Agreement Contents Checklist

The agreements relating to every public private partnership arrangement should deal with the following:

• a description of the project (including information on the scope of the project), deliverables, the term and the effective date of the agreement

• payment provisions, including the time, amount and currency

• identification of the private partner's management team, including:

- identification of key individuals and covenants relating to their participation

- identification of the contract manager

- provisions for the replacement of key individuals or contract managers

- requirements for private partner representatives, officers or employees to be on site or in the community

• administrative relationships of the parties, including:

- identification of the parties' contract manager

- clarification as to whether the local government may inspect, attend on the site, monitor, measure results or otherwise administer the terms and conditions of the agreement

- a review process, pursuant to which the parties assess performance

- schedules of meetings and who should attend, in relation to contract
administration

• transfer, lease, licence or use of local government premises or facilities, including responsibilities for insurance, liability, security, operation and maintenance

• allocation of revenue from services or facilities

• acceptance of deliverables

• contract revision arising from material change (e.g., changes in technology, equivalent materials, applicable laws, acts of God or other unforeseen circumstances)

• lending, borrowing and financing arrangements, including payments, rates, security and notice

• indemnity, release and insurance provisions

• due diligence of the parties

• applicable manuals, including their preparation, approvals and amendment

• risk management strategy, including risk allocation, guarantees and warranties

• dealing with statutory and regulatory requirements

• "re-openers" to deal with major change process, including approvals, related to engaging subcontractors or other private partners

• termination provisions, including:

- business failure

- insolvency or bankruptcy

- breach of contract

- major change, including provision for re-entry or buy-back by the local government, transfer to another private partner or shutting down the project

• labour relations provisions, including:

- successor rates

- wage and benefit guarantees

- dealing with the cost of staff reduction

- treatment of employees on contract termination

- relocation of identified employees to the private partner

- Workers' Compensation Board provisions

- employment equity, if applicable

- fair wages, if applicable

- local preference for hiring

• user fees regulation

• general matters, including:

- conflict or dispute resolution mechanisms, such as commercial arbitration, alternate dispute resolution or other remedies or recourses

- confidentiality and privacy, subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

- force majeure

- notices where information is to be sent and conditions governing transfer of information between or among the parties

- termination provisions that identify which clauses survive termination

- clarification that the contract is governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and Canada

- establishment of a contract amendment process

- clarification that the set of agreements constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes any prior communications

- identification of how rights may or may not be waived or acquiesced to during the term

- publicity

- ownership of intellectual property, facilities or new technologies developed