Practical Contract Management

This book is about Contract Management. As a subject, this has tended to be viewed as being very much the junior partner in the procurement cycle or the part of the process that is somebody elseís problem. There are many first class texts on how to manage the procurement cycle right up to the award of contract and this textbook in no way attempts to compete with them. We are attempting to fill a perceived gap in the general literature by giving some practical advice to those who are responsible for managing contracts, but struggle to find a single textbook covering the subject.

All too often, once the contract has been placed, there has been an expectation that somehow the contract will manage itself. Supposedly all the hard work in issuing invitations to tender and evaluating bids and carrying out negotiations has been completed and the most economically advantageous or best value for money bid has been selected. This is entirely right and proper, but fails to recognise that professional contract management can also bring about significant cost savings, quality, delivery improvements and innovations to products, services or business processes.

This book covers both the hard and soft issues regarding contract management. As well as looking at for example how to hold an inaugural meeting or deal with a contractual claim, we also discuss the nature of the relationship with the contractor, looking at both adversarial and collaborative models as well as measures you might take to motivate the contractor.

The book is written from the standpoint of getting it right first time; we view good contract management as a positive adding value process. Nevertheless the book does not shy away from the fact that things do and will go wrong and therefore there are also chapters on dispute resolution and legal issues that might affect the individual managing the contract.

It is clear from reports from government bodies and private sector research, that there is scope for substantial savings through good contract management. It is a professional discipline that should be carried out by professionals, which should lead to better contractor performance.