Do the right thing - Contract Managemet

The project or program manager should participate in the statement of work (SOW) and master service agreement (MSA) negotiation process.

1. Work with the procurement team to ensure that all processes and procedures have been thought through in terms of how they will be executed.

2. Read the contracts thoroughly. Highlight and dogie ear pages so that you can easily refer to them. Keep the marked up copies so you can easily compare newer versions of the contract to the changes you previously requested.

3. Have senior managers from departments that are also impacted should review and comment on the contracts.

You can't read a book to become a project manager

Project management requires common sense and creativity. If you don't know how to figure things out using common sense and you lack the ability to be able to invent ways to get things done then project management is not be for you!

Many people are good at reading books and repeating back what they read. Don't be fooled when interviewing people who are all "talk" and not personally capable. During the interview throw a situation or two at them and see if they have any common sense and creativity. By the way you really cannot measure these skills in a test. That is why many of the project management exams that supposidly qualify you as a "professional project manager" are really a joke. They are a scam to take your money. Don't fall for it! From my over 16 years as a manager virtually 99% of the people I have met that took one if those tests fail regularly in real life as a manager because inatetly they lack common sense and creativity. Copying someone else's material or parroting theories about how things should work is not how a successful organization should be run. Avoid hiring people who really cannot do the job. You cannot read a book to become a project manager.

Dora Tarver 4/25/09
www.e-projectmanagers.com