Authorities often aspire to retain the project manager after the procurement period and expect that person to become the Contract Manager in the post close period. However, project managers may not have the appropriate skills or the desire to take on the contract management role.
In practice many project managers leave projects once the Contract is signed in order to start on a new procurement. Others stay with the project during the period up to operational commencement but leave once the operational period begins.
WIDP recommends that the Contract Manager is in post prior to Contract signature leading to a period towards the end of the procurement period where both project manager and Contract Manager will be in post. Research carried out by Partnerships UK found that projects which had a formal handover had higher levels of overall satisfaction with the performance of the project than those which did not.
Regardless of the timing of the departure of the project manager there should be a structured handover from the project manager to the Contract Manager.
Authorities should plan for this well in advance as if the right plans are in place the Authority will be well placed to deal with an earlier than anticipated departure of the project manager.
A formal handover between the project manager and the Contract Manager should cover areas such as:
• key documents e.g. bid documents, the Contract, Final Business Case, agreements with users if applicable;
• processes;
• budget;
• external consultants;
• consortia makeup;
• contact lists;
• agreements with stakeholders; and
• Contractor plan for period from financial close to operational commencement.