This document discusses key elements of effective contract management. It begins with defining what a contract is and explaining the contract management life cycle. It then discusses several important aspects of contract management including planning and information collection, contract administration, performance monitoring, relationship management, and issues that can arise at each stage of the contract management life cycle from procurement to closure. Effective contract management requires identifying risks, setting clear performance measures, maintaining strong communication between parties, and having dispute resolution procedures in place.

1. Contract Procurement
Management
Dr. M.K. Mlela

2. Agenda
• Contract and Contract Management
• Contract Management Life cycle
• Key Elements of Contract Management
• Issues involved in managing contracts

3. What is a Contract ?
• A contract is an agreement between two or more
people that is legally binding. A contract can be
verbal or written.
• The contract, in terms of enforceability, includes
an offer and an acceptance, has consideration
for the exchange, clearly sets out the terms of
the agreement without ambiguity and is signed
by the involved parties who have the proper
capacity to enter into the contract

4. Contract Management
 Contract management is the
process which ensures all
parties to a contract fully meet
their obligations, in order to
satisfy the operational objectives
of the contract and the strategic
business goals of the customer.

5. Why Contract management ?
Risk is the chance of an event occurring that would cause
actual project circumstances to differ from those assumed
when forecasting project benefits and costs.
Effective contract management incorporates identifying,
monitoring and managing all risks and opportunities over
the life of the project contract to achieve project objectives
and value for money outcomes.
Risks not identified cannot be proactively managed.
They can be very damaging. Risks cannot be correctly
identified unless there are clear project objectives that
provide an unambiguous description of success for the
project.

6. Contract Management Life Cycle
• Procurement Stage
• Execution Stage
• Service Delivery Stage
• Closing Stage

7. Contract Management Issues
Procurement Stage
• Resourcing
• Planning & Development
• Developing Tools
• Integrate Management
aspects in the contract
• Key Performance Indicators
• Defining Governance
Responsibilities
Execution Stage
• Managing Performance
• Managing Relationships
• Managing Changes
• Managing Contingencies
• Managing Documents
and records
• Executing Governance
Responsibilities

8. Contract Management Issues
Service Delivery
• Managing Performance
• Managing Relationship
• Managing Changes
• Managing Contingencies
• Managing Documents
and Records
• Delivering Governance
Responsibilities
Contract Closure
• Managing Compliance
• Maintaining Relationships
• Documenting Changes
• Regularizing Contingencies
• Saving Documents for
Asset Management
• Informing the Management
of the closure

9. Procurement Process
The foundations for effective contract and
performance management are typically set during
the procurement planning process;
Sound contractual basis for effective contract
management is incorporated in the contract;
There is adequate knowledge transfer from the
procurement team to the contract management
team;
The contract management strategy for the project is
in place as soon as practical after the contract is
executed.

10. The relationship between contract management and the
procurement process
Procurement process Contract management
Expressions of interest
Request for Tenders
Contract execution
Financial close
Transfer of accountability to the contract director
Appointment of contract management team
Planning, information collection and analysis
Development of tools and processes, including
monitoring and reporting requirements
Further development of tools and processes

11. Contract Management Team
• Small team
• Skills need to cover
 Project Management
 Technical
 Financial
 Legal
• Authority to negotiate
Effective contract risk
management requires the
dedication of appropriate financial
resources and experienced
personnel to the establishment of
a contract risk management
strategy during the procurement
phase of the project and the
maintenance of that strategy
throughout the project lifecycle.

12. Ideal Contract
Allocation of risk
Service requirements
Value for Money Mechanisms
Procedures for contract management

13. Service Level
The Contract should set out clearly the
expected performance and Quality
Who is responsible for what needs to be
clear, both mutual and individual
Flexibility especially in early stages of long
term contracts
Enter into mutual Service Level Agreements

14. Developing a contract management strategy
Step 1:
Develop
a plan
Step 2:
Develop and
implement
tools and
process
Start during the
procurement
process
Step 3:
Establish a system
of ongoing contract
management and
review
Collect, analyze and manage information
Incorporate contract management
requirements into development of
request for tenders

15. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
i. Planning, Information Collection and Analysis
ii. Contract Administration
iii. Performance Reporting and Monitoring
iv. Relationship management, dispute resolution
and issue management
v. Governance, probity and compliance
vi. Knowledge and Information management
vii. Change management
viii. Contingency Planning
ix. Ongoing Review
x. Contract Management Training

16. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
I. Planning, Information Collection and Analysis
 Contract management personnel understand the legislative, regulatory
and commercial context of the project.
 All the key risks of the project are identified and are updated as
necessary over time.
 The likelihood of each risk materializing, and its potential consequences
and impact on project objectives have been assessed.
 Possible controls and mitigations for each risk have been identified,
assessed and implemented.
 Interdependencies between risks are understood.
 Potential changes in the project’s risk profile over its lifecycle have been
considered, planned for and responded to.
 Good contract management is not reactive, but aims to anticipate
and respond to business needs of the future.

17. Procurement
team
Contract
documentation
Advisors
Other
information
sources
Step 1:
Information collection
Step 2:
Analysis and management of
information
Step 3:
Implementation and evolution
of contract management tools
and processes
Risk analysis
for contract
performance
Identify need
for additional
information
Contract
documentation
Contract
documentation
Contract
documentation
Information
Collection and
Analysis
Information Sources
• the business case for the
project
• project risk analysis
conducted by the
procurement team for
the purpose of developing
the contractual allocation of
project risk between the
parties
• the project contract
documents
• associated financial,
structural and organizational
details
• interviews with the
procurement team and their
advisers
• existing risk management
tools within the organization

18. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
II. Contract Administration
• Contract administration requires an understanding of the
legal documentation for the project and also:
 the commercial intent of the parties
 the operating, industry and community issues associated with service
provision
 the legislative and regulatory context in which the project operates
• It is the best practice to prepare a comprehensive
Contract Administration Manual that enables the Project
Director to understand the key contract provisions and the
environment in which the contract must be administered,
which will specify:
 What needs to be done, by whom and when ?
 How will employer’s role be performed ?
 What are the ramifications of any non-performance or default by
either party and how these should be addressed ?

19. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
III. Performance Reporting and Monitoring
• Performance measures lie at the heart of performance management and it
is important that performance measures are linked to strategic objectives,
or to desired outcomes.
• The employer understands the contractor’s internal operating
environment, such as its cash flows. It is through this understanding that
the employer can derive an awareness of the private party’s strengths and
weaknesses, including financial performance.
• The Employer monitors ‘soft’ indicators of the management quality of
contractor looking for weaknesses or trends that may provide an early
indication of trouble ahead.
• The employer regularly reviews the quality of the service as measured
against the KPIs and output specifications.
• Having assessed the data collected through these monitoring activities,
the employer takes appropriate action to mitigate or control any risks that
are materializing, and to maximize value for money from the project.

20. Performance
Monitoring
The stepped approach to
performance reporting:
Step 1: Understanding the
business
• Strategic and Project level
requirements
• Cash flows, Project costs and
debts
• Risks
Step 2: Analyze the underlying
quality of the project
• Financial Health
• Management Quality
• Service Performance
Step 3: Reporting requirements
• Internal MIS
• Senior Management
• Government and Parliament
Known
baseline
Compare
performance
against
baseline
Monitoring
Is the failure a
persistent
long-term
issue?
Is the failure
because the
baseline is no
longer
appropriate
Monitoring
Monitoring
Performance fails to
meet baseline
No
No
Yes
Yes (exceptional
circumstance
Performance
Meets
baseline

21. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
IV. Relationship Management, Dispute Resolution
and Issue management
• It is imperative to maintain a strong relationship between the employer
and the contractor. Good relationship management enables the parties
to anticipate risk events more effectively and deal with those risks that
do materialize.
• Good communication and a strong relationship are essential,
especially if issues arise which go to the heart of the contract’s
operation.
• It is also important to recognize that disputes and service delivery
issues most likely will arise and will need to be appropriately managed.
• If the parties have strong dispute and issue management principles
and procedures in place, these will help minimize damage to the
relationship and assist the parties to achieve success in the project.

22. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
 Relationship Management
• Establishing relationship management structures
– Senior Management Support; Peer to Peer communication; separation
of roles; Defined roles and responsibilities; escalation paths
• Understanding one another
 Objectives and expectations; future plan and directions; concerns about
wider relationship; Opinion surveys
• Establishing and using communication channels
 Formal and informal contact points; horizontal and vertical
communications; documenting verbal communication
• Relationship management and succession planning
• Monitoring the Relationship

23. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
V. Governance, Probity & Compliance
• It is the duty of the employer in ensuring
appropriate governance, probity and compliance
practices are established within the organization
and in its interactions with the contractors and
any other government stakeholders.
• This assists the employer to comply with relevant
laws, regulations, and government policy.

24. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
VI. Knowledge and Information Management
• Employer’s ability to successfully manage a contract can
depend upon the Project Director having an effective
knowledge and information management strategy tailored
to the project’s needs.
• In a well-managed project, the Project Director ensures
the information collected in relation to a project is
maintained, periodically reviewed, and organized for easy
retrieval and access. These practices assist the employer
to comply with:
 record-keeping obligations
 disclosure obligations, such as those under RTI act
 intellectual property laws and confidentiality obligations

25. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
VII.Change Management
• During the lifecycle of any project, it is likely that a number
of changes will occur, requiring proper management.
• Changes may be contemplated at the time of procurement
and provided for in the contract, or not contemplated during
procurement but seen as desirable or necessary
alterations to services or the contract.
• In either case, change events are both a source of risk
and a potential opportunity to extract additional
benefits from the project.

26. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
Change Management Cont.…
• Good change management processes incorporate
the following features:
 Appropriate protocols are in place to manage change
 Appropriate staff have the authority to request and authorise
changes
 Potential changes are assessed thoroughly by suitably experienced
personnel, having consulted with all relevant stakeholders
 Changes are appropriately prioritised and their implementation is
properly resourced
 The implementation of changes is controlled and tested
 Changes are appropriately documented
 Changes do not compromise value for money outcomes

27. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
VIII.Contingency Planning
• It may not be possible to fully transfer responsibility for the risk of
service delivery failure to the contractor.
• If the contractor fails to deliver services according to the
requirements of the contract, the employer, and possibly
government as a whole, may retain accountability, and potentially
face adverse reaction from end users and third parties.
• In addition, the contractor’s obligation to provide services may be
suspended through the operation of force majeure provisions. If so,
the employer may be compelled or subjected to strong pressure to
ensure that the public or other third parties are not inconvenienced
by a disruption to the supply of those services.
• Effective contingency planning is that the employer can react to
unplanned events and control the impact of these events on service
delivery value for money outcomes.

28. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
IX. Ongoing Review
• Contract management processes must change and adapt
throughout the lifecycle of a contract, and therefore should
be reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that
management is sufficiently informed of current and
emerging risks and issues.
• In addition to regular reviews, the impact of the following
events should be considered as and when they occur:
 divergence between each party’s expectations and actual project
outcomes
 changes in the project itself through change events, contingency
events, or as a result of the project moving from one stage to
another in its lifecycle
 changes in the external environment in which the project operates.

29. Key Elements of effective Contract Management
IX. Contract Management Training
• For contract management to be effective, Project Directors
need not only a strong knowledge of the basics, but also a
detailed practical understanding of commercial and legal
dimensions of contract management. The training will meet
this second need.
• As this practical understanding is vital to the success of the
Project Director, and the contract management team, in
implementing effective contract management practices, the
training will be mandatory for employer’s personnel
involved in the management of projects.