Description

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Many projects start before proper authorisation is granted, through the creation and signing of legally binding Contracts. “Contracts” often constitute no more than a Supplier’s Terms and Conditions, which are designed to protect the Supplier, at the expense of the Customer. As a result there is often no clear, unambiguous statement of what is expected of each Party, what products the Project will deliver, nor any defined criteria of what will constitute proper delivery of such products. Customers and Suppliers are thereby exposed to the risk of costly litigation, as a result of a failure to deliver as expected by the other Party. When there is a failure to supply what is expected, the legal position of parties is unclear.This seminar will develop your legal knowledge, reduce uncertainty and thereby reduce the risk of expensive litigation inherent in creating contractual relationships. This knowledge will allow you to work more closely with lawyers, minimise their workload and also reduce the time it usually takes to draw up contracts.

You will gain a practical introduction to contract law in the context of project management. You’ll will understand what a properly drawn contract should contain and look like, what clauses should be included as a minimum, and how that differs from mere ‘Terms and Conditions’. You will also learn to read and understand contractual terms and how to include relevant information by attaching schedules. You will be able to recognise and deal confidently with the risks and benefits of contracts normally associated with managing projects and products.

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

If your answer to any of the following questions is YES, this course is for you.

• Are you responsible for managing delivery of a Project?
• Do you read or deal with contracts in your role as a Project Manager?
• Are you unsure of the exact meaning of some of the words in the contracts generated by your projects?
• Are you worried about avoiding the pitfalls related to the creation and management of a contract - like knowing when and whether you have a binding contract, and understanding the extent of your liability under a contract?
• Do you want to learn the basics of contract law in plain, everyday language?

COURSE CONTENT

•  Themes in Contract Law for Project Managers.
•  You will be introduced to the themes in contract law that will be covered during the Seminar.
•  Principles of Contract Law - Offer and Acceptance.
•  Structuring the Contract.
•  Standard Terms and Conditions.
•  Schedules to the Contract.
•  Risk Management.
•  Breach of Contract remedies and options.
•  Project expectations and acceptable results.
•  Capturing Customer expectations and acceptance criteria.
•  Avoid accepting the Supplier's Terms and Conditions as 'the contract'.
•  Negotiate terms to the best advantage of your organisation.
•  Proper use of Schedules.
•  Liability issues - who is to blame if things go wrong.
•  Post- project contract management.
•  What should a contract look like?
•  Intellectual Property.
•  Copyright and Licensing.
•  Risks and Risk Management.
• Disputes and Breaches of Contract.