Contract Manager’s Responsibilities

Contract managers perform various duties over the course of a contract. To begin with, they control variations to the contract in terms of change of policy, quality, quantity, price, timing and delivery. Variations in this case refer to the amendment of a contract which changes the original terms and conditions of the agreement. Contract managers are therefore required to ensure that a contract is not varied to the extent that it alters the services offered or the pricing and even the nature of goods and services offered (Shaik, 2014). A contract should only be varied in distinct circumstances, with the contractor and the acquiring entity coming into an agreement that is either written or oral.  A contract manager is expected to also ensure that a contract is not varied due to serious problems such as poor performance. Contract managers should know the real reason behind variation of a given contract. Contract managers also need to ensure that for the terms and conditions of a contract to vary, the involved parties must present parts of the original transaction.

Another role of a contract manager is to manage disputes. Human beings have different, conflicting ideas which get them into conflicts. A dispute is said to have occurred when the two parties are not able to agree on an aspect with regard to the contract. A control manager therefore, is expected to be rational and unbiased in order to contain such conflicts by identifying the root cause of the problem and then addressing it.  The manager should refer a conflict between both parties to the contract resolution mechanism that was agreed upon at the time of signing the contract (Shaik, 2014). Sound understanding of their responsibilities by both parties helps to reduce disagreements within the tenure of a contract. To avoid escalation of disagreements, a control manager should recognize a dispute at an early stage. Unresolved conflicts can greatly affect the contract and in a worse scenario leading to termination of a contract. A contract manager can employ various forms to resolve a dispute. Negotiation tactics, litigation, arbitration or mediation can be used to solve disagreements.

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