Standard Operating Procedure
OPS-SOP-005 — Consultant & Vendor Engagement Playbook
Why this exists
Consultant invoices have arrived without clear scope alignment, creating budget surprises. This playbook is the control mechanism. No engagement starts without a defined scope. No invoice gets paid without matching that scope.
1. Purpose
This SOP establishes how Unity Care Solutions engages, manages, and controls costs for all consultants and external partners — across legal, compliance, actuarial, technology, marketing, and captive management functions. It defines roles, scope boundaries, cost control thresholds, approval requirements, compliance review gates, and project tracking expectations.
2. Scope
Applies to all active consultant and vendor relationships supporting Unity operations. Does not cover TPA claim adjudication (OPS-SOP-001), PBM administration (OPS-SOP-002), or individual staff assignments.
3. Consultant & Vendor Roster
| Consultant / Firm | Type | Contact | Primary Use | Approver |
|---|
| Eric Gregory / Dickinson Wright PLLC |
ERISA Legal Counsel |
egregory@dickinson-wright.com
248-433-7669 |
ERISA compliance, SPD review, plan documents, fiduciary questions, captive counsel (Tony Greer / Kevin Doherty) |
Operations |
| Davies Group (JoAnn Evans) |
Actuarial |
JoAnn.Evans@us.davies-group.com
(678) 684-4705 |
Stop-loss rate renewals, actuarial analysis, claims projections, plan design structure, employer group ratings |
Operations + Dr. Greg |
| SRS / Melissa Hancock |
Captive Consultant |
melissa.hancock@strategicrisks.com |
Unity Care Member Plan Master Trust structure, captive cell management, reinsurance coordination (HLRA/Jason Strain) |
Operations + Dr. Greg |
| Kaylin Konja / Spartan Wealth |
General Broker |
kaylin.konja@spartanwealth.com |
General broker of record ($30 PEPM); coordinates Allied, ProAct, and stop-loss relationships; CAA broker compensation disclosure |
Operations |
| Jason Strain / Brown & Brown |
Reinsurance Broker |
jstrain@bbrown.com |
HLRA reinsurance treaty; stop-loss placement; facultative underwriting for large groups (One Health) |
Operations + Dr. Greg |
| Dash Activate (Darian James) |
Marketing / Paid Ads |
darian@dashactivateonline.net
941-231-5279 |
Facebook/Instagram paid ads, creative, campaign management (~50 creatives/month) |
Operations |
| Quadratics / Flat World |
Technology / Dev |
Sandeep Bandula; Niraj Vivek |
Website backend (unityplans.com), cost audit tool, system integrations |
Operations |
| Bill Kropkoff / ERISA Group |
Independent Fiduciary Reviewer |
(via Eric Gregory) |
Annual ERISA 408(b)(2) fiduciary fee review; prohibited transaction protection |
Operations + Dr. Greg |
4. Scope Boundaries by Consultant Type
4.1 — ERISA Legal Counsel (Dickinson Wright)
| ✔ IN SCOPE | ✘ OUT OF SCOPE |
|---|
| SPD review and red-lining | Vendor contract negotiation (use Operations) |
| ERISA fiduciary guidance | General corporate matters unrelated to the plan |
| Plan document compliance questions | Marketing/advertising review (use Internal Counsel) |
| Trust structure legal questions (ERISA layer) | HR policy drafting |
| Captive cell formation (Tony Greer / Kevin Doherty) | Open-ended research without a defined question |
4.2 — Actuarial (Davies Group)
| ✔ IN SCOPE | ✘ OUT OF SCOPE |
|---|
| Annual stop-loss rate renewal analysis | Ongoing advisory calls without a deliverable |
| Claims trend projections and loss ratios | ERISA legal questions (use Eric Gregory) |
| Plan design structure and pricing analysis | Benefits design consulting (use SRS/Melissa) |
| Employer group ratings (50+ lives or flagged) | Any work not tied to a specific defined deliverable |
| Gradient AI pre-screen review for complex groups | Actuarial certifications (scope separately) |
4.3 — Captive Consultant (SRS / Melissa Hancock)
| ✔ IN SCOPE | ✘ OUT OF SCOPE |
|---|
| Unity Trust structure and captive cell operations | ERISA legal opinions (use Eric Gregory) |
| Reinsurance coordination (HLRA via Jason Strain) | Actuarial rate work (use Davies) |
| Employer onboarding into trust captive structure | Claims adjudication or TPA functions (Allied) |
| Reserve reporting to reinsurance carrier | Marketing or sales activities |
4.4 — General Broker (Kaylin Konja / Spartan Wealth)
| ✔ IN SCOPE | ✘ OUT OF SCOPE |
|---|
| Broker of record coordination (Allied, ProAct, stop-loss) | Captive/trust structure decisions (SRS lane) |
| CAA broker compensation disclosure obligations | Reinsurance treaty structuring (Jason Strain lane) |
| ACA reporting coordination (1094-C/1095-C) | Plan document legal review (Eric Gregory lane) |
4.5 — Marketing (Dash Activate)
| ✔ IN SCOPE | ✘ OUT OF SCOPE |
|---|
| Facebook and Instagram paid ads (creation & management) | Website development (Quadratics lane) |
| Ad creative (graphics, copy) within approved scope | Email campaigns (managed internally) |
| Pixel setup and tracking (unityplans.com) | Any creative NOT reviewed by Internal Counsel before launch |
| Campaign performance reporting | Brand strategy or positioning beyond agreed scope |
Zero Exceptions — Marketing Compliance
Every Unity marketing creative, campaign, and public-facing communication must be reviewed and approved by Internal Counsel (Tessa) before release. This includes paid ad campaigns, landing pages, email campaigns, and social content. Route through Internal Counsel using the same dedicated chat thread. See OPS-SOP-016.
4.6 — Technology / Dev (Quadratics)
| ✔ IN SCOPE | ✘ OUT OF SCOPE |
|---|
| Approved roadmap items for unityplans.com backend | Architectural decisions without Operations sign-off |
| Cost audit tool build-out | Scope expansions from parties other than Operations |
| System integrations as scoped by Operations | Any work not on the approved roadmap |
5. Cost Control Rules
Non-negotiable: No consultant engagement begins without a defined scope of work. No invoice is paid without matching that scope.
| Threshold | Requirement | Approver |
|---|
| Any new engagement | Written scope of work or engagement letter required before work starts | Operations |
| Under $2,500 | Email confirmation of scope + estimated cost | Operations |
| $2,500 – $10,000 | Formal SOW or engagement letter | Operations + Dr. Greg notification |
| Over $10,000 | Formal SOW required; written approval before work begins | Dr. Greg sign-off required |
| Scope creep / change order | Any work outside original SOW approved before proceeding | Same as original threshold |
6. Engagement Process
1. Identify Need: Define the specific question or deliverable. If you cannot write a one-sentence description of what you need, do not engage the consultant yet.
2. Select the Right Consultant: Use the scope boundaries in Section 4. Match the need to the right type. Do not default to whoever you have a relationship with — use the right lane.
3. Define Scope Before Contact: Draft the scope of work in writing before reaching out. Include: what you need, what you don't need, expected deliverable, and target timeline.
4. Get Cost Estimate: Request a cost estimate before authorizing work. For ongoing matters, request a not-to-exceed (NTE) amount or a check-in at a defined dollar threshold.
5. Approve and Authorize: Route for approval per Section 5 thresholds. Confirm scope and cost in writing (email is sufficient).
6. Compliance Review (if applicable): Any deliverable with legal, compliance, or public-facing exposure routed to Internal Counsel before use or release.
7. Monitor In Progress: For engagements over $2,500 or longer than 30 days: check in mid-engagement to confirm on-scope and on-budget. Course-correct before the invoice arrives.
8. Invoice Review: Before approving any consultant invoice, compare line items to the approved scope. Flag any items outside scope before payment. Route through Operations then Finance per OPS-SOP-010.
9. Close and Document: Log engagement outcome in Microsoft Planner. Attach deliverable. Document any scope creep and update this playbook if needed.
7. Right Consultant for Common Scenarios
| Scenario | Right Consultant | Do NOT Use |
|---|
| SPD needs legal review before sending to members | Eric Gregory (ERISA) | Melissa / SRS |
| New employer group needs a rate quote (50+ lives) | Davies Group (actuarial) | SRS / Melissa |
| Trust structure question or captive cell setup | SRS / Melissa Hancock | Eric Gregory (for captive; use for ERISA layer only) |
| Stop-loss reinsurance treaty or facultative quote | Jason Strain / Brown & Brown | Kaylin / Spartan (different lane) |
| Marketing ad creative needs compliance review | Internal Counsel (Tessa) | Eric Gregory |
| Website backend change needed | Quadratics | Internal team |
| Facebook ad campaign management | Dash Activate | Quadratics |
| Annual fiduciary fee review | Bill Kropkoff / ERISA Group | Eric Gregory (he knows Kropkoff; coordinate) |
| MHPAEA comparative analysis (75-100 pages) | Eric Gregory — commission in advance | Allied (insufficient for DOL) |
8. Compliance Requirements by Consultant Type
| Consultant Type | Compliance Gate | Reviewer |
|---|
| ERISA Legal (Dickinson Wright) | Plan document changes require formal written opinion | Operations + Internal Counsel |
| Actuarial (Davies) | Rating reports reviewed before use in proposals | Operations |
| Captive Consultant (SRS) | Trust/captive changes reviewed by ERISA Counsel | Eric Gregory + Operations |
| Reinsurance Broker (Jason Strain) | Treaty terms reviewed by Legal before execution | Operations + Dr. Greg |
| Marketing (Dash Activate) | All materials reviewed before release — no exceptions | Internal Counsel (Tessa) |
| Technology / Dev (Quadratics) | Scope changes require written authorization | Operations |
9. Project Tracking Standards
All active consultant engagements tracked in Microsoft Planner within the Unity Teams workspace. Each engagement requires:
- Task name, owner, due date, and deliverable description
- Weekly status update (on track / at risk / blocked)
- Milestone log for multi-phase engagements
- Invoice tracking linked to deliverable acceptance
10. Escalation
| Trigger | Action | Owner |
|---|
| Consultant misses deliverable deadline | Written notice; escalate if unresolved within 48 hours | Operations |
| Scope creep or unauthorized work | Stop work; document; formal scope re-confirmation required | Operations |
| Marketing material released without compliance review | Immediate pull-down; Internal Counsel notified; corrective action documented | Operations / Internal Counsel |
| Invoice dispute | Hold payment; document discrepancy; resolve with consultant in writing | Operations / Finance |
| Legal or compliance exposure identified | Escalate to Internal Counsel immediately; pause relevant work | Operations |
| Consultant uses wrong lane (e.g., SRS advising on ERISA) | Redirect to correct consultant; do not act on out-of-scope advice until reviewed | Operations |
OPS-SOP-005 | Unity Care Solutions, LLC — Internal / Confidential
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