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Contractor Management Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

1. Purpose​

To provide a standardized process for engaging, onboarding, managing, and offboarding independent contractors and freelancers. This ensures compliance, intellectual property protection, data security, and efficient integration of contractor work with internal systems, adhering to the principle of "Least Privilege."

2. Scope​

This SOP applies to all engagements with non-employee personnel, including individual freelancers (e.g., Upwork, Fiverr), consulting firms, and agencies, across all departments.

3. Key Principles​

  • Legal Compliance: All contractors must have a signed Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) in place before work commences.
  • Least Privilege: Contractors will only be granted access to the minimum systems and data absolutely necessary to perform their assigned tasks.
  • Clear Scope of Work: Every engagement requires a clearly defined Scope of Work (SOW) or project brief.
  • Intellectual Property (IP) Protection: ICAs must include clauses assigning IP to The Tech Deputies.
  • Data Security: Contractors must adhere to The Tech Deputies' IT Security Policies (as defined in Planning/06_Administration/IT_Security_Policy.md, once created).

4. Roles & Responsibilities​

  • Hiring Manager: Defines need, creates SOW, manages daily tasks, approves invoices.
  • Legal Counsel (External): Reviews and approves ICA templates.
  • Operations Lead (System 01/06): Oversees process, ensures compliance, facilitates system access.
  • IT Admin (System 06): Manages system access provisioning and de-provisioning.
  • Accounting (System 07): Manages contractor payment processing.

5. Workflow: Engagement & Onboarding​

  1. Identify Need (Hiring Manager):
    • Hiring Manager identifies a business need for external support.
    • Creates a detailed Scope of Work (SOW) outlining deliverables, timelines, and expected outcomes.
  2. Contractor Selection:
    • Hiring Manager identifies suitable contractor(s) (e.g., via Upwork, referral).
    • Conducts interviews, portfolio reviews, and reference checks.
  3. Agreement & Legal (Hiring Manager / Legal):
    • Hiring Manager submits SOW to Operations Lead.
    • Operations Lead issues the Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) for signature.
    • Work MUST NOT begin until a signed ICA is on file.
  4. System Access Request (Hiring Manager / IT Admin):
    • Once ICA is signed, Hiring Manager completes a "Contractor Access Request Form" (digital form, linked from Planning/06_Administration/Master_Template_Catalog.md).
    • Form specifies required system access (e.g., specific SharePoint folder, Thinkific "Course Creator" role, HubSpot "Restricted" access).
    • Form submitted to IT Admin (System 06).
  5. IT Provisioning (IT Admin - System 06):
    • IT Admin creates necessary accounts (e.g., Guest account for Microsoft 365, Thinkific Course Creator).
    • Grants access based strictly on "Least Privilege" principle, as specified in the Access Request Form.
    • Provides contractor with login credentials and "IT Onboarding Checklist for Contractors."
  6. Hiring Manager Onboarding:
    • Hiring Manager conducts a kickoff meeting.
    • Reviews SOW, expectations, communication protocols (e.g., Teams channel), and reporting structure.
    • Ensures contractor understands data security policies.

6. Workflow: Management & Oversight​

  1. Task Management (Hiring Manager):
    • Hiring Manager assigns tasks via project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Planner, ClickUp).
    • Regular check-ins (daily/weekly as needed) to track progress.
  2. Communication:
    • Primary communication via designated Teams channels or email.
    • Sensitive information (e.g., client data, financial details) must NEVER be shared via unencrypted personal channels.
  3. Invoice Processing (Hiring Manager / Accounting - System 07):
    • Contractor submits invoices according to terms in ICA.
    • Hiring Manager reviews and approves work performed against SOW.
    • Approved invoices forwarded to Accounting for payment.

7. Workflow: Offboarding​

  1. Notification (Hiring Manager):
    • Hiring Manager notifies Operations Lead and IT Admin of contract termination (end of project, non-renewal, etc.).
    • Provides effective termination date.
  2. Data Retrieval & IP Transfer (Hiring Manager):
    • Ensures all deliverables are received and intellectual property transferred.
    • Confirms contractor has deleted all company data from personal devices.
  3. Access Revocation (IT Admin - System 06):
    • Immediately on termination date, IT Admin revokes all system access (M365, Thinkific, HubSpot, project management tools).
    • Changes any shared passwords contractor may have had access to.
  4. Final Payment (Accounting - System 07):
    • Accounting processes final payment upon confirmation of completed work and access revocation.

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