Programme overview
Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study
Introduction
Much of the value in a contract is won or lost after signature. Obligations go untracked, notices are missed, variations are agreed informally and payments are released without evidence of performance, so organisations pay for work they did not receive or lose entitlements they held. This Core Concept course equips managers to administer contracts from handover to close-out: mapping obligations, monitoring performance, controlling change, handling claims and disputes, and closing contracts cleanly. Participants work through case material from several sectors and produce a Contract Administration Plan for a live contract in their own organisation.
Course Objectives
- Translate a signed contract into an obligations register with owners, triggers, deadlines and evidence requirements
- Establish contract governance, meeting cadence and reporting in line with the Contract Management Standard
- Monitor supplier and contractor performance against service levels and KPIs, and link the results to payment and remedies
- Control variations, change orders and contractual notices so that entitlement, cost and time are agreed and recorded
- Assess claims and emerging disputes and choose a resolution route from negotiation through to formal escalation
- Produce a Contract Administration Plan ready for approval by the contract owner
Target Audience
- Contract managers responsible for the post-award delivery of goods, services and works contracts
- Procurement and category managers accountable for supplier performance after award
- Project and operations managers who authorise payments and approve changes under contracts
- Commercial and cost managers responsible for valuations, variations and claims
- Legal and compliance managers advising on contractual rights, notices and remedies
- Supplier relationship managers overseeing strategic outsourcing arrangements
Course Outline
Day 1: Contract Administration Foundations and Handover
- Manage Phase of the Contract Management Standard, Fourth Edition
- Contract Handover Meeting and Kick-Off Checklist
- Contract Document Hierarchy and Order of Precedence Review
- Obligations Register Design: Owner, Trigger, Deadline and Evidence
- Contract Management Maturity Self-Assessment
Day 2: Governance, Relationship and Performance Frameworks
- Contract Governance Structure and RACI Matrix
- ISO 44001:2017 Collaborative Business Relationship Management Principles
- Service Level Agreement and KPI Definition Cards
- Contract Performance Scorecard Using the Balanced Scorecard
- Contract Segmentation Matrix by Value, Risk and Complexity
Day 3: Day-to-Day Administration of Obligations
- Payment Certificate, Valuation and Retention Tracking Procedure
- Change Control Procedure and Variation Order Log
- Contractual Notices and Time-Bar Calendar
- Early Warning and Risk Reduction Meetings Based on NEC4
- Earned Value Progress Indicators Under ISO 21508:2018
Day 4: Risk, Claims, Remedies and Close-Out
- Contract Risk Register Aligned to ISO 31000:2018
- Claim Assessment: Entitlement, Causation and Quantum
- Remedies Ladder: Cure Notices, Liquidated Damages, Suspension and Termination
- Tiered Dispute Resolution Clauses: Negotiation, Mediation and Dispute Boards
- Contract Close-Out Checklist and Lessons-Learned Review
Day 5: Case Work and the Contract Administration Plan
- Outsourced Facilities Management Case Study: Missed Obligations and Service Credits
- IT Services Contract Case Study: Change Control Breakdown and Claim Response
- Obligations Register Build for an Own Contract
- Contract Administration Plan Drafting
- Peer Review Panel and Plan Defence
Skills You Will Gain
- Obligation Management
- Contract Governance
- Supplier Performance Management
- Change Control
- Claims Assessment
- Contractual Notice Management
- Contract Risk Management
- Contract Close-Out
Why Attend This Course
- Return to work with a Contract Administration Plan and obligations register for a live contract, already tested by peers
- Protect the organisation's entitlements by recognising notice deadlines, time bars and remedies before they lapse
- Hold suppliers to agreed performance with evidence gathered during delivery rather than argument after the event
- Compare contract administration practice with managers from other sectors and countries
Conclusion
Contracts deliver their intended value only when someone manages them actively after signature. This course moves from handover and obligation mapping, through governance, performance and relationship frameworks, to the daily control of payments, change and notices, and then to claims, remedies, disputes and close-out. The final day applies that material to a live contract, and participants return with a Contract Administration Plan that gives them and their contract owner a clear, auditable basis for managing obligations through to close-out.