Once a contract is awarded, the PHA's procurement and program staff share responsibility for ensuring the contractor performs in accordance with the contract terms and federal requirements. A designated Contract Administrator or Project Manager must be assigned to each contract to serve as the primary point of contact, monitor deliverables and milestones, review and approve invoices, and document any performance concerns. Invoices must be supported by adequate backup documentation and must be reviewed for compliance before payment is processed.
Change orders — modifications to the original scope, price, or timeline — must be documented in writing and executed before the additional work begins. PHAs are prohibited from approving change orders that effectively circumvent the original competitive procurement, or that cumulatively increase the contract value to a point where a new solicitation would have been required. All change orders must go through the appropriate internal approval chain and be retained in the contract file. At contract closeout, the PHA must confirm all deliverables have been received, final payment has been made, and all required documentation — including lien releases for construction contracts — has been collected and filed.