The Responsible Contract Manager

Contract management is a critical skill for all contemporary public managers. As more government duties are contracted out, managers must learn to coordinate and measure the performance of private contractors, and to write contract requirements and elicit bids that obtain important services and products at the best possible price and quality. They must also learn to work in teams that include both public and private sector partners. The Responsible Contract Manager delves into the issues of how to ensure that the work done by private sector contractors serves the public interest and argues for the necessity of making these organizations act as extensions of the public sector while maintaining their private character. Government contract managers have a unique burden because they must develop practices that ensure the production advantages of networked organizations and the transparency and accountability required of the public sector. The Responsible Contract Manager fills a major gap in public management literature by providing a clear and practical introduction to the best practices of contract management and also includes a discussion of public ethics, governance and representation theory. It is an essential guide for all public management scholars and is especially useful for students in MPA graduate programs and related fields.

This book describes version 4 of CATS CM®. This methodology for contract management can be used in both private and public sector organizations, and is valid for both demand and supply side. Contract management is the realization of intended contract objectives by proactively monitoring the fulfillment of all contractually established responsibilities, obligations, procedures, agreements, conditions and rates, resolving all ambiguities, contradictions and white spaces, managing all contract-related risks, and implementing all desired changes to the contract, during the execution phase. CATS CM® offers a methodical and scalable approach to contract management. It provides a description of the principles, roles, and main issues for the contract manager and the best way of working. In addition to a description of the methodology, CATS CM® version 4 also offers specific tools for implementing contract management, for policy as well as for processes. Increasingly, organizations recognize the importance of being in control of their business ecosystem. CATS CM® assists organizations to increase control of their joint responsibility both from a procurement and delivery point of view. A large number of organizations have chosen CATS CM® as the standard for their contract management processes. This new version of CATS CM® has been developed with these various practices in mind. CATS CM® version 4 is based on the principle that the management of a contract in execution has strong similarities on both sides of the contract, i.e. demand and supply; both can best be described as working in conjunction with each other. This book is intended for all who are responsible for, or deal with the execution of contracts: contract managers, business managers, delivery managers, project managers, service managers, facility managers, buyers, procurement managers, compliance managers, risk managers, account managers, sales managers and HR managers, along with their directors and board members on both sides of the contract.

This book presents the latest findings relating to behavioral economics and the digital tools applied to contract management. There has been a decisive change in the role of contracts in the past decade, with contracts being transformed from purely legal necessities designed to protect against worst-case scenarios into tools for optimizing ongoing and mutually profitable business relationships with customers. There is an increasing emphasis on tight contracts, where time-risk and additional costs are passed on to the prime contractor, who may suffer heavy penalties in the event of non-performance. Contracts shape the behavior of the parties involved and as such have a major impact on project success. The contract manager’s goals are to protect the interests of the company and its shareholders by minimizing the company’s financial and contractual liabilities and to maximize its profitability while ensuring end-user satisfaction. The contract is usually written before the design is fully developed, and there is often a mismatch between contractual specifications and what the customer actually wants. Good contract management entails preserving the rights of the contractor by ensuring all parties respect their contractual obligations; providing advice to the project managers and engineering team; preparing profitable amendments to contracts or change requests; maintaining good record-keeping in the event that claims arise; filing notices when necessary; and guiding the project to a profitable conclusion. Like the ancient Chinese game of Go, moves made early in the game (notification of events) can shape the nature of a potential conflict one hundred moves later (arbitration threat). Contract management can also smooth the relationship between partners, allowing well-balanced “don’t-trade-a-dollar-for-a-penny” contracts to be managed through an established process rather than as sporadic events (we cannot claim to be in control of our business if we are not in control of the contracts on which it depends). Managing a contract with a mix of incomplete manuals, fragmented information, and poor planning can drive companies to “reinvent the wheel.” Contract management promotes a three-phase sequence to streamline information flows across the contract lifecycle, from the bid phase to performance, project closeout, and final payments.

A must-have reference for contract management professionals, the CMBOK presents what should be learned by contract managers and how they should learn it. The content was developed through a voluntary consensus process governed and administered by NCMA to promote the fair development of consensus. This consensus was established through a job task analysis survey of contract managers and working groups comprised of subject matter experts in contract management. The CMBOK is not solely for the benefit of contract managers; contract managers are not the only ones involved in contract management activities. Numerous stakeholders measure success or failure by contract performance. Knowledge of contract management and competent contract management processes directly impacts the success of contract performance. The seventh edition of the CMBOK is primarily driven by the changes to the Contract Management Standard™ (CMS™). In June 2022, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) reaffirmed the NCMA CMS™ as an American National Standard (ANS). This ANS [ANSI/NCMA ASD 1-2019 (R2022)—see Annex] serves as the CMBOK’s foundational document to expand, refine, and reorganize contract management knowledge. The CMBOK provides further definition of the field of contract management; the framework for the body of knowledge; and the practices, lexicon, and processes of contract management. In addition, it provides procedural steps for contract management processes in general, as well as for specialized areas, including government or commercial contracting.

You've Got Questions – We've Got Answers Questions can arise at any point in the process of working with government contracts. Now, you have an accessible resource you can trust for authoritative answers.Managing Federal Government Contracts: The Answer Book covers the contract management process from planning to closeout and all the steps in between. Using the regulations and legislation as a basis, author Charles Solloway draws on his many years of experience to craft answers that will help you address the issues you face every day . This book provides answers to the questions most commonly asked by government program and contracting personnel, contracting officer's representatives, contractor employees, inspectors, and all those involved in government contract management. The question-and-answer format makes getting the information you need quick and efficient. Examples of forms and templates drawn from actual contract work are included to make your work easier. Along with the basics on the roles of the various contract team members and the different aspects associated with each contract type, this resource covers: • Partnering issues • Data use for efficient contract management • Remedial actions and how to properly initiate them • The government's role with subcontractors Don't let your questions go unanswered. Get Managing Federal Government Contracts: The Answer Book.

Businesses today are entering into more - and increasingly complex - contracts. The need for contract managers to add tangible value to the contracting process is increasing. This book examines all major contracting activities, using a life cycle approach, enabling contract managers to add value throughout the contracting process.

This book describes the CATS RVM methodology that proposes realization and verification management as a way to establish the relationship between contract management and project and service management. The CATS RVM methodology can be applied within public and private organizations, by and for clients and suppliers. Realization and verification management is the realization of the objectives intended with the contract. It does this by proactively realizing and verifying the performance stipulated in the contract during the execution phase of a contract, managing all risks associated with the performance, setting up all delivery processes, coordinating applicable delivery management processes between client and supplier, and preparing for these activities prior to the execution phase. CATS RVM offers a methodical approach to managing contracts in project and service management. It describes the basic principles, the roles, the points of attention for the realization and verification manager in the domains of delivery management and contract management, and the recommended way of working. In addition to a description of the methodology, this book also provides a description of the most common delivery management processes in both service and project management. The CATS RVM methodology is aligned with the best practice contract management methodology CATS CM as described in the book CATS CM® version 4: From working on contracts to contracts that work. However, it can be read completely independently. Where relevant, parts of CATS CM are also described in this book. This book is suitable for anyone involved with purchase and/or sales contracts in the provision of services, products or projects. This includes project managers, service managers, facility managers, those responsible for a technical service, and those responsible for the provision of HR services. This book also contains much useful information for those who work in adjacent domains such as contract management, procurement, sales, risk management, or compliance, and anyone who is responsible for contracts in a more tactical or strategic role.