consultation with the state auditor (SAO) (Gov't Code §2262.001(3)).
The following SAO classifications may be used as a reference to help identify individuals who have significant contract management duties.
| Number | Class Title | Salary Group | Occupational Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Contract Administration Manager I | B25 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1962 | Contract Administration Manager II | B27 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1970 | Contract Technician I | A09 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1972 | Contract Technician II | A11 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1974 | Contract Technician III | A13 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1976 | Contract Specialist I | B15 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1980 | Contract Specialist II | B17 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1982 | Contract Specialist III | B19 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1984 | Contract Specialist IV | B21 | Property Management and Purchasing |
| 1986 | Contract Specialist V | B23 | Property Management and Purchasing |
In addition, the following tasks may help identify individuals who are required to take TPASS's contract management training.
- Develops and/or interprets rules, policies, or procedures regarding contract management or contract administration.
- Recommends the development of new contracts based on end-user requirements.
- Develops contracts by identifying needs, analyzing resources, describing services to be rendered, and negotiating pricing and other contract features/terms.
- Coordinates and facilitates the activities of a Contract Management team.
- Manages contracts using project management tools (i.e. work breakdown structures, GANTT charts, Performance Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) charts, Critical Path Method (CPM), Microsoft (MS) Project, etc.)
- Prepares and presents reports regarding agency contracts by compiling, reviewing, and analyzing data and reporting to agency management and the Legislature.
- Coordinates the risk assessment process for contract planning and monitoring.
- Mitigates risks by addressing potential threats during contract development.
- Leads negotiations for major contracts.
- Inspects and/or audits contractors to ensure compliance with contract terms and conditions.
- Monitors contractor performance.
- Mediates and/or resolves contract related protests or disputes.
- Reviews and approves (in conjunction with the end user), all change orders.
- Cancels or terminates contracts.
- Provides guidance to agency staff and the community regarding contract administration policies, and procedures.
- Identifies training needs and provides training and technical assistance to clients, boards, or public entities during the contracting process in order to comply with statutes, rules, and policies.
- Continually refines best practices guidelines for contract management.
Training Requirements and Certification
The program contains three (3) levels of required training. There is currently no certification requirement; however, TPASS offers one (1) level of optional certification.