There are situations in which it may suit a client to say, 'You know what I want. I'll leave you to get on with it. Let me know when the job is done.' This may be a good enough approach where the work is straightforward, where the level of risk is low and where the client has reason to trust the contractors and is confident about the quality and commitment of their performance. By and large, though, clients will want to make sure that the work stays on track throughout the contract to achieve its intended results and that they obtain best value from the fees they are paying. In most sectors of procurement, client managers have standard procedures for maintaining an overview of the work, monitoring its progress and delivery and checking budget expenditure against outputs. In other areas, particularly service delivery contracts, it will normally be the contractors who are responsible for monitoring performance and the implementation of agreed management procedures.
Like other material in the bid, information about your contract management response needs to be project-specific, reflecting an awareness of the particular demands of the assignment and the priorities of the client's business environment. The challenge you have to meet is to convince the client that you are able to organize the work in a way that will deliver the most cost-effective, time-effective and quality-effective service.
Some bids merely generalize about professional accountability, project management support or internal management structures. There is more to be gained by showing how your arrangements for managing the work will help to achieve particular results and benefits. Find out, if you don't already know, how the client likes to work and show how well you will fit in. Let the client see that awarding the contract to you will ensure an alert response to changes in requirements as the work takes shape.
Referring to the concept of contract management as a form of preventative maintenance, Chapter 11 outlines the controls that clients will recognize as evidence of a commitment to help protect the contract from the risk of failure. These controls and related procedures are key components of the management information that the client will expect to read in your bid.
This information may cover the following topics, as appropriate:
team management and resources:
team structure
team leader
team induction
head office involvement;
management interface:
contract responsibilities
change management
management communication
role of a steering group or technical committee
project logistics and support
work location;
quality control:
progress measurement, performance monitoring and contract review
quality control procedures.