The first draft of a contract for an outsourcing partner should be written by:

• A. Legal counsel
• B. Facility manager
• C. Procurement officer
• D. External consultant

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the person who knows the day-to-day operations and what the site actually needs should set the initial contract terms. The facility manager understands the specific service requirements, maintenance schedules, safety rules, regulatory constraints, and acceptable performance in real operations. Drafting the first version from their perspective ensures the scope of work, performance metrics, and acceptance criteria are realistic and clear from the start, which helps prevent later back-and-forth and gaps.

Legal counsel and procurement play important roles but in different ways. Legal counsel focuses on risk, liability, and enforceability, not the practical day-to-day needs of the site. Procurement brings expertise in sourcing, pricing, and terms, but may not know the exact operational details to capture in the contract. An external consultant could assist if specialized knowledge is needed, but the initial draft should come from the on-site manager who owns and understands the facilities processes.