Practical Contracting & Approval PowerPoint Guide

Project Title: Design and Develop a Practical Contracting & Approval Guide (PowerPoint) for Business Users (Non-Lawyers) Project Overview: We are seeking an experienced professional (or team) to design and develop a comprehensive, highly practical contracting and approval guide in PowerPoint format for internal business users with no legal background. The objective is to create a self-explanatory, decision-driven operational tool that enables employees to confidently: - Determine when a contract is required - Identify the correct type of agreement - Understand key legal and governance risks - Follow the appropriate internal approval, signing, and escalation processes This guide must go beyond theory. It should function as a standalone, day-to-day decision-making tool, reducing risk while enabling efficient business operations. Legal Framework Requirement (Important): This guide must be developed with reference to a common law legal system (Australia). While not jurisdiction-specific, the underlying concepts must align with common law principles, including: - Offer and acceptance - Consideration - Intention to create legal relations - Binding vs non-binding arrangements The guide must avoid reliance on civil law concepts that may create confusion. Content should prioritise practical accuracy and usability over legal theory. Scope of Work: The contractor will be responsible for both: 1. Structuring and simplifying legal and governance concepts into practical guidance 2. Designing a highly visual, intuitive PowerPoint experience The final output must function as an operational playbook, not just a presentation. Key Deliverables: 1. PowerPoint Contracting & Approval Guide - No fixed slide limit – content must be as detailed as required to be self-explanatory - Professionally designed, clean, and intuitive - Structured for easy navigation and real-world use - Suitable for ongoing internal deployment 2. Mandatory Structural Components A. Decision Trees / Flowcharts (Critical Requirement) The guide must include clear, visual decision-making tools such as: - “Do I need a contract?” - “Which agreement should I use?” - “Do I need approval or escalation?” - “Who is authorised to sign?” Requirements: - Step-by-step logic with clear “Yes/No” pathways - Designed so users can follow independently without legal input B. Process Workflows End-to-end contracting lifecycle, including: - Request → Drafting → Review → Approval → Execution → Record keeping - Roles and responsibilities (high-level) - When Legal/Compliance must be involved C. Scenario-Based Guidance Include practical, real-world examples such as: - Engaging third parties or consultants - Sponsorship or funding arrangements - Use of email vs formal agreement - Urgent requests without contracts Each scenario must clearly explain: - Risks - Correct approach - What not to do 3. Common Agreement Types (Mandatory) The guide must include a clear breakdown of commonly used agreements, covering both binding and non-binding arrangements. A. Binding Agreements (Examples): - Services / Consultancy Agreements - Sponsorship / Funding Agreements - Confidentiality Agreements (NDAs) - Supply / Purchase Agreements - Event or Education Support Agreements - Third Party / Distributor Agreements For each: - When to use - Key risks - Practical example B. Non-Binding Arrangements: - Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) - Letter of Intent (LoI) - Heads of Agreement / Term Sheets For each: - Purpose and appropriate use - Clear explanation of non-binding nature - Risks (including risk of becoming binding through conduct) C. Comparison and Decision Support: - Clear visuals comparing binding vs non-binding arrangements - Direct linkage to decision trees and workflows 4. Governance, Approvals and Escalation (Critical) The guide must incorporate clear, practical governance guidance. A. Delegation of Authority (DoA) - Explain DoA in simple terms - Show how monetary value impacts approval and signing authority - Instruct users to refer to internal DoA frameworks - Include practical examples B. Signatory Responsibilities - Signing is a formal accountability step, not administrative - Clarify who should sign vs who owns the business relationship - Risks of incorrect signatory selection C. Pre-Signature Communication (Mandatory Practice) Include a structured “Key Summary for Signature” approach: - Purpose of the agreement - Key obligations - Financial value / exposure - Key risks - Duration and termination It must be clear that sending agreements for signature (e.g. via DocuSign) without context is not acceptable. D. Escalation Framework Define when escalation is required, including: - High-value arrangements - High-risk or sensitive engagements - Non-standard terms - Situations involving uncertainty E. Escalation to Managing Director (or Equivalent) Provide principle-based guidance on escalation to senior leadership, including: - Significant financial commitments - Strategic or reputational risk - Deviations from standard processes Guidance should include risk-based judgment, not only fixed thresholds. F. Integration into Decision Tools Governance must be embedded into: - Decision trees - Workflows Users should clearly understand: What to do → Who approves → Who signs → When to escalate 5. Visual Design Requirements - Strong emphasis on clarity over text-heavy content - Use of: - Flowcharts - Decision trees - Icons - Step-by-step diagrams - Clean, modern corporate design - Consistent formatting and visual hierarchy - Designed for non-legal users (“for dummies” clarity, without being simplistic) Target Audience: - Sales teams - Marketing teams - Business managers - Non-legal corporate staff No legal background should be assumed. Key Requirements: - Proven experience in: - Simplifying complex concepts into practical tools - Corporate training, playbooks, or frameworks - Strong PowerPoint design capability (essential) - Ability to create decision-based tools, not just static content - Strong focus on usability, clarity, and structure Experience with common law jurisdictions (e.g. Australia, UK) is strongly preferred. What We Will Provide: - High-level direction on topics - Feedback on drafts - Clarification on internal processes - High-level Delegation of Authority principles (to be adapted into flexible guidance) What We Expect from You: - Proposed structure (including decision flow concepts) - First draft (content + design) - Iterations based on feedback - Final polished PowerPoint ready for internal use Timeline: - Structure proposal: 3 days - First draft: 1 week - Final delivery: 2 weeks To Apply, Please Include: - Examples of similar work (PowerPoint guides, workflows, playbooks) - Description of your approach to building decision trees and process flows - Confirmation you can deliver both content and design Important Note: This project requires more than visual design. The output must function as a practical contracting and approval playbook that business users can rely on in real situations. Clarity, usability, governance integration, and logical structure are critical to success.