Project Agreements

Project agreements are available and entered into within the Elance system. Each is designed to make sure the transactions are secure from a legal perspective. Elance provides samples that you can tailor to your specific needs. These are a great resource for both sides of the deal.

To locate the templates Elance provides, go to the Help menu in the upper-right corner of the My Jobs page. Type in sample agreements in the search box, as shown in Figure 14.1. This will take you to the Word document entitled “Sample Contract Agreements” (see Figure 14.2).

Figure 14.1: Find sample project agreements through Help.

Click on any of the links to open a particular agreement. Remember, these forms are simply templates for your use and Elance doesn’t take any responsibility for them or guarantee what they say. But they do provide a starting point that is an excellent resource.

NDAs

Nondisclosure agreements are commonly used with Elance projects, as in work everywhere. The two NDA templates Elance offers (refer to Figure 14.2) give you the skeletal structure with which to move forward. They work pretty well, but if you have any questions or concerns, see your attorney.

Figure 14.2: Sample contract agreements Elance provides.

Client/Contractor Agreements

Two versions of this are available and in both you lay out the terms and conditions of the project. One is called the Client/Service Contractor Agreement and the other is the Detailed Project Agreement and Statement of Work. As the names imply, one is more detailed than the other.

Within each you also clearly establish the intellectual property rights, and the conditions for terminating the relationship are laid out. There is a section for adding your own clauses as well.

BEST PRACTICES

While utilizing the agreement templates isn’t required, contractors and clients both like the fact they can add this layer of legal security to the project.

As you can see in Figure 14.3, you are provided with the structure and instructions as to what to fill in where. You tailor the details to your specific project and both sides must agree and sign before it takes effect. Remember, these aren’t foolproof, but they’re useful tools.

Figure 14.3: The client/contractor service agreement template.

Change Order Agreement and Letter of Engagement

The final two templates are what their titles state. The Change Order Agreement allows both sides to lay out in writing what the changes are, why they occurred, and the new parameters required to complete the job.

The Engagement Letter allows both sides to clarify the description of services and fees. Short and sweet.