26. The OGC described the C&AG's Report as a useful stimulus as it focused on the importance of contract management and was a reminder that it needed to continue to maintain and strengthen the focus on this area. It regretted that contract management disciplines had not been in place earlier, and that many authorities provided little or no training in contract management skills. It also had concerns about the blend of experience and appropriate skills employed in some contract management teams.46
27. The OGC said it was taking action to improve authorities' capability to commission and manage projects through advice and guidance, the use of the Gateway Review process and a stronger focus on wider commercial skills. It would introduce new training courses and encourage people to build careers in contract management. At the operational and business level the OGC had inherited much advice and guidance from predecessor organisations. It plans to provide revised, coherent and updated contract management operational guidance by the end of April 2002. For accounting officers, the OGC had provided more focused advice on the critical issues of managing partnering arrangements and why service contracts could go wrong.47 It also published a document on 15 April for accounting officers on value for money in complex procurements.48 The need for contract management manuals would feature as part of its updated advice and guidance. As part of the Gateway Review process review teams would test what methods were in place to facilitate the ongoing management of a contract.49
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48 Ev 22
49 Q214