Admin-testing your template (step-by-step checklist)

Below is a checklist to verify whether you have inserted the model contract completely (no provisions missing) and whether all contractual optionalities come out properly (if only after Q&A-answer).

Activate the testing mode: click on your user name (our name in top right corner) and click Enable test mode. This will make the underlying model contracts available for creating compares (red-line versions) after completing the Q&A. You are reminded of being in this status by the little badge on your user name.

STEP-BY-STEP CHECKLISTS FOR TESTING

Info on the New contract page #

Check what needs to be added or adjusted on the New contract overview page, where the users will select and start creating a contract. Think of:

1. Template name.
2. Category title under which it is displayed.
3. Text of the guidance note (next to the template name – explaining when the template is used).
4. Possibly attaching a PDF with negotiation guidance or contract playbook (it will show up next to the template name).

Note that as a tester of templates, you may see more templates than are accessible by ordinary users. Use the dropdown on the New contract page to see which templates users with access to a specific user group can see.

The questionnaire – How to test #

Create a new contract based on the template to be tested.

a. Insert a party that does not match the model contract’s parties (in order to make sure all the [gq.Party1] and [gq.Party2] come through by a shortname that has never been used before). In other words, if the inserted model contract refers to “Weagree” as one of the contracting parties, do not use “Weagree B.V.” for testing and troubleshooting purposes.

b. Start the Questionnaire and choose global building block options that respond to as many optional clauses to be inserted as possible.

c. Go through the Questionnaire:

1. global questions (typically at the beginning, but they may also appear later on) have an effect on multiple places in the contract. Click the magnifier several times to see in the WYSIWYG screen if all instances of that global question have been implemented correctly;
2. check boxes and fill in editable fields such that the final document contains all the clauses and differs where editable values are required. In case of a quick check: verify the results in the WYSIWYG underwater-screen; in case of a comprehensive check, generate a contract for all choice-options;
3. everywhere in the Questionnaire where no question was formulated in connection with a Q&A-element, the default question will appear. The following default questions may appear:

“Give your value for: [name edit-tag]” indicating that a clause’s edit-tag does not contain a question;

“Choose the correct answer regarding: [name choice-tag]” indicating that a clause’s choice-question was not inserted;

“Do you wish to include a provision on: [name contract clause]” indicating that a clause’s clause inclusion question is missing;

“Pick the correct date for: [name date-tag]” indicating that a clause’s date question was not inserted;

“Please select a jurisdiction: [name country-tag]” indicating that a clause’s country question was not inserted.

In the under-water-screen of the questionnaire, identify which clause triggered the default question: fill in an answer in the edit-field, check the clause inclusion box or choose a choice; and click the magnifier next to the default question). In cases where no question text was formulated, this must be corrected in the template creation tool. Sometimes, one of the above default questions appears where a link to a global question should have been made (but was not).

d. Everywhere in the Questionnaire where a question appears that has been addressed under the global questions already, a link to that global question might be missing.

e. When a numeral is to appear in the contract text, it may be subject to formatting requirements (i.e. the way thousands are separated, the number of decimals and any rounding). Obviously, this both restricts the user in the way a number must be inserted: review the wording of the instruction as to such formatting.

Generate the contract (Word) and save it #

Check the generated contract (or automatically generated all-options document) – some are obvious but here is a complete checklist:

1. Whether all schedules and annexes are inserted (and in the right order, if required).
2. Whether all definitions are inserted.
3. Whether all sections number appropriately with the right indentation (e.g. no Level 2 where Level 3 is required and no numbering where no-numbering is required).
4. Check if all articles are inserted (and in the right order).
5. If, in the definitions article, you refer to definitions that are defined in the body text, check whether all such definitions are included in the definitions article.
6. Search for square brackets [ and ] ; and, but case-insensitive, search for tag identifiers (i.e. definition, reference, choice, annex, edit, date, country, caption, TAB, EOL, Pagebreak, calc, datecalc, gq).
7. Check the cross-references: search for 0 (zero): no cross-reference should be a zero, and if it is, the referenced clause is inserted but might not be numbered.
8. Search for double spaces (and for “ .” “ ,” “ ;” “ :”).
9. Whether all tables appear properly (e.g. not separated by white-lines).
10. Whether all numbering sections start with a caption (and all non-numbering sections not).

Repair the template as necessary.

Create a compare version (redlining) #

Create a compare version with track-changes of the automatically generated all-options document or first test-document against the model contract. (To improve legibility of the compare, you might convert the party names in the model contract.) If any original documents have been uploaded, click on your name in the top-right corner of the Weagree Wizard to open your user settings and click Enable test mode. You will then be able to create a compare-version via the contract’s repository. Check each redlined word or phrase for errors.

Check the compare-version for typos, failing text and double paragraphs (i.e. one clause pasted twice instead of two clauses copy-pasted once).

Finalise testing #

For key global questions, generate a contract and create a compare version against the model contract. The admin can do this in the Template settings of the template.

Tip: the under-water-screen of the Q&A is a fairly accurate reference to see if a Q&A-answer will be adequately reflected in the Word document.