ABSTRACT
One of the best ways to facilitate effective contract management is effective contract preparation. Effective contract preparation means drafting and assembling the contract so as to protect the owner's interests. Protecting the owner's interests when administering a design agreement, a consultant agreement, or a construction contract is a lot easier if these documents are written and assembled with the intent of protecting the owner's interests. Therefore, before getting to the specifics of the design agreement, the consultant agreement, and the construction contract, this chapter discusses in general terms techniques for drafting and assembling contracts that protect the owner's interests and provide the fewest possible bases for disputes. It discusses ten recommended rules of contract preparation. One key to effective contract drafting is creating requirements. The most effective way to create a requirement is to use specific language. Documents drafted for a specific owner will incorporate that owner's preferred approach to managing projects.
