A contract may grant a supplier access to the Commonwealth's premises, records or systems, so the supplier can fulfil its obligations under the contract. The contract details the scope of the access rights and the obligations of the parties in relation to such access. The Commonwealth will usually retain the right to withdraw the supplier's access to its premises and systems, or to require the return of any records. The contract also usually places obligations on the supplier to ensure that its personnel comply with the relevant policies, work health and safety and security requirements of the procuring entity when accessing the facilities. Access to the Commonwealth's premises may require supplier personnel to hold an access pass or complete security vetting processes.
Government contracts generally provide for people authorised by the procuring entity to have access to the supplier's premises and records associated with the contract, and to subcontractors (if relevant) premises and records. This is typically required for reasons such as:
• monitoring quality and performance
• as part of the payment, accountability and transparency requirements
• for reviewing subcontractor's conditions of engagement and compliance with policies.
When managing a contract, it is vital that you are familiar with the specific provisions in your contract that relate to access to premises, systems and records.
When granting a supplier's personnel access to premises, systems and records, you must ensure that any requirements contained in the contract provisions are strictly adhered to. For example, you may need to seek confirmation from the supplier as to the security clearances held by its personnel, or make arrangements for supplier personnel to receive appropriate IT briefings before they are permitted to access any internal system.
When seeking access to a supplier's premises or records, pay careful attention to any requirements for notices to the supplier, permitted use of records, or other conditions that are contained in the contract provisions.