Consider that the basis of the SEI model, developed by Watts Humphrey in the mid-1980s, was to provide a sound model to assess subcontractors for the federal government. So, even if your organization does not wish to become SEI CMM-certified, you would be well advised to consider this template for your outsourcing activities based on the strength of this model. I recommend that you consider the model, assess your current gaps, and establish a repeatable process for successful outsourcing. CMM is organized by various maturity levels. I have paraphrased these 19 practices in the following checklist.
Senior management has significant accountability for the outsourcing arrangement.
It ensures that a management resource is designated as responsible for establishing and managing the contract. It ensures that adequate resources and funding are provided for both selecting the service provider and managing the contract. It ensures resources involved in establishing and maintaining these activities are trained to perform the tasks. Changes to the statement of work, terms and conditions, and commitments should be documented and reviewed with all affected parties. Various other quality groups have a requirement to review the service provider's quality tasks, which include monitoring their quality assurance and configuration management activities.