Preparing to Pass the Baton: Engaging the Post-Award Contract Manager in the Negotiation Process

Jim Bergman

In contract lifecycle management, negotiation is often treated as a sprint – led by sourcing or legal teams, focused on speed, leverage, and closure. But once the deal is signed, the real work begins. The post-award contract manager inherits the agreement, often without context, and is expected to deliver results based on terms they didn’t shape.

To avoid this disconnect, organizations must reframe negotiation as a relay – where the post-award manager is engaged early, not just handing the baton at the finish line.

Why Early Engagement Matters

Bringing post-award contract managers into the negotiation process isn’t just a courtesy – it’s a strategic move. Their insights can:

  • Ensure Operational Feasibility: They understand how terms translate into day-to-day execution, helping avoid clauses that are impractical or overly rigid.
  • Strengthen Risk Management: With firsthand knowledge of vendor performance and compliance issues, they can flag risks that might otherwise be overlooked.
  • Preserve Strategic Intent: Early involvement helps maintain continuity between what was negotiated and how it’s managed, reducing misinterpretation and drift.

Practical Strategies for Inclusion

To embed post-award managers meaningfully in the negotiation process, consider these approaches:

  • Invite Them to Kickoff Meetings: Align on goals, risks, and operational realities before negotiations begin.
  • Solicit Clause-Level Feedback: Ask for input on performance metrics, reporting obligations, and escalation procedures.
  • Use Scenario Planning: Walk through potential challenges—like delivery delays or scope changes—and incorporate their insights into contingency terms.
  • Create Structured Handoff Tools: Develop contract summaries, risk registers, and transition checklists to ensure smooth knowledge transfer.

From Relay to Partnership

To make this shift stick, organizations need both cultural and procedural changes:

  • Cultural Shift: Recognize post-award managers as strategic contributors, not just administrators.
  • Process Shift: Formalize their role in negotiation playbooks, RACI matrices, and governance protocols.

This transforms contract management from reactive oversight to proactive value realization.

Next Steps for Practitioners

  • Audit your current negotiation workflows to identify gaps in post-award engagement.
  • Pilot a cross-functional negotiation team for your next strategic contract.
  • Develop modular training assets to build negotiation literacy among post-award professionals.

Summary Thoughts

Engaging the post-award contract manager early in the negotiation process transforms contract management from a transactional handoff into a strategic partnership. Their operational insights, risk awareness, and continuity of intent help shape agreements that are not only legally sound but practically executable. By involving them in kickoff meetings, clause reviews, scenario planning, and structured handoffs, organizations can reduce compliance risks and improve vendor performance. This shift—from sprint to relay—ensures that negotiated terms translate into real-world value, aligning contract execution with strategic goals across the lifecycle.

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Published by Jim Bergman

Jim Bergman is a commercial contract professional with global experience spanning the USA, Latin America, UK, Europe, China, South Korea, Japan, India, SE Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. He has worked on a wide range of direct and indirect spend categories in numerous sectors, developing a deep knowledge of services, goods and technology procurement and sales. Across this wide array of commodity and services experience, Jim has found the keys to success in maximizing value for money through customer-supplier relationships founded on innovative category management and strategic sourcing practices, key performance metrics and measures, as well as Total Cost of Ownership principles and collaborative contracting tenets. He has shared his knowledge through advisory engagements, as well as in developing and delivering training programs both on-line and in classrooms, in both open-enrollment and internal environments. Jim has assisted his clients through all phases and steps of contracting, negotiation, strategic sourcing and bidding processes, demonstrating value generation in excess of $250 million. His audiences and clients have included over 7,000 attorneys and commercial professionals students from over 1,000 corporations and public-sector entities.

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