A New Portfolio of Skills Are Needed to Succeed in Post-Award Contract Management

Jim Bergman

Contracts are often celebrated at the moment of signing, with both parties relieved that negotiations are complete and obligations clearly defined. Yet the real story begins after the ink dries. Post-award contract management is where agreements come to life, where promises are tested, and where relationships either flourish or falter. Too often, organizations treat this phase as a compliance exercise—monitoring deadlines, enforcing penalties, and ensuring obligations are met. While compliance is essential, it is only part of the story.

The modern business environment demands more. Post-award contract management is no longer just about enforcing obligations; it is about creating value, fostering collaboration, and driving strategic outcomes. To succeed in this new environment, professionals need a new portfolio of skills—a blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and interpersonal capabilities that go far beyond traditional contract administration.

Why a New Skill Portfolio Is Essential

The pace of change in today’s marketplace is relentless. Technology evolves rapidly, regulations shift, customer expectations rise, and sustainability becomes a non-negotiable priority. Contracts must adapt to these changes, and so must the professionals who manage them.

Traditional skills—such as monitoring compliance, tracking deadlines, and enforcing penalties—remain important. But they are no longer sufficient. Success in post-award contract management now requires skills that enable professionals to:

  • Drive collaboration: Building strong relationships with suppliers and customers.
  • Foster innovation: Identifying opportunities for process improvement and joint initiatives.
  • Manage risk: Anticipating disruptions and developing mitigation strategies.
  • Ensure sustainability: Embedding ESG principles into contract performance.
  • Leverage technology: Using digital tools to monitor performance and track obligations.

This new portfolio of skills transforms contract managers from administrators into strategic leaders.

The Core Skills of Modern Post-Award Contract Management

1. Strategic Thinking

Contract managers must move beyond transactional enforcement and think strategically. This means understanding how contracts align with organizational goals, identifying opportunities for value creation, and anticipating future needs. Strategic thinking transforms contracts from static documents into dynamic frameworks for success.

2. Relationship Management

Strong relationships are the foundation of successful contracts. Contract managers must build trust, foster collaboration, and resolve conflicts constructively. This requires empathy, communication skills, and the ability to balance competing interests. Relationship management ensures that contracts deliver not only compliance but also partnership and shared value.

3. Risk Management

The modern business environment is full of risks—supply chain disruptions, regulatory changes, cybersecurity threats, and more. Contract managers must identify these risks, assess their impact, and develop mitigation strategies. Risk management ensures that contracts remain resilient in the face of uncertainty.

4. Sustainability and ESG Integration

Sustainability is no longer optional. Customers, regulators, and investors demand accountability on environmental, social, and governance issues. Contract managers must embed ESG principles into contract performance, monitor compliance, and drive continuous improvement. This requires knowledge of sustainability standards, reporting frameworks, and stakeholder expectations.

5. Technology Proficiency

Digital tools are transforming contract management. Contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, performance dashboards, and data analytics provide real-time visibility into obligations and performance. Contract managers must be proficient in these tools, using them to monitor compliance, track metrics, and identify opportunities for improvement.

6. Communication and Negotiation

Effective communication is essential for building relationships, resolving conflicts, and driving collaboration. Contract managers must be skilled negotiators, able to balance competing interests and find win-win solutions. Communication and negotiation skills ensure that contracts remain aligned with evolving needs.

7. Continuous Improvement Mindset

Contracts are not static; they must evolve alongside the business. Contract managers must foster a culture of continuous improvement, identifying opportunities for process enhancements, innovation, and value creation. This mindset ensures that contracts remain relevant and effective.

Sector-Specific Applications

The importance of this new skill portfolio spans industries:

  • Manufacturing: Strategic thinking and risk management ensure supply chains remain resilient.
  • Healthcare: Relationship management and ESG integration ensure ethical sourcing and patient safety.
  • Technology: Technology proficiency and risk management ensure cybersecurity and innovation.
  • Retail: Sustainability skills ensure suppliers meet commitments on packaging and sourcing.
  • Construction: Risk management and communication skills ensure project success and safety compliance.
  • Energy: ESG integration ensures compliance with renewable energy commitments and emissions reduction.
  • Transportation: Strategic thinking and technology proficiency optimize logistics and reduce emissions.
  • Financial Services: Governance skills ensure compliance with evolving regulations and ethical standards.
  • Hospitality: Relationship management ensures service standards align with guest expectations.
  • Government: Governance and transparency skills ensure accountability in public procurement.
  • Non-Profits: ESG integration ensures alignment with donor expectations on sustainability.
  • Faith-Based Universities: Relationship management and ESG integration ensure supplier relationships align with mission-driven values.

These examples demonstrate the versatility and importance of the new skill portfolio across diverse contexts.

Keys to Success

To succeed in building this new portfolio of skills, organizations must:

  • Commit Leadership Support: Senior executives must champion skill development.
  • Invest in Training: Equip staff with the skills needed for modern contract management.
  • Foster a Culture of Improvement: Encourage teams to view skill development as an opportunity, not a burden.
  • Leverage Technology: Provide access to digital tools and training on their use.
  • Measure Progress: Define metrics for skill development and track outcomes.

Risks of Neglecting Skill Development

Failing to build this new portfolio of skills can lead to:

  • Compliance failures: Ignoring regulatory changes can result in penalties.
  • Reputational damage: Failing to meet ESG commitments can erode trust.
  • Operational inefficiencies: Outdated practices can increase costs and waste.
  • Relationship strain: Misalignment with customer expectations can weaken partnerships.
  • Missed opportunities: Neglecting skill development can hinder innovation and competitiveness.

The risks are too great to ignore. Skill development is essential for success in modern post-award contract management.

Energizing the Future of Contract Management

The future of contract management is collaborative, adaptive, and sustainability-driven. Professionals who build this new portfolio of skills 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 who cling to outdated, transactional approaches will find themselves constrained, reactive, and vulnerable. The choice is clear: skill development, or stagnation.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Contracts are not just legal documents—they are frameworks for relationships and performance. In the post-award phase, the true potential of contracts is realized when professionals move beyond compliance and embrace collaboration. A new portfolio of skills is essential for success, providing the capabilities needed to drive sustainability, innovation, and resilience.

The benefits are undeniable: agility, efficiency, innovation, resilience, and customer alignment. The risks are manageable with clear processes, 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 and driving success.

Call to Action: Audit your current skill portfolio. Identify gaps in strategic thinking, relationship management, risk management, sustainability, technology proficiency, communication, and continuous improvement. Invest in training, foster a culture of improvement, and commit to building the skills needed for modern contract management.

The future of contract management belongs to those who embrace skill development. Don’t wait for inefficiencies or disruptions to force change—start building your new portfolio of skills 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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