The Contracts and Project Management MBA

Introduction

The use of Contracts and Project Management continues to grow in our society. Small and large organisations heavily rely on contracts and project management to accomplish unique outcomes under critical operational constraints. Consequently, Contracts and Project Management has become a core business competence and a mandatory skill for individuals involved in project-based development.

Seminar Objectives

The seminar is designed to equip you with the skills, principles and techniques you need, and can depend on, for successfully administering and managing your contracts and projects through:

• Mastering the habits of the Master project manager
• Building effective teams and gaining their commitment
• Managing the project planning process
• Monitoring and controlling project progress
• Sustaining project momentum
• Developing critical skills to inspire and lead your team
• Evaluating different contracting methods
• Undertaking appropriate price and cost analyses
• Selecting the right qualified suppliers
• Transferring and retaining the different types of risk
• Dealing swiftly with fluctuations in pricing
• Handling claims and disputes

Who Should Attend?

This Seminar has been designed for Professionals who are responsible for, or involved in, contracting and project management activities; more specifically, project managers, team leaders, and contracts and procurement managers.

Competencies Emphasised

• Personal effectiveness
• Ability to influence and persuade
• Effective personal time utilisation
• Responding to project change
• Measuring and presenting results against initial goals
• Preparing and conducting negotiations
• Managing and controlling contracts
• Evaluating contract prices
• Selecting best payment terms and contract types
• Dealing with changes, claims, and disputes

Personal Impact

By attending this 2-week seminar, you will examine a wide range of advanced skills necessary for mastering the art of contracts and project management. This will give you greater ability to develop professionally and to increase your job satisfaction.

Organisational Impact

The organisation will benefit by having better project outcomes as a result of enhanced managerial skills. Other benefits include; higher productivity of personnel involved in project management activities, improved contractor/supplier relationships, and reduced total costs of services. Ultimately, mastering contracts and project management skills is the essential ingredient for achieving organisational goals.

Seminar Outline

Day 1 – Introduction to Projects

• What is a project?
• Benefits of project management
• Why some projects fail?
• What makes you a ‘Master’ of project management
• Project team and leadership
• What is the team approach
• Roles in and around projects
• The 8 habits of ‘Master’ project manager

Day 2 – Identify Your Outcomes and Plan for Achievement

• The importance of knowing your outcomes
• Project planning
• Handling uncertainty
• Decision analysis under risk
• Your own risk profile
• Defining project success criteria
• Planning issues
• Elements of a great project plan

Day 3 – Organise for Success and Gain & Maintain Commitment

• Personal attitudes and human behaviours
• Gaining and maintaining commitment
• The keys to effective influence and persuasion
• Understanding interpersonal project team dynamics
• Empowerment
• The project board
• The project support office
• Effective delegation

Day 4 – Take Massive Action and Stay Focused

• Action vs. Achievements
• Influences on decision making
• Problem solving styles
• Engaging the project team
• Staying focused
• Avoiding distractions
• Effective time utilization
• Plan updating and changes handling

Day 5 – Monitor and Control Achievements

• Data, information and knowledge management
• Integrating project scope, time and cost
• Performance measures and indicators to monitor performance
• Achieving practical conflict management
• Determinants of project success
• Lessons learned and creating learning culture
• Enhancing personal effectiveness

Day 6 – Negotiations Planning

• Role of Negotiation
• Negotiation—What Is It?
• Basic Rules of Negotiation, Part 1-A quote is never a concrete number
• Basic Rules of Negotiation, Part 2-The best prepared wins
• Basic Rules of Negotiation, Part 3-Have many issues and a BATNA
• Negotiation Nuggets
• Role Play a sample Negotiation

Day 7 - Financial Management and Contract Types

• Cost and Pricing
• Why Price is Different from Cost
• Estimating Cost
• Pricing Models
• Cost Analysis
• Risk Sharing Continuum
• Contract Types
• Implications of Contract Types
• Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
• Fixed-Price Contracts
• Economic Price Adjustment Contracts
• Comparison to Cost Estimates
• Invoices and Payments

Day 8 - Performance-Based Contracting

• Contract Management’s Role in Performance-Based Contracting
• Performance-Based Service Acquisition (PBSA), Part 1-Concepts
• Performance-Based Service Acquisition (PBSA), Part 2-The Major Steps
• Market Research Analysis
• Example of Market Research Analysis
• Establishing Baselines for Performance
• Setting Smart Targets
• Writing Performance-Based S.O.W.

Day 9 - Source Selection

• Rules, Regulation and Process for Source Qualification
• Methods of Contracting
• Developing Criteria and Applying Standards for Final Selection
• Rules for Drafting the Contract
• Terms & Conditions
• Forming the Contract
• Essential Elements
• Debriefing-The Post Award Conference

Day 10 - Contract Administration

• Post Award Functions Overview and Responsibilities
• Contract Administration Duties
• Contract Modifications
• Rules of Contract Interpretation
• Performance Monitoring
• Performance Issues/Problems
• Contract Disputes
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• Terminations
• Contract Close-Outs
• Subcontracts

info@oxford-management.com