Most small businesses use other businesses to carry out services such as preparing accounts, designing an image for your business, installing and maintaining technology and other equipment, taking away waste or supplying components, materials, tools or equipment. It is important to make sure that you get the kind of services or supplies you need from a sub-contractor.
You might do this if you need to:
get specialist skills from outside your business or social enterprise for a job that needs to be done
employ someone to complete a job for a limited time because of increased work
find someone who can do the job more quickly or cheaply than you can do it
Sub-contracting work involves:
agreeing contracts for the services and supplies you need for your business
dealing with failures to meets contracts
negotiating with suppliers to improve future contracts
Performance Criteria
You must be able to
make sure that current and future services or supplies will meet your requirements
make sure that both you and the sub-contractor understand what will be delivered by them and on what terms
make sure there are appropriate ways to communicate between your business and the sub-contractor
confirm with the sub-contractor how you will check that their performance meets requirements
identify, record and identify the reasons for any failures to meet requirements
arrange for payment to be made in line with contract performance and record the reasons for any payment that differs from the terms of the original contract
resolve any failures, record how they have been resolved and inform contractors
seek legal advice where necessary
make sure that requests to vary the terms of the contract are reasonable, justified by the facts and recorded
agree any alterations with the contractor and inform them of the implications
keep relevant people informed about requirements, the details of the contract between your business and the contractor, any failures to meet requirements and any changes to arrangements with contractors
Knowledge and understanding
You need to know and understand:
Sub-contracting work
what the agreed terms and conditions for each contract are
what the standards of performance in service or supply for each contract are
how to assess whether contract performance meets the requirements of your business
how to identify causes of failure to meet required performance and make sure they are not repeated
how to resolve failure to meet requirements (for example obtaining redress, varying the contract, initiating discussions between customers and sub-contractors and getting alternative sub-contractors)
how to get advice about seeking redress for unsatisfactory performance, including taking legal action
what systems there are for recording variations in performance and agreed corrective actions
Laws and regulations
what the legal requirements are for contracted services, including:
Contract law;
The Health and Safety at Work Act
The Environmental Protection Act
Communication
how to communicate with sub-contractors and other relevant people
Sub-contract work for your business*
Overview
Most small businesses use other businesses to carry out services such as preparing accounts, designing an image for your business, installing and maintaining technology and other equipment, taking away waste or supplying components, materials, tools or equipment. It is important to make sure that you get the kind of services or supplies you need from a sub-contractor.
You might do this if you need to:
Sub-contracting work involves:
Performance Criteria
You must be able to
You need to know and understand:
Sub-contracting work
Laws and regulations
Communication