CEN100: Disaster Project Team Contract

To ensure that all team members contribute effectively to the completion of the Disaster Project,
you will be required to collectively construct a team contract. A team contract outlines norms
and expectations that each member of the team commits to in order to contribute to the goals of
the entire team. In this document you will find guiding prompts and a sample contract to help
you create your own. Use these as guides to create and submit your own team contract using
the template on page 3.

Guiding Prompts for Creating a Team Contract

Work Quality

● Project standards (What is a realistic level of quality for team presentations, collaborative
writing, individual research, preparation of drafts, peer reviews, final product?)
● Strategies to fulfill these standards

Team Participation

● Strategies to ensure cooperation and equal distribution of tasks

● Strategies for encouraging/including ideas from all team members (team maintenance)
● Strategies for keeping on task (task maintenance)
● Preferences for leadership (informal, formal, individual, shared)

Personal Accountability

● Expected individual attendance, punctuality, and participation at all team meetings

● Expected level of responsibility for fulfilling team assignments, timelines, and deadlines
● Expected level of communication with other team members
● Expected level of commitment to team decisions and tasks

Consequences for Failing to Follow Procedures and Fulfill Expectations

● Describe, as a group, you would handle infractions of any of the obligations of this team
contract
● Describe what your team will do if the infractions continue

1
Team Contract Sample
Our Project Team will work together to create the team contract and then use it to help team
performance. Benefits include promoting buy-in, commitment, and common values, as well as
setting clear expectations and procedures for making decisions, meeting deadlines, and
producing high-quality work.

As a project team, we will:

Accountability
1.Work proactively, anticipating potential problems and working to prevent them
2.Keep other team members informed of information related to the project
3.Focus on what is best for the whole project team
4.See the team project through to completion

Participation
1.Be honest and open during all project activities
2.Encourage diversity in team work
3.Provide the opportunity for equal participation
4.Be open to new approaches and consider new ideas
5.Have one discussion at a time
6.Let the team know well in advance if a team member has to miss a meeting or may have
trouble meeting a deadline for a given task

Communication
1.Decide as a team on the best way to communicate various information
2.Focus on solving problems, not blaming people
3.Present ideas clearly and concisely
4.Meet and communicate frequently to discuss project progress
5.Arrange additional meetings, as needed
6.Keep discussions on track
7.Honor meeting time frames
8.Read communications (emails, meeting minutes, action items, etc.) from each other
9.Respond to each other in a timely manner (i.e., within 24 hours)

Problem Solving
1.Encourage everyone to participate in solving problems
2.Only use constructive criticism
3.Strive to build on each other’s ideas
4.Hold each other accountable for meeting the aforementioned standards

2
Team Contract
Team Members (list all names, first and last):
Project Goal Outline your collective goal.

Communication Insert 3 - 5 points about how all members will effectively communicate.
Include frequency and methods (e.g. email, Facebook, team meetings).
What is the maximum expected response time?

Decision Making How will decisions be made in this team? How will you stay on track?

Participation
What is your collective expectation and commitment related to
participation? How will you handle different levels of participation and
commitment?

Conflict How will you resolve differences?

Management What process will you follow if someone does not live up to their
responsibilities?

Problem Solving How will you collectively and individually work to solve problems?