Under the Contract there may be obligations on the Contractor to meet certain standards in relation to quality management. For example in the WIDP Contract (Clause 88) the Contractor is obliged to meet the Authority's Requirements which include the implementation of a quality assurance system compliant with ISO9001 or its equivalent and the appointment of a quality manager.
Whilst the Authority's role under the Contract is very different to the Contractor's there should be an equivalent commitment to quality by the Authority. The arrangements put in place to manage quality will need to comply with the Authority's wider internal quality assurance procedures. The Contract Management Manual should highlight the appropriate processes and sources of support within the Authority.
Some processes that are likely to be relevant to most Authorities will include:
• inviting regular feedback on the activities on the Contract Management Team from all parties with an interest in their role;
• reviews by the internal audit team; and
• external reviews including WIDP's tailored Contract Management Review or a Gateway Review following up the outcome of the procurement exercise.
The principles of ISO 9001 are set out below, with some examples as to how effective contract management aligns well with this approach to quality manual:
• a customer focused organisation - contract management should ensure that services are provided in accordance with the wishes of the Authority as set out in the project agreement;
• leadership - formalised governance processes should ensure that decisions are tracked and that accountabilities are clear;
• the involvement of people - typically the stakeholder engagement and communications plan;
• ensuring a process approach - the Contract Management Manual should set out the processes and procedures to be used and will ensure a consistent approach is taken;
• a systematic approach to management - this should be described in detail in the Contract Management Manual and support the governance aims of clear roles and responsibilities;
• a factual approach to decision making - work with the Contractor to agree reporting formats that provide the evidence to support key decisions taken and the evidence that value for money is being delivered;
• mutually beneficial supplier relations - agreeing a schedule of meetings with your Contractor to address any day to day issues; and
• continuous improvement - the Authority should work with the Contractor throughout the life of the Contract to identify means of improving the way the service is delivered and sharing the benefits so achieved. This could start with a process whereby the Contractor is invited to give feedback to the Authority in relation to their experience of the procurement process.22
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22 See also Schedule 15 of the WIDP Contract – Best Value and Continuous Improvement.