<s>
Contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
or	O
contract	B-Architecture
administration	I-Architecture
is	O
the	O
management	O
of	O
contracts	O
made	O
with	O
customers	O
,	O
vendors	O
,	O
partners	O
,	O
or	O
employees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
includes	O
negotiating	O
the	O
terms	O
and	O
conditions	O
in	O
contracts	O
and	O
ensuring	O
compliance	O
with	O
the	O
terms	O
and	O
conditions	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
documenting	O
and	O
agreeing	O
on	O
any	O
changes	O
or	O
amendments	O
that	O
may	O
arise	O
during	O
its	O
implementation	O
or	O
execution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Complex	O
contracts	O
are	O
often	O
necessary	O
for	O
construction	O
projects	O
,	O
goods	O
or	O
services	O
that	O
are	O
highly	O
regulated	O
,	O
goods	O
or	O
services	O
with	O
detailed	O
technical	O
specifications	O
,	O
intellectual	O
property	O
(	O
IP	O
)	O
agreements	O
,	O
outsourcing	B-Architecture
and	O
international	O
trade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
larger	O
contracts	O
require	O
the	O
effective	O
use	O
of	O
contract	B-Application
management	I-Application
software	I-Application
to	O
aid	O
administration	O
among	O
multiple	O
parties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
sales	O
contracts	O
(	O
including	O
leases	B-Operating_System
)	O
,	O
purchasing	O
contracts	O
,	O
partnership	O
agreements	O
,	O
trade	O
agreements	O
,	O
and	O
intellectual	O
property	O
agreements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
business-standard	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
model	O
,	O
as	O
employed	O
by	O
many	O
organizations	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
typically	O
exercises	O
purview	O
over	O
the	O
following	O
business	O
disciplines	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
can	O
be	O
divided	O
into	O
three	O
phases	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
post-award	O
or	O
"	O
downstream	O
"	O
phase	O
,	O
some	O
organisations	O
have	O
a	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
team	O
,	O
others	O
may	O
require	O
operational	O
managers	O
to	O
include	O
the	O
management	O
of	O
contracts	O
within	O
their	O
role	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chartered	O
Institute	O
of	O
Procurement	O
&	O
Supply	O
(	O
CIPS	O
)	O
suggests	O
that	O
the	O
requirement	O
for	O
dedicated	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
depends	O
on	O
contract	O
value	O
,	O
contract	O
length	O
,	O
complexity	O
of	O
services	O
and	O
level	O
of	O
risk	O
,	O
although	O
in	O
the	O
initial	O
stages	O
of	O
a	O
contract	O
,	O
the	O
assessment	O
of	O
risk	O
and	O
the	O
implementation	O
of	O
core	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
processes	O
may	O
be	O
appropriate	O
tasks	O
for	O
a	O
dedicated	O
contract	O
manager	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CIPS	O
also	O
notes	O
that	O
in	O
some	O
cases	O
the	O
procurement	O
team	O
may	O
have	O
an	O
extended	O
role	O
in	O
maintaining	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Current	O
thinking	O
about	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
in	O
complex	O
relationships	O
is	O
shifting	O
from	O
a	O
compliance	O
“	O
management	O
”	O
to	O
a	O
“	O
governance	O
”	O
perspective	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
focus	O
on	O
creating	O
a	O
governance	O
structure	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
parties	O
have	O
a	O
vested	O
interest	O
in	O
managing	O
what	O
are	O
often	O
highly	O
complex	O
contractual	O
arrangements	O
in	O
a	O
more	O
collaborative	O
,	O
aligned	O
,	O
flexible	O
,	O
and	O
credible	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
dimension	O
of	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
relates	O
to	O
the	O
interplay	O
between	O
contracts	O
and	O
trust	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
IACCM	O
's	O
research	O
found	O
indications	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
core	O
responsibilities	O
of	O
Contract	O
Managers	O
(	O
and	O
by	O
deduction	O
,	O
Contract	B-Architecture
Management	I-Architecture
Departments	O
)	O
are	O
very	O
similar	O
"	O
and	O
applied	O
across	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
tasks	O
from	O
bid	O
preparation	O
and	O
contract	O
negotiation	O
to	O
a	O
"	O
middleman	O
"	O
role	O
between	O
an	O
organization	O
's	O
employees	O
and	O
its	O
customers	O
,	O
and	O
compliance	O
and	O
ensuring	O
contract	O
close-out	O
,	O
extension	O
or	O
renewal	O
at	O
its	O
end	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
UK	O
public	O
sector	O
,	O
concerns	O
were	O
raised	O
by	O
the	O
House	O
of	O
Commons	O
Public	O
Accounts	O
Committee	O
in	O
2009	O
regarding	O
resourcing	O
and	O
training	O
in	O
relation	O
to	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
standards	O
were	O
published	O
in	O
2014	O
by	O
the	O
Crown	O
Commercial	O
Service	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
been	O
updated	O
periodically	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2016	O
the	O
UK	O
's	O
National	O
Audit	O
Office	O
(	O
NAO	O
)	O
re-published	O
a	O
good	O
practice	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
framework	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
first	O
published	O
in	O
2008	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
the	O
Office	O
of	O
Government	O
Commerce	O
,	O
then	O
part	O
of	O
HM	O
Treasury	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NAO	O
"	O
believed	O
"	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
practitioner	O
feedback	O
,	O
that	O
this	O
framework	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
references	O
for	O
the	O
basic	O
tasks	O
necessary	O
for	O
good	O
contract	B-Architecture
management	I-Architecture
"	O
.	O
</s>
