402.72  Department of Children and Family Services contracts; contract management units.--

(1)  The Department of Children and Family Services shall take steps to ensure that department contracts are negotiated in a manner that assures that the state's interests are well represented. In order to make this assurance, the department must request voluntary assistance from outside entities, including, but not limited to, other state agencies, to provide training for departmental employees who negotiate contracts. Further, employees who negotiate contracts must have available to them other department employees who have expertise in legal and fiscal matters and employees who are especially skilled in conducting contract negotiations to ensure that the interests of the state are well represented.

(2)  The department shall create contract management units at the district level which must be staffed by individuals who are specifically trained to perform the functions related to contract management. The contract management units are responsible for monitoring the programmatic and administrative performance of the department's contracts for client services and shall report to the appropriate district administrator. To the greatest extent possible, the members of the contract management units shall be career service employees who are assigned to the same pay grade. The contract management units shall be in operation throughout the state no later than March 1, 1999.