Manage the contract

Creating a contract management plan

A contract management plan or outcome agreement management plan tracks the management of the contract and the relationship with the supplier or provider. The content and amount of detail in the plan can be tailored to the individual contract.

What goes in the plan?

Social services: How to measure outcomes and outputs

Managing relationships and conflict

Maintain a robust relationship with suppliers and providers by:

• providing positive and constructive feedback
• listening, identifying and addressing problems promptly, and explaining decisions and actions in an impartial way
• collaborating and respecting the supplier's expertise
• adopting a structured approach to managing the relationship.

Planning relationship management and resolving conflict

Managing performance during delivery

Managing service delivery involves monitoring and reporting on progress, health and safety and risks, and managing performance problems to ensure services are delivered on time and on budget.

Monitoring includes:

• collecting data related to performance - from monitoring meetings, reporting, and audit or accreditation
• assessing how well the service is meeting requirements and achieving outcomes
• taking action to address any opportunities to enhance outcomes or manage problems.

Planning monitoring and reporting activities

Day-to-day contract administration

Contract administration includes:

• maintaining documentation relating to the contract
• regulating change control
• monitoring budgets and costs
• checking invoices and authorising payment
• reviewing reports and requesting information
• asset management
• managing contract variations.

More about financial management, record-keeping and contract variations

Conducting reviews

As well as a post-implementation review (called a PIR), you might want to hold a review:

• when the contract is awarded
• during implementation
• at the end of the contract.

Reviews help you formulate coherent, useful and supportable recommendations about what works, what doesn't, and what might need to change next time. Recommendations must be robust enough for the agency to be able to act on them — this may involve realigning policy or changing business processes.

How and when to conduct a review

Winding up, terminating or transitioning a contract

Planning to wind up or transition a contract to a new supplier, and things to consider if you're terminating a contract early, either because of a dispute or breach, or by notice or mutual agreement.

Planning for the end of a contract

Resources and links