Create PJ-Contract-Requirements.md

PJ-Contract-Requirements.md

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+# Contract Requirements
+
+Welcome to the contract requirements training. In this module, we'll provide the foundational knowledge you need to manage contracts on our projects. This training is geared toward project managers but relevant to all CivicActions employees. It provides the context for us to understand and embrace this initiative. This information helps you understand:
+
+- What we’ve committed to deliver
+- How we track those commitments
+- How your work connects to those obligations
+
+By the end of this training, you’ll understand how contract requirements shape project work and how to contribute to meeting them.
+
+## Why Requirements Matter
+
+1. Every CivicActions project operates within a contract. That contract defines:
+
+    - What we must deliver
+    - When we must deliver it
+    - How we report progress
+
+2. Contract Requirements Management ensures we:
+
+    - Stay aligned with expectations
+    - Meet regulatory and reporting obligations
+    - Deliver high-quality, accountable work
+
+
+Think of it as the bridge between what’s promised and what’s delivered.
+
+### What This Means for You
+
+Even if you’re not managing the contract:
+
+    - Your work contributes to deliverables.
+    - Your updates may feed into status reports.
+    - Your timelines affect contractual commitments.
+
+## Scenario Setup: Welcome to the Project
+
+You’ve just joined a CivicActions project team. During your first team meeting, you hear:
+
+> “We need to make sure we’re aligned with contract deliverables before the next status report.”
+
+You pause to think about what you'll do next.
+
+### Decision Point 1: Project Alignment
+
+What do you do next?
+
+- [( )] A. Focus only on your assigned task
+- [(X)] B. Ask where contract requirements are tracked
+- [( )] C. Wait until someone tells you what’s needed
+
+### 💡 Feedback
+__Answer__: Focus only on your assigned task
+
+    - Incorrect: You may complete your task, but risk missing the bigger picture
+
+__Answer__: Ask where contract requirements are tracked
+
+    -  ✅ Correct! Understanding where requirements live helps you connect your work to deliverables
+
+__Answer__: Wait until someone tells you what’s needed
+
+    - Incorrect: This can lead to missed expectations or delays
+
+## Key Artifacts You’ll Encounter
+
+Contract requirements aren’t tracked in just one place; they live across several artifacts:
+
+| Artifact               |      Maintained      |  Examples |
+| :--------------------: |:-------------:| :-----:|
+| Contract documentation | In shared project folders | Contract documents, option year documentation, contract modifications, deliverable schedules |
+| Legal wrapper | By CivicActions legal counsel | Contract interpretation, clarification of obligations, legal considerations |
+| Project management wrapper | By the project manager | Deliverable tracking, project objectives, milestones, reporting cadence |
+| Contractual reporting artifacts | In shared project folders | Biweekly status reports (BSR), Monthly status reports (MSR), planning roadmaps |
+
+Projects may also use:
+
+- Jira (work tracking)
+- Confluence (documentation)
+- Planning tools like roadmaps or boards
+
+Just like contract requirements aren't just for PMs, no single artifact tells the whole story. Healthy project communication happens when information is distributed but connected, and teams can reliably trace artifacts across systems.
+
+## Interactive Challenge: Match the Artifact
+
+Match each item to its purpose:
+
+- [[Legal wrapper] (Project management wrapper) [Status reports]]
+- [    [ ]           [X]             [ ]     ]  Tracks deliverables and milestones
+- [    [X]           [ ]             [ ]     ]  Provides legal interpretation
+- [    [ ]           [ ]             [X]     ]  Communicates progress regularly
+
+### Decision Point 2: What’s Missing?
+
+Your team is tracking:
+
+    - Deliverables
+    - Milestones
+    - Reporting deadlines
+
+_But something is missing…_
+
+What's missing?
+
+- [(X)] A. Responsible parties
+- [( )] B. Team meeting notes
+- [( )] C. Design files
+
+### 💡 Feedback
+__Answer__: Responsible parties
+
+    -  ✅ Correct! Accountability is critical for contract compliance.
+
+__Answer__: Milestones
+
+    - Incorrect: Helpful, but not required for contract tracking.
+
+__Answer__: Design files
+
+    - Incorrect: Important for work, but not a core contract requirement
+
+## Baseline Requirements
+
+At a minimum, every project must track:
+
+    - Contract deliverables
+    - Reporting obligations
+    - Project milestones
+    - Responsible parties
+    - Contract modifications
+
+These may live in:
+
+- Status reports
+- Project management wrappers
+- Client systems
+
+## How Contract Management Happens Across a Project
+
+**Project Initiation**
+
+At kickoff, the Project Manager:
+
+- Reviews contract documentation
+- Identifies deliverables and reporting needs
+- Confirms where tracking will live
+
+Common locations:
+
+- Project folders
+- Project management wrapper
+- Client systems
+
+---------
+
+**Ongoing Contract Management**
+
+Throughout the project, teams track requirements through:
+
+- Status reports
+- Planning artifacts
+- Deliverable tracking systems
+
+Project Managers ensure deliverables are monitored, reports are submitted on time, and milestones stay visible.
+
+---------
+
+**Periodic Review**
+
+Contract alignment is revisited during:
+
+- Option year or renewal kickoffs
+- Contract modifications
+- Unexpected disruptions (e.g., project interruptions)
+
+This ensures the work stays aligned with expectations and adjustments are documented and tracked. 
+
+### Why This Matters for Teams
+
+Even if you’re not leading this work:
+
+- You may contribute updates to reports
+- Your deliverables may be contractually required
+- Changes in scope may affect obligations
+
+## Choose Your Own Adventure: Project Lifecycle in Action
+
+You’re now attending your first project kickoff.
+
+The Project Manager is reviewing the contract.
+
+### Decision Point 3: What Should Happen Next?
+
+What is the MOST important next step?
+
+- [( )] A. Start assigning tasks immediately
+- [( )] B. Build a design system
+- [(X)] C. Identify deliverables and where they’ll be tracked
+
+### 💡 Feedback
+
+__Answer__: Start assigning tasks immediately
+
+    - Incorrect: It's too early to start assigning tasks. You risk misalignment.
+
+__Answer__: Build a design system
+
+    - Incorrect: Valuable, but not contract-driven
+
+__Answer__: Identify deliverables and where they'll be tracked
+
+    -  ✅ Correct! This ensures clarity and traceability from day one.
+
+## Fast Forward… ⏩
+
+You’re now mid-project. The team is:
+
+- Submitting status reports
+- Updating planning boards
+- Tracking deliverables
+
+> ⚠️ Scenario Twist
+
+__A contract modification is introduced.__
+
+### Decision Point 4: What should the team do?
+
+- [(X)] A. Update tracking artifacts and review requirements
+- [( )] B. Ignore it unless it affects your task
+- [( )] C. Wait until the next report
+
+### 💡 Feedback
+
+__Answer__: Update tracking artifacts and review requirements
+
+    -  ✅ Correct! Keeps the project aligned and compliant.
+
+__Answer__: Ignore it unless it affects your task
+
+    - Incorrect: This is risky. Changes can affect obligations.
+
+__Answer__: Wait until the next report
+
+    - Incorrect: By then, it may be too late. Delays can cause issues.
+
+## Evidence Artifacts
+
+To demonstrate that we are meeting contract requirements, we rely on evidence artifacts. Examples of artifacts demonstrating compliance with this process include:
+
+| Artifact               |      Example      |  
+| :--------------------: | :-------------: | 
+| Contract folder | Project drive folder |
+| Status reports | BSR / MSR |
+| Planning artifacts | Roadmaps, jira boards |
+
+Other artifacts include the legal wrapper and project management wrapper. 
+
+### Decision Point 5: Proving Compliance
+
+Your project is undergoing a review. You’re asked:
+
+> “Can you show evidence that the team is meeting contract requirements?”
+
+Which of the following counts as valid evidence?
+(Select all that apply)
+
+- [[X]] A. Status reports
+- [[x]] B. Project roadmap
+- [[ ]] C. Verbal confirmation in a meeting
+- [[x]] D.Project management wrapper
+
+## Summary
+
+Contract requirements define what success looks like. While project managers lead the process, everyone plays a role in ensuring compliance with contract requirements. The best projects have clear documentation, accountability, and transparency across artifacts and systems.