# Field Engagement / Harvard as a Service Provider ## expand\_more **On this Page:** [What Qualifies?](#qualifies) | [Policy and Approval](#policy) | [Planning Ahead](#plan) | [Negotiation Points](#negotiate) | [Invoicing Funds](#invoice) In certain circumstances, HGSE seeks to deliver defined services, such as a workshop series or a training program along with support and consulting, to an outside organization in exchange for payment. ORA guides all such engagements from first conversation to signed agreement. ***No work may begin until the engagement has been approved by every required office and the agreement is fully executed.*** --- ## What Qualifies? A consulting and related service agreement is used when HGSE, through its faculty members, staff, and other resources, commits to provide specified services or deliverables to an outside party for an at-cost fee. These agreements are distinct from grants, gifts, and sponsored research. Because Harvard is a non-profit entity, Harvard may be the contracting party only when the activity advances a core academic mission of HGSE and provides a significant institutional benefit or a public benefit consistent with the University's charitable status. At HGSE, most of these engagements take the form of professional development and field engagement: taking what HGSE learns through research back into schools, systems, and organizations where it can be put to use in the sector. The university has recognized this kind of work as consistent with HGSE's academic mission because it disseminates HGSE's work to the field and expands the breadth and depth of its impact. The core of the engagement usually is the professional development offering itself, but may also be more generalized advising and consulting. In the performance of the professional development, limited advising or coaching before and after is acceptable, but the preponderance of the effort and the budget costs should go to the offering. ### A Good Fit - Mostly professional development or training that disseminates HGSE knowledge or research outputs, e.g. providing workshops, trainings, and convenings. - Funding the work through a grant or gift is not contractually possible. - Short term (typically under 2 years) and modest in size (typically under $100,000). - Covers its full cost, e.g. costs of associated salaries, travel, or other costs including HGSE's 15% fee. - Low risk, and consistent with Harvard policies on name use, IP, and publication. - Supports student involvement and advances students' educational goals. ### Usually a different mechanism - **Research**, including anything involving human subjects or producing new scholarly findings, belongs in a sponsored award or subaward. - **Funders who can give a grant or gift** must use that route. If they have funded Harvard this way before, the proposal must explain why a service agreement is needed now. - **Individual advising, e.g. solely the work of one faculty member,** may be better as consulting outside of HGSE (between the faculty member and the organization, under Harvard's outside activities policy. - **Lengthy or high dollar engagements.** SortMechanismPrimary purposeWho contractsHow funds are held**Consulting and related service agreement** **Delivery of defined services, mainly professional development** **Harvard, through ORA** **Non-sponsored UD account** Gift Philanthropic support, no deliverables owed Harvard Gift fund Sponsored research (grant, contract, subaward) Research or scholarly work Harvard, through ORA Sponsored account Outside consulting Faculty member's own outside professional activity The individual, not Harvard Not held by Harvard --- ## Policy, Process, and Approval These engagements are governed by the [Harvard Policy on Consulting or Related Service Agreements](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/consulting-or-related-service-agreements). They receive extra review because Harvard carries the risk for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the following: - Implications if deliverables fall short - Clients seeking to direct the work - Students needing protection. At all times, income-generating activity must stay within Harvard's tax-exempt status. In order to ensure this, HGSE follows the review sequence below. 1. **Early consultation** Talk with ORA and your portfolio manager before you commit to anything with the organization. Engagements that look like professional development may also need coordination with HGSE Programs in Professional Education (PPE). 2. **Prepare the proposal** Include a description of the work and the project dates; a budget of all costs, including 15% indirect costs; the reason the work cannot be funded as a grant or gift and how it supports HGSE's mission; and the organization's legal name, address, contact, and a short description. 3. **Internal HGSE review** The HGSE Financial Dean and the ORA Director review the proposal for fit, risk, and cost recovery. 4. **International review (if applicable)** Work with an organization outside the U.S. requires review by the Committee for International Projects and Sites (HGSE CIPS). That includes restricted party screening and a background review of the organization's ties to foreign governments and export central review. Submit the CIPS request form to . CIPS routes the request for decanal review, which also counts as the Dean's approval in the next step. 5. **Decanal review** ORA sends the proposal to the Dean, unless CIPS has already done so. 6. **Provostial review** In certain cases, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research then reviews the engagement against the [Provost review criteria](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/provost-criteria), including reputational risk, feasibility, and any restrictive terms. 7. **Contracting** ORA drafts the agreement, negotiates terms with the organization, and signs once terms are acceptable. 8. **Work begins** Only after the agreement is fully executed. --- ## Planning Ahead: Things to settle before you propose ### Timeline Leave time for several layers of review and for contract negotiation. Keep the start date flexible if you can. Government and foreign agencies, including local governments, are often rigid about the terms they accept, so allow extra time for them. ### History with the organization If Harvard has had a service agreement with this organization before, that timeline is a useful guide, especially if the earlier negotiation ran into problems. If the organization has made grants or gifts to Harvard, be ready to explain why this engagement is different. ### International engagements Plan for CIPS review and vetting. Harvard prefers payment in U.S. dollars. If the organization can pay only in another currency, decide up front how to manage exchange-rate risk: a fixed-payment contract, a budget cushion, or an adjusted payment schedule. ### Students and staff Students and postdocs may take part only if the work advances their educational goals. They must remain free to discuss the experience in their academic and career pursuits. --- ## Negotiation Points: What Harvard expects in the agreement When ORA negotiates with the organization receiving the services, these Harvard positions come up most often. Sharing them with the organization early helps avoid delays. Exceptions are rare. - **Full cost recovery** The fee must cover the full cost of doing the work, typically HGSE salaries and fringe: direct costs plus HGSE's 15% rate. - **Harvard directs the work** While deliverables can be set with the organization, Harvard keeps control over how the work is done, who does it, and the project's goals. The client defines the deliverables, not the methods - **Publication** Faculty cannot accept restrictions that would prevent scholarly publication. - **Intellectual property and publication** Harvard or its authors, in accordance with the IP policy, seeks to own the resulting IP, but can grant a broad non-commercial license to the organization to the work product. In all cases, Harvard holds the right to publish on the work. - **Confidentiality** Harvard can protect the organization's clearly defined sensitive information, such as financial data. - **Students and postdocs** Participation should ideally be a learning experience. If the work involves HGSE students, students may use and discuss the work in their academic and career pursuits. - **No warranties or indemnity** Harvard gives no indemnity and no warranties about the work product. - **Key personnel** Harvard may end the agreement without liability if the faculty member leading the work becomes unavailable. Additionally, Harvard remains in control of determining which personnel will work under the agreement. - **Use of Harvard's name** The organization may not use Harvard or HGSE names or marks without permission, in line with Harvard's name-use policies. - **Payment terms** Payment follows a schedule set in the agreement, in U.S. dollars where possible and preferably by ACH or wire. --- ## How funds are invoiced and booked Income from these agreements is not sponsored funding. It is booked to a non-sponsored UD account tied to the faculty member and unit. Once the agreement is signed, the HGSE unit or center running the engagement handles invoicing, with HGSE Finance. 1. **Set up the UD account** Contact the Finance Office to open a UD account associated with the faculty member, if one does not already exist. Agree on how payment will arrive (ACH, wire, or the client's online portal). IT may join if the client has special requirements. 2. **Issue invoices on schedule** Use the HGSE invoice template and follow the payment schedule in the agreement. Each invoice shows an invoice number, date, amount, and description of services. Send Harvard's W-9 if the client needs it to set Harvard up as a vendor. 3. **Confirm payment** Make sure the client pays and the funds reach the UD account. Electronic payment by ACH or wire is strongly preferred over paper checks. 4. **Manage spending and deliverables** Charge expenses to the UD account in line with the approved budget, using data change forms or journals to move charges where needed. The faculty member and unit are responsible for every deliverable and reporting deadline in the agreement, such as a training date or a final report. 5. **Close out** When performance has ended at least 90 days earlier and all income has been received and booked, HGSE Finance moves the 15% indirect cost amount from the UD account to the HGSE Core, and the account can be closed. --- ## Related Harvard Policies - [Consulting or Related Service Agreements Policy](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/consulting-or-related-service-agreements) ([PDF](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum12866/files/2025-09/consulting_related_service_agreement_november_2015.pdf)) - [Provost review criteria](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/provost-criteria) - [Outside Activities of Holders of Academic Appointments](https://vpr.harvard.edu/2021/02/17/outside-activities-of-holders-of-academic-appointments/) - [Financial Conflicts of Interest Policy](https://vpr.harvard.edu/2021/05/18/fcoi/) - [Intellectual Property Policy](https://vpr.harvard.edu/2021/02/17/intellectual-property-policy/)