1.2 Contract management functions in an emergency response team

Responsibility for monitoring and ensuring contract compliance can vary according to CO structure and will involve a number of staff including:

• Assistant Country Director-Programme and other programme coordinators, who will be involved in proposal preparation, contract review, CARE member and donor liaison, and project monitoring
• project staff, who will be responsible for all aspects of contract compliance during project implementation
• finance, procurement and audit staff, who will be involved in monitoring and advising on contract compliance-in particular, in relation to budgeting, expenditure and financial reporting aspects.

Before an emergency, it is not typical for a CO to have a single staff member dedicated to donor contract management. However, in a large emergency it is strongly advisable to put this dedicated capacity in place as soon possible. A project officer or contract officer can be tasked with supporting all aspects of contract compliance for the first months of the emergency.

A sample terms of reference for this function is available at Annex 10.1 Terms of Reference Contracts Officer.