Contract Management Essentials

This workshop aims to equip participants with awareness of the essentials of contract management. It explores roles, tools, techniques and methods contract managers use to add value to contract management.

Introduction

This intensive one-day workshop explores the contract’s life-cycle, the responsibilities of key stakeholders within the life-cycle and strategies for effective contract management.

This course is designed for:

The workshop will benefit those who undertake contract management as part of their duties, and in particular people who are new to contract management or require a ‘refresher’. It is especially relevant to those who are responsible for delivering outputs or outcomes by working with external service providers.

Course structure

The pre-workshop activity will stimulate thought about the role of external service providers in contributing to departmental results. The workshop will be led by an experienced facilitator, and will include case studies, presentations and facilitated discussions.

Benefits of attending

Attendance will help raise awareness of the contract management process and the tools that may be used.

As well as this, participants will gain three key benefits from attending:

• Increased confidence and appreciation of the role of the contract manager
• Increased understanding of the tools used for contract management, including the contract management plan
• Reduces the likelihood of poor contract management causing risk, waste and/or loss for the organisation

Key learning outcomes

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

• Describe the Contract Management Framework and identify the ways in which value may be created or destroyed through effective contract management
• Define the role of the contract manager and understand how that role relates to other stakeholders supporting effective contract management
• Identify the tools and resources that are appropriate at each phase of contract management
• Understand what a ‘value risk’ approach to contract management means, and adopt contract management processes consistent with the risk and value profile of the contract

Course Content

Overview of the Contract Management Framework

• Roles and responsibilities
• Contract management framework
• Why planning is important

Reading the contract

• Structure of contracts
• Key clauses to focus upon
• Rights and obligations of the parties

Value risk approach to contract management

• Understanding risk
• Defining value
• Application of the value risk matrix to contract management

Roles and responsibilities

• Identifying stakeholders
• Identifying key tasks and activities
• Assigning responsibility

Developing a contract management plan

• The contract management plan
• Completing the plan in contract set up
• Using and reviewing the plan during contract management

Setting up the contract

• Contract management plan
• Information management
• Managing the kick off meeting

Managing the contract

• Establish KPIs
• Monitoring performance
• Extending or renewing contracts
• Contract/financial administration

Closing out the contract

• Final performance review
• Contract close out
• Capturing lessons learned

Review of tools and templates

• Catalogue of tools, templates and other resources
• Where to find the resources
• Using the resources to improve contract management