A new Contract Request form was launched on Monday, January 30, 2023! The new request form incorporates feedback you provided over the last 12 months, updated IT Risk questions, and much more, all aimed to improve processing efficiency and compliance.

The overall goal for the enhancements is to improve efficiency and compliance. Below are the goals for the entire project: 

  • Optimize the contract request process efficiency by ensuring UPST review commences immediately after submission
  • Adopt a risk adjusted approach for construction (trade work) and entertainment related contracts under $10k by moving them to purchase orders (PO)
  • Enhance compliance requirements gathering for specific stakeholders (CISO & HR) to ensure faster decision making 

 

Component Current State Future State
Enhanced Information Technology Risk Questions
  • 4 IT risk questions present in the contract request template 
  • Conditional Information Technology risk questions added (excluding UMass Chan)
Independent Contractor Questions (Boston & Dartmouth Only) 
  • Inconsistent process across the UMass system and campus
  • Inconsistently applied to contracts 
  • Questions & workflow built into BuyWays 
  • Reduced risk for IRS non-compliance
Entertainment & Trade Contracts 
(Up to $10k)
  • All purchases require a contract or POs based off the same Ts&Cs
  • Contracts up to $10k can be put through requisition/purchase order unless the vendor asks UMass to accept their terms
  • Specific PO Ts&Cs for Entertainment
Contract Request Review Process
  • Campus reviews (budget, dept, fund, etc.) performed prior to UPST review causing frequent returns
  • UPST will be the first reviewer in the contract request process to ensure documents and questions are complete before campus review
General User Experience Updates
  • Lack of prompts for incomplete information 
  • Updated help texts, field and error messaging to assist requesters

 

Training Sessions

Register for one or more training sessions here. 

  • Monday, January 23, 2023; 10:00am – 11:00am 
  • Wednesday, January 25, 2023; 2:00pm – 3:00pm  
  • Tuesday, January 31, 2023; 2:00pm – 3:00pm  
  • Thursday, February 2, 2023; 9:00am – 10:00am  
  • Monday, February 6, 2023; 10:00am – 11:00am  

Register for one or more training sessions here. 

  • Tuesday, January 24, 2023; 2:00pm – 3:00pm  
  • Friday, January 27, 2023; 10:00am – 11:00am  
  • Tuesday, January 31, 2023; 9:00am – 10:00am  
  • Thursday, February 2, 2023; 2:00pm – 3:00pm  
  • Tuesday, February 7, 2023; 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Register for one or more training sessions here. 

  • Thursday, January 26, 2023; 10:00am – 11:00am  
  • Monday, January 30, 2023; 2:00pm – 3:00pm 
  • Tuesday, February 7, 2023; 10:00am – 11:00am

Training Presentations & Recordings

To access your campus' training presentation & recordings, please visit the Training Presentation & Recordings (TCM Phase 2) page. Please note that this page is behind a firewall and you will need to log in using your UMass credentials. 

Things to Note...

  • Coffee with UPST (December) – Friday, December 16, 2022
  • Last Day for Campus Contract Request Approval: Friday, January 20, 2023, at Noon
  • Blackout Period: Monday, January 23 – 27, 2023
  • Information Sessions: Monday, January 23 – February 3rd, 2023
  • Updated Contract Process Go-Live: Monday, January 30, 2023

During the blackout period, exceptions will only be made for contracts that are an emergency (environment, health, and safety of the campus).

  1. Email upst@umassp.edu with details around your need.
  2. UPST will pass along the information to your campus gatekeeper for them to determine if it is a true emergency.
Campus Escalated Request Gatekeeper
UMass Amherst Denise Storm
UMass Boston Darryl Mayers
UMass Chan Marcy Culverwell & Jennifer Robinson
UMass Dartmouth Michael LaGrassa
UMass Lowell Sharon-Anne Mapes
UMass President's Office John Healey

 

Frequently Asked Questions

The blackout period will start Monday, January 23rd and end on Friday, January 27th.  

This means that you will not be able to submit or approve any new or incomplete contract requests. UPST's focus during this period is to clear existing contract requests to ensure that this change does not impact you, our stakeholders, negatively.
 

All contract requests should have campus (department, budget, fund, etc.) approvals on or before 12pm, Friday, January 20th. Any contract request that is incomplete or does not have full campus approval in BuyWays after that time will need to be restarted when the form reopens on Monday, January 30th.

No.

Fully approved contract requests received before Friday, January 20th will be reviewed/processed by UPST as normal. 
 

  • Information Sessions: Monday, January 23 – Friday, February 7, 2023 (see your campus registration link in the "Information Sessions" section)
  • New Contract Process Go-Live: Monday, January 30, 2023