Develop an SOP for Developing, Reviewing and Evaluating a Contract for Service Delivery. This SOP describes all the actions that need to be done to develop a proper contract for service delivery and reviewing and evaluating the contract.

The following procedures need to be included:

• Investigating if the laboratory houses all the requested examinations and expertise, including:
  • Investigating if the laboratory can cope with the additional number of samples that need to be tested on top of the standard number of samples for routine testing (take into account the availability of personnel, work space, expertise, et cetera).
  • Investigating if the amount of money paid by the research project weighs up against the costs made.
  • Making appointments regarding the number of samples, when they are delivered, the turnaround time, when and how results are reported, how long data must be archived by the laboratory, when and how the payment is done, etc. Of all the meetings with the client minutes need to be made and archived together with the contract itself.
  • Formulating opt-out criteria that enable you to terminate the contract when certain requirements from your side are not met by the customer.
• The procedure for doing a contract review during the contract period. In this review you check if the appointments made in the contract are complied with. The findings of this review need to be recorded and archived together with the contract itself.
• The procedure for making minutes when meetings are organized with the customer and the laboratory that include a description of all the appointments made during that meeting. These minutes must also be archived with the contract and the contract review findings. When the arrangements in the contract are changed or amended during the contract period, the contract must be reviewed again.
• The procedure for evaluating a contract to see if all appointments were met by the laboratory and the customer. Findings of this evaluation also need to be recorded. The protocol must also include actions to be undertaken when appointments were not met by either the laboratory or the customer.
• The procedure for if the laboratory has to deviate from the contract due to unforeseen circumstances. The customer always needs to be informed before deviating from the contract. The laboratory has to try to find solutions to problems in close discussion with the customer. These events need to be document and archived together with the contract.