Published 1 April 2026 by eSourcingData
The value in a contract is realised after signature, not at award. Good contract management keeps the supplier delivering what was promised, catches problems early, and meets the transparency duties the Procurement Act places on live contracts. This guide covers mobilisation, performance monitoring, KPIs and the contract management notices you may need to publish.
Start with a structured handover from the procurement team to whoever will manage the contract day to day. The contract manager needs to understand the obligations, service levels, key dates and the commitments the supplier made in their bid, because commitments that are not tracked quietly evaporate.
Hold a mobilisation meeting to align both sides on how the contract will run, who owns what, and how issues will be escalated. Getting governance right in the first weeks sets the tone for the whole relationship.
Set up your monitoring from day one rather than waiting for a problem to force it. The contracts that go wrong are usually the ones nobody was actively watching until it was too late to fix cheaply.
Define key performance indicators that measure what actually matters for the outcome, not just what is easy to count. A handful of well chosen KPIs tied to the contract's purpose beats a long list of metrics nobody acts on. For qualifying contracts, PA23 also expects you to set and publish KPIs.
Agree how each KPI is measured, how often, and what data the supplier provides. Ambiguous measurement leads to disputes about performance, so nail down the definitions before the first reporting period, not during the first dispute.
Review KPI performance on a regular rhythm and act on what it shows. Metrics that are collected but never discussed teach the supplier that performance does not matter.
Under the Procurement Act, contracting authorities must publish information about the performance of qualifying contracts against their KPIs, and publish contract performance notices where a supplier breaches the contract or performs poorly. These transparency duties are a genuine change in expectation, so build them into your contract management calendar.
Treat these notices as a discipline, not a chore. Knowing that sustained poor performance may become publicly visible focuses both parties on getting delivery back on track, which is exactly the behaviour the transparency regime is designed to encourage.
Keep the underlying performance data clean and current so that any required notice is straightforward to produce and accurate. Scrambling to reconstruct performance history at notice time is where errors creep in.
Contracts evolve, but changes must stay within what the rules permit. A modification that goes beyond the permitted scope can effectively be a new contract that should have been competed, so assess any proposed variation against the modification rules before agreeing it.
Where a change is permitted but significant, check whether a contract change notice is required and publish it. Transparency applies to how a contract is varied, not just how it was awarded.
Document every variation, the reason for it and the authority under which it was made. A clear change history protects you if the contract is later reviewed and keeps everyone clear on the current terms.
Hold regular contract review meetings that go beyond metrics to the working relationship, upcoming risks and opportunities to improve. A supplier who feels the contract is managed as a partnership tends to deliver better than one who only hears from you when something breaks.
Address underperformance early and in line with the contract, using the remedies available before problems compound. Early, proportionate intervention resolves far more issues than a delayed heavy hand.
Plan the end of the contract in good time, whether that means re-procurement, transition to a new supplier or a permitted extension. Leaving exit planning to the last minute is how authorities end up with rushed, uncompetitive extensions.
Carry the audit trail through to delivery
eSourcingData links award to contract management, tracking KPIs, variations and performance so your contract management notices are accurate and your record stays complete.
See eSourcingDataDo I have to publish KPIs for public contracts?
For qualifying contracts under the Procurement Act, authorities are expected to set and publish KPIs and to report performance against them, along with contract performance notices where a supplier performs poorly.
What is a contract change notice?
It is a notice published when a qualifying contract is modified in ways the rules require to be made transparent, so significant variations are visible, not just the original award.
Can I extend a contract instead of re-procuring?
Only where the contract and the modification rules permit it. Extensions beyond what is allowed can amount to a new contract that should have been competed.
When should exit planning start?
Well before the contract ends. Early planning gives time for a proper re-procurement or transition and avoids rushed, uncompetitive last minute extensions.
Book a walkthrough on a live requirement, or request a tailored quote. We reply within one working day.
