PCM100 | Contract Management and Negotiations

Increasingly, public services are provided through private agencies. Public authorities enter into a range of contracts for this purpose. For a public administrator or a private person engaging with the state, managing contracts is not just a ‘legal’ or ‘compliance’ exercise. Public authorities need to make decisions regarding when such contracts should be entered into, how such contracts should be designed, how awards are made, and other procurement rules, by evaluating policy objectives and Constitutional principles. The subject matter of the course is divided over four modules. The first module will introduce principles of contract law and the manner in which contracts are regulated by the State. The subsequent modules will cover concepts in relation to the formation, performance, and breach of government contracts, public private partnerships, and evolution in procurement policies to achieve policy outcomes. Besides traditional public procurement, there will be a special focus on public private partnerships in the context of developing countries. In this module, students will learn how governments and private players collaborate on long term projects using case studies. This course will draw on skills learnt by students in earlier courses, including the course on Reading Judgments and Statutes. Topics covered in this course will also serve as an introduction to subject matter in subsequent courses on Regulatory Governance and Sectoral Workshop and Responsible Business.