Consultant and Contractor Management and Negotiation

Introduction:

The focus of this Effective Contract Negotiation Strategy for Managers course is to equip hiring managers, procurement officials, and recruiters with the skills necessary to maximize returns on investment through all stages of engaging external consultants and contractors, from recruitment to contract termination. The course emphasizes leveraging contractors effectively while fostering healthy relationships between contractors and internal employees for seamless teamwork.

With the increasing trend of outsourcing and pressure to downsize payrolls, mastering the skills to source, recruit, and manage top contractor and consultant talent is crucial. This course compares the management of external consultants to internal staff and provides strategies for effective contract negotiation, emphasizing principled conflict resolution.

Objectives:

At the end of this Effective Contract Negotiation Strategy for Managers course, participants will be able to:

• Compare and contrast bids and proposals to select the most suitable contractors and consultants.
• Understand and address key clauses in legal documents.
• Apply various payment structures.
• Negotiate as principled negotiators.
• Enhance the performance of consultants and contractors.

Training Methodology:

• Case Studies
• Role Playing
• Interactive Workshops
• Simulations
• Group Discussions
• Expert Panels
• Negotiation Exercises

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Justifying the Request for External Assistance

• Comprehend, recognize, and specify the business problem.
• Create a cost-benefit analysis.
• Determine the terms of the work, generally called the Statement of Work (SOW) or Terms of Reference (TOR).
• Market pricing of EPC contractors with a global scope of operations and activities.
• Assess the value of independent experts and management consultancy firms in the local market.

Unit 2: Ground Work Preparations for Tendering

• Carry out sourcing.
• Formulate contracting procurement strategy.
• Write a tendering document.
• Define and sign service level agreements.
• Organize a tender briefing.

Unit 3: The Process Of Bidding And Bid Evaluation

• Competitive tendering.
• Preliminary evaluation.
• Evaluation of proposals and bids.
• Pricing and modifications to contracts.
• Proposal or bids analysis.
• Tender questions.

Unit 4: Negotiation Contract Preparation And Development

• Definition and philosophy of contract law.
• Review model contracts achieved by consultancies and contractors.
• Identify notable clauses to include in the contract.
• Prepare for negotiations.
• Negotiate terms related to contract provisions, financial aspects, reporting, and payments.
• Address non-disclosure, intellectual property rights, insurance, and guarantees.

Unit 5: Award of Contract and Performance Appraisal

• Manage contract awarding.
• Oversee performance and progress management.
• Assess savings achieved within consultancy services.
• Control risks and changes.
• Administer contracts.
• Evaluate and understand engagements.