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Project Management Managed Services Contract

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Project Management Managed Services Contract

Project Identification

Recitals and Effective Date

This Contract is entered into between Client Name: and Service Provider: . The parties agree that the services described herein shall commence on Effective Date: and shall continue in accordance with the Term provisions below.

Scope of Work

Services: Provider shall perform managed project management services including planning, scheduling, stakeholder coordination, risk monitoring, resource allocation, and status reporting as further described in this Scope of Work.

Deliverables and Acceptance

Deliverables shall be produced in accordance with the milestones below. Each deliverable shall include acceptance criteria and documentation sufficient for Client to verify conformance.

Target Delivery Date:

Target Delivery Date:

Acceptance Procedure: Client shall review each deliverable and provide written acceptance or a rejection with reasoned defects within 10 business days of delivery. If Client does not provide timely written notice, the deliverable will be deemed accepted. Provider shall have a commercially reasonable period to cure any documented defects.

Timeline and Milestones

Target Date:

Target Date:

Budget, Fees and Payment

Provider shall invoice Client in accordance with the Payment Schedule. Unless otherwise agreed, Client shall pay undisputed amounts within 30 days of receipt of a properly prepared invoice. Disputed invoice items shall be resolved in good faith; undisputed amounts remain payable.

Confidentiality and Data Security

Each party shall treat Confidential Information of the other as strictly confidential and shall not disclose it except to employees, subcontractors or advisors who have a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those contained herein. Provider shall implement administrative, physical and technical safeguards reasonably designed to protect Client data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

Liability, Indemnification and Insurance

Indemnification: Each party shall indemnify and hold harmless the other from third-party claims arising from the indemnifying party's breach of this Contract or gross negligence. Limitation of Liability: Except for breaches of confidentiality, willful misconduct, or indemnification obligations, neither party's aggregate liability shall exceed the fees paid by Client to Provider under this Contract in the 12 months preceding the claim. Each party shall maintain commercially reasonable insurance appropriate to its obligations.

Term, Termination and Suspension

Term: The Contract shall remain in effect for the period set forth in the Project Timeline unless earlier terminated as provided herein. Either party may terminate for material breach if the breach remains uncured after 30 days' written notice. Client may suspend or terminate services for convenience upon 30 days' written notice, subject to payment for all work performed and reasonable wind‑down costs.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Contract shall be governed by the laws of the jurisdiction identified below without regard to its conflict of law principles. The parties shall first attempt good faith negotiation to resolve disputes. If unresolved, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration before a single arbitrator in the agreed jurisdiction, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction where necessary to protect rights in Confidential Information.

Notices

Notices shall be in writing and delivered to the addresses set forth in this Contract or to such other address as either party designates by notice. Notice is effective on receipt.

Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement; Amendment: This Contract, including all schedules and change orders executed in accordance with the Change Order Process, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties. No amendment is effective unless in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Client - Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Service Provider - Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Enter text

What the Project Management Managed Services Contract Is and covers

A Project Management Managed Services Contract is a legally binding agreement where a client engages a provider to deliver ongoing project management capabilities, resources, and governance rather than one-off deliverables. It defines scope, service levels, roles, reporting, pricing models (time-and-materials, fixed-fee, or retainer), change-control, intellectual property treatment, confidentiality, and termination mechanics. These contracts allocate responsibility for program planning, risk management, status reporting, and resource provisioning for an agreed term and typically include measurable KPIs, escalation paths, and invoicing schedules to support continuous delivery and oversight.

Why organizations use a managed services approach for project management

Use a managed services contract to secure predictable capacity, centralized governance, and measurable service levels for long-running programs. It reduces the need to hire and manage many discrete project roles and fosters continuity across multiple initiatives.

Why organizations use a managed services approach for project management

Who typically completes or signs this contract

Typical signers include the client procurement team, the vendor account manager, and the project governance lead — each with distinct responsibilities during execution.

  • Enterprise PMOs and IT departments procuring continuous program delivery and governance services across portfolios.
  • Consulting and professional services firms offering retained project management resources and centralized reporting.
  • Legal and procurement teams reviewing liability, IP assignment, indemnities, and termination provisions.

Identifying roles early speeds approvals and helps ensure authorized signatures and fiscal signoff are available when required.

Primary clauses and structure to expect in a professional contract

A well-drafted Project Management Managed Services Contract balances commercial terms with operational clarity: precise scope, measurable service levels, billing mechanics, governance, change control, confidentiality, intellectual property allocation, and dispute-resolution pathways.

Scope & Deliverables

Defines recurring activities, included roles, excluded tasks, and deliverable acceptance criteria to avoid scope creep and billing disputes.

Service Levels

Specifies KPIs, response and resolution times, reporting cadence, and remedies or credits for missed targets.

Pricing Model

Details retainer, fixed-fee, or time-and-materials billing, invoicing frequency, expense reimbursement, and escalation for overages.

Change Control

Describes procedures for scope changes, approval authorities, cost adjustments, and schedule impact assessment.

Reporting & Governance

Sets meeting cadence, executive sponsors, steering committees, status reports, and audit or review rights.

IP & Confidentiality

Allocates ownership of work product, defines background IP, licensing terms, and confidentiality obligations.

Step-by-step: prepare, finalize, and execute the contract

Follow this sequence to complete the agreement efficiently and reduce negotiation cycles.

  • 01
    Drafting: Populate party details, scope, and pricing in editable template fields.
  • 02
    Internal Review: Legal and finance review for liability, tax, and payment terms.
  • 03
    Client Approval: Circulate to client stakeholders and capture redlines early.
  • 04
    Execution: Obtain authorized signatures and record the executed agreement.

How to configure the online signing workflow

Set up the digital workflow to match authorization, authentication, and routing requirements for each signer role.

Field Configuration
Authentication Method Email link, SMS code, or stronger multi-factor authentication as required
Field Types Signature, initial, date, checkbox, text, and conditional fields
Conditional Routing Route based on role, approval status, or field values
Notifications Configure reminders, expiry notices, and completion receipts

Digital signing and file format requirements

Ensure the platform you use supports required formats, authentication, and audit trails before issuing the document for signature.

  • Supported Formats: PDF, Word DOCX, and fillable forms are commonly accepted
  • Integrations: CRM, ERP, cloud storage connectors (Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace)
  • Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA, or advanced signer authentication options

Where to send and how to route the completed agreement

Define clear routing for countersignature, legal review, and secure storage to complete the contract lifecycle without delays.

  • Client Signatory: Send to authorized client signer for signature and date
  • Vendor Signatory: Vendor executive signs after client countersignature
  • Legal Review Copy: Retain copy with legal counsel for contract management
  • Record Storage: Store fully executed PDF and audit trail in contract repository

Key execution milestones and their sequence

Track these milestone stages from agreement negotiation through operational handover to keep the program on schedule.

01

Negotiation Complete

All commercial and legal redlines resolved and accepted

02

Document Execution

All parties have signed and dated the agreement

03

Service Commencement

Provider begins delivering services as of the effective date

04

Governance Start

First steering committee and reporting cycle scheduled

Practical tips for accurate, efficient contract completion

Apply these best practices to reduce negotiation cycles and support enforceability.

Use a standard template with clear exhibits
Start from a vetted template that separates commercial terms, SOW exhibits, and SLAs. Standardization reduces legal review time and helps line managers understand obligations without parsing dense contract prose.
Confirm signatory authority before routing
Verify every signer's authority and role, and capture delegated signing authority in an internal approval trail to prevent re-execution or repudiation claims later.
Include measurable SLAs and remedies
Define objective metrics, measurement periods, and liquidated remedies or credits for missed service levels to enable predictable governance and reduce disputes.
Use electronic signing with a retained audit trail
Capture timestamp, signer identity, IP address, and certificate of completion to support enforceability under ESIGN/UETA and to simplify recordkeeping.

How this contract differs from a Statement of Work

Compare the managed services contract to a single-project Statement of Work to choose the right instrument for your engagement.

Criteria Project Management Managed Services Contract Statement of Work
Purpose ongoing program delivery single-project execution
Duration multi-month or multi-year task-specific timeframe
Billing retainer or recurring fees fixed or milestone billing
Change Control formalized ongoing process revision per change order

Security and compliance controls to include with signed records

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3, AES-256 at rest
Access Controls: Role-based access and least privilege
Audit Trail: Immutable timestamps and signer metadata
BAA Availability: HIPAA BAA when handling PHI
Data Residency: Specify storage region where required
Retention Backup: Regular backups with secure archival

Common risks and contractual penalties to review closely

Contract Voidability: Unclear authority risks unenforceability
Delayed Payments: Can trigger interest and service suspension
Termination Disputes: Ambiguous notice periods raise litigation risk
Confidentiality Breach: May cause regulatory fines or reputational harm
Regulatory Noncompliance: Industry rules can impose civil penalties
Liability Caps: Absent caps, exposure may be unlimited

Real-world examples of managed services contract use

These short cases show how organizations apply continuous project management agreements to speed execution and maintain compliance.

Optica Ventures (Brian Fitzgibbons)

Brian's team standardized recurring PM services across portfolio companies to reduce variation and administrative overhead.

  • The interface is simple and easy-to-use.
  • Optica consolidated approvals, reduced turnaround on contract signatures, and improved delivery consistency while keeping audit trails for investor reporting and compliance.

Martin Properties (Tim Martin)

Martin moved property program management to a retained services model to accelerate capital improvements and leasing projects.

  • I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance.
  • The firm achieved faster vendor onboarding, clearer SLA accountability, and centralized recordkeeping for regulatory inspections and internal audits.

Frequently asked questions about executing the contract

Answers to common questions about authority, e-signature validity, recordkeeping, and practical execution steps.


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eSignature vendor comparison for executing managed services contracts

Compare common eSignature vendor attributes relevant to contract execution, compliance, and volume; signNow is shown first for column alignment.

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