I tend to set frequent checkpoints. For these really short contracts, I'd setup a chat every 2-4 days, always with one two days before the contract ends.

During these chats I'm just looking for progress and questions. Some people will only have questions as they try to explain what they've accomplished. Also, I know a contractor's hours spent on my project aren't going to be uniformly distributed during the period, so I don't make the judgement that they should have X done by a certain day in the contract.