Consulting Services
Consulting services, or independent contractors, consist of the hiring of an outside professional entity, either individual or company, to provide expert advice or guidance in a specific area of need. A contract with a consultant should contain a clear deliverable (i.e. what is the consultant going to provide Clemson in exchange for the money we will pay them). Review the hourly rate service or consultant procedures.
Any contract for consulting services needs to adhere to procurement limits/thresholds. It is very rare that consulting services would be viewed as being a sole source, so plan accordingly.
Any actual agreement that needs to entered into for these services needs to be signed by the Procurement Director if value of the contract is >$2500, even if an exemption applies.
If a deliverable for a specific scope is not absolutely clear, you may want to discuss with HR or the Procurement Office to be sure you are not hiring temporary labor. Hiring temporary labor and paying them as independent contractors may lead to IRS penalties for the University. Be sure to review employee or independent contractor before contacting HR or Procurement.
Ordering and Additional Information below:
Be sure to actually issue a PO in advance of a consulting engagement to cover the University and consultant from any insurance or other related issues that may arise regardless of the contract value.
Helpful Links:
- Decision Tree — flowchart designed to help you choose which purchasing method should be used.
- Disbursement Grid — grid used as an aid to assess availability of the type of University funds prior to making commitments.
- P-Card Policies and Procedures
- Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
- Employee or Independent Contractor?
- Hourly Rate Service or Consultant Procedures