ABSTRACT
Implementation management is the central activity at the beginning of the contractual arrangement. The contract must be implemented, and the skill with which the implementation task is conducted will determine the long-term success of the contract. A comprehensive implementation plan must be in place, and agreed with the supplier, before the contract is signed. In most agreements, third parties will need to be consulted if they are affected by the planned contractual arrangement. However, particularly in the information technology arena, third party contracts increasingly contain specific clauses relating to outsourcing. The negotiation manager should take careful account of the tasks that must be completed before contract commencement. Post-commencement implementation refers to implementation activities to be conducted after the contract has commenced operationally. The procurement process itself should ensure that suppliers are obliged to provide draft implementation plans as part of their bid submissions. Once an agreement has commenced, the emphasis of an implementation plan passes to the supplier.
