This section contains a selection of general resources relating to contract design and management.

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The Secret to Programs that Work: New tools for program design and evaluation (PDF)
Jitindher Kohli, William D Eggers and John Griffith, 2011
Center for American Progress
This paper diagnoses common design flaws in public policy, and proposes a list-based advance-warning system to help policymakers distinguish between programs with a high chance of success from those likely to run into problems down the line.

USA

Central Government's Management of Service Contracts (PDF)
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2009
The Stationery Office
An assessment of central government's management of contracts for IT/communications, facilities management and busines process outsourcing services.

UK

Central Government's Management of Service Contracts (Web Page)
National Audit Office (NAO), 2008

With a focus on information and communications technology, facilities management and business process outsourcing, this report examines UK central government's management of ongoing service contracts. It finds that while there are examples of good practice, management of service contracts is not consistently providing value for money. The authors report that "nearly all the organisations we surveyed thought that value for money could be improved through better contract management, in terms of more or better services, and/or lower costs". They conclude with a series of recommendations to improve contract management and realize greater value for money.

Building Flexibility: New Delivery Models for Public Infrastructure Projects (Web Page)
Deloitte, 2006

This Deloitte report evaluates the PFI and LEP/LIFT models, and describes the conditions in which they are likely to work best. It proposes five new delivery models which Deloitte believes have the potential to offer improved outcomes in situations where neither PFI nor LEP/LIFT is suitable.

UK

Public-private Partnerships: Contract Design and Risk Transfer (PDF)
Dewatripont, Mathias; Legros, Patrick, 2005
European Investment Bank
This paper assesses the implications of contract design and risk transfer on the provision of public services under public-private partnerships (PPPs).

EU

Explaining Public Service Performance: Does Management Matter? (PDF)
Boyne, George, A, 2005
Cardiff Business School
An academic paper that examines the effects of management in the procurement of public services, citing evidence that supports the thesis that management  reflects on the quality, effectiveness and consumer satisfaction of the services provided.

UK

Effectiveness of Operational Contracts in PFI (PDF)
Stevens, Mike and Rose, Norman, 2007
KPMG LLP
This report covers the findings of a survey commissioned by KPMG and the Business Services Association (BSA) of PFI projects in the operational phase.

UK

Partnering in Practice: New Approaches to PPP delivery (PDF)
Brewer, P. K; Johnson, L, 2004
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
A report containing PWC proposals for the enhancement of the current PPP alliances in the UK by enabling parties to use more effective techniques for establishing cost transparency, joint risk management and team working within PPPs.  

UK

Managing Risks to Improve Public Services (Volume I) (PDF)
National Audit Office, 2004
The Stationery Office
A report that states the importance of adequate risk management as a practice that equips public sector organisations to deliver improvements in both public services and their overall efficiency.

UK

Managing Risks to Improve Public Services (Volume 2: Case Studies) (PDF)
National Audit Office, 2004
The Stationery Office
Summaries of case studies that show the benefits of risk management and how it can help departments to deliver better public services, improve efficiency, make more reliable decisions and support innovation. The volume contains case studies in five Government departments and descriptions of risk management in four private sector companies with global operations.

UK

How to Write a Statement of Work
Peter S. Cole , 2003
Management Concepts
This book presents general guidelines for writing and preparing Statements of Work (SOW) in public contracting. Additionally the author suggests further guidance literature for developing SOWs and Performance-Based Service Contracts.

USA

Contract Management Guidelines (PDF)
Office of Government Commerce (OGC), 2002

Guidelines for public sector managers responsible for managing long term commercial arrangements with the private sector. The main areas covered are managing service delivery (formal governance), managing the relationship, contract administration, seeking performance improvements, and managing changes. This guidance does not cover the process of creating a commercial arrangement.

UK

Risk: Improving Government's Capability to Handle Risk and Uncertainty (PDF)
Strategy Unit Report, 2002
Cabinet Office
A Government report recognizing the importance of early risk identification in policy development, risk management and complex issues of risk transfer to and from the private sector. Contains a general proposal of a risk management strategy for improving risk management across the whole of Government.

UK

Contract Issues and Financing in PPP/PFI (PDF)
Palmer, Keith, 2000
Cambridge Economic Policy Associates LTD
A report prepared for the IPPR Commission on Public Private Partnerships whose objective was to analyze the distinctive risk transfer features of the various contract types existent on the PPP/PFI arena. The document makes a case for not taking any type as generally applicable but rather to choose the most convenient one for the specific purpose.

UK

The Role of Market Forces in Assuring Contractual Performance (PDF)
Klein, Benjamin and Leffler, Keith B., 1997
Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 89, No. 41, pp.615-641
A study which analyses the role of increased price as a way in which transactors can use the market mechanism to guarantee adequate contract enforcement. The study analyses some motivations behind good contract performance and compares some proposed measures on contract designs aimed at guaranteeing the quality of the services supplied.

USA

Private Sector Business Contracts: The Text Between the Lines
Lyons, Bruce and Mehta, Judith , 1997
Deakin, Simon and Michie, Jonathan (eds); Contracts, Co-operation and Competition: Studies in Economics, Management and Law; Oxford University Press, pp.43-66
This paper explains why contractual arrangements are greatly determined by the "text between the lines", the key dimensions of the transaction. The authors state that when transactions are recurrent, require investment to be made in specific assets, and are accompanied by high level of uncertainty, informal relational contractual arrangements provide a viable option.

UK

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