Unlocking Value in Post-Award Contract Management: The Power of Joint Working Plans

Jim Bergman

Contracts are often seen as the finish line of negotiation – a document signed, filed, and left to gather dust until a dispute arises. But in reality, the signing of a contract is not the end of the journey; it’s the beginning of a relationship. Post-award contract management is where the real work happens, and where organizations can unlock enormous value if they approach it with the right mindset.

One of the most powerful tools in this stage is the use of joint working plans or other shared activities. These mechanisms transform contracts from static agreements into dynamic frameworks for collaboration. When parties commit to working together beyond the ink on the page, they create opportunities for enterprise process improvement, innovation, and mutual benefit.

Why Post-Award Management Matters

The post-award phase is where contracts come to life. It’s where obligations are fulfilled, performance is measured, and relationships are tested. Too often, organizations treat this phase as a compliance exercise – checking boxes, monitoring deadlines, and enforcing penalties. While compliance is critical, it’s only part of the story.

The real potential of post-award management lies in collaboration. Contracts are not just about risk allocation; they are about value creation. By working together, suppliers and customers can achieve outcomes that go far beyond the original scope of the agreement.

Joint Working Plans: A Framework for Collaboration

A joint working plan is a structured approach where both parties agree to engage in shared activities for their mutual benefit. These plans can take many forms, but they typically include:

  • Shared goals: Defining objectives that benefit both parties, such as reducing costs, improving quality, or enhancing sustainability.
  • Collaborative processes: Establishing mechanisms for joint problem-solving, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Regular checkpoints: Scheduling reviews to assess progress, identify challenges, and adjust strategies.
  • Resource sharing: Pooling expertise, technology, or data to achieve outcomes neither party could accomplish alone.

The beauty of joint working plans is that they shift the focus from “meeting contract terms” to “creating shared value.”

Examples of Shared Activities

Joint working plans can be tailored to the context of the contract and the needs of the parties. Here are some examples:

  • Enterprise process improvement: Streamlining workflows across organizations to reduce inefficiencies and improve outcomes.
  • Innovation initiatives: Collaborating on new product development, service enhancements, or technology adoption.
  • Sustainability projects: Working together to reduce carbon footprints, improve supply chain transparency, or meet regulatory requirements.
  • Risk management: Sharing data and insights to anticipate and mitigate risks more effectively.
  • Training and capability-building: Developing joint training programs to enhance skills and knowledge across both organizations.

These activities not only deliver tangible benefits but also strengthen relationships, build trust, and foster long-term partnerships.

The Business Case for Joint Working Plans

Why should organizations invest time and resources in joint working plans? The answer is simple: the benefits far outweigh the costs.

  • Enhanced performance: Shared activities drive improvements in quality, efficiency, and reliability.
  • Cost savings: Process improvements and resource sharing reduce waste and lower expenses.
  • Innovation: Collaboration sparks creativity and accelerates the adoption of new ideas.
  • Resilience: Joint risk management enhances the ability to withstand disruptions.
  • Reputation: Demonstrating collaboration and sustainability strengthens brand credibility.

In a competitive marketplace, these advantages can be the difference between thriving and merely surviving.

Keys to Success

Implementing joint working plans requires more than good intentions. Success depends on several critical factors:

  • Clear alignment: Both parties must agree on shared goals and understand how they benefit from collaboration.
  • Strong governance: Establishing structures for decision-making, accountability, and conflict resolution is essential.
  • Open communication: Transparency builds trust and ensures issues are addressed promptly.
  • Flexibility: Plans must be adaptable to changing circumstances and evolving needs.
  • Measurement: Defining metrics and tracking progress ensures accountability and demonstrates value.

When these elements are in place, joint working plans become powerful engines of value creation.

Risks and How to Manage Them

Of course, collaboration is not without risks. Organizations must be mindful of potential challenges:

  • Misaligned incentives: If one party benefits more than the other, resentment can build.
  • Resource constraints: Shared activities require time, money, and expertise, which may be limited.
  • Confidentiality concerns: Sharing data and insights can raise issues of security and intellectual property.
  • Cultural differences: Divergent organizational cultures can hinder collaboration.

The key is to anticipate these risks and build safeguards into the joint working plan. Clear agreements, strong governance, and regular communication go a long way toward mitigating challenges.

Sector-Specific Applications

Joint working plans are not limited to one industry – they can be applied across sectors:

  • Manufacturing: Suppliers and customers collaborate on lean production initiatives to reduce waste.
  • Healthcare: Hospitals and suppliers work together to improve patient outcomes through better supply chain management.
  • Technology: Vendors and clients co-develop solutions to meet evolving digital needs.
  • Retail: Retailers and suppliers collaborate on sustainability initiatives to meet consumer expectations.
  • Construction: Contractors and clients engage in joint risk management to ensure project success.
  • Education: Faith-based universities and suppliers collaborate on shared training programs aligned with mission-driven values.

These examples demonstrate the versatility and power of joint working plans in diverse contexts.

Energizing the Future of Contract Management

The future of contract management is collaborative. Organizations that embrace joint working plans will be better positioned to:

  • Respond to market shifts with agility.
  • Innovate faster and more effectively.
  • Build resilient supply chains.
  • Meet evolving customer and stakeholder expectations.
  • Create sustainable, long-term value.

Those that cling to transactional, compliance-focused approaches will find themselves constrained, reactive, and vulnerable. The choice is clear: collaboration through joint working plans, or stagnation through isolation.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Contracts are not just legal documents – they are frameworks for relationships. In the post-award phase, the true potential of contracts is realized when parties move beyond compliance and embrace collaboration. Joint working plans and shared activities provide the structure for this collaboration, enabling organizations to achieve outcomes far greater than the sum of their parts.

The benefits are undeniable: enhanced performance, cost savings, innovation, resilience, and reputation. The risks are manageable with clear alignment, strong governance, open communication, flexibility, and measurement. And the applications span industries, from manufacturing to healthcare to faith-based universities.

The message is simple: post-award contract management is not about enforcing obligations—it’s about creating shared value.

Call to Action: Audit your current contracts. Identify opportunities for joint working plans. Engage your partners in conversations about shared goals and collaborative activities. Build structures for governance, communication, and measurement. And most importantly, commit to treating contracts as living frameworks for collaboration.

The future of contract management belongs to those who embrace partnership. Don’t wait for a crisis to force collaboration—start building joint working plans today and unlock the full potential of your supplier-customer relationships.

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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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