Contract Management and Dispute Resolution Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Contract Managers, Project Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-CM-105

Before you join: Participants should have experience working with contracts, purchase orders, project agreements, outsourced services or supplier relationships.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Contracts fail most often at the points where commercial intent meets operational reality: unclear scope, unauthorised changes, missed notices, weak records, disputed invoices and delayed escalation. Contract managers and project leaders must protect delivery relationships while preserving contractual rights. This requires disciplined administration from award through close-out, not simply filing signed agreements or referring every problem to legal counsel.

This course develops the practical methods used to manage contracts, control performance and resolve disputes before they become formal proceedings. Participants examine contract formation, interpretation, scope definition, obligations, service levels, payment, risk allocation, variations, claims and dispute-resolution routes. They learn to use contract registers, obligation matrices, change logs, entitlement analyses, claim narratives, dispute registers and settlement preparation tools. The course addresses commercial contracts, projects, outsourced services, procurement arrangements and supplier relationships.

Teaching combines focused briefings with realistic contract cases, group analysis, negotiation simulations and structured document reviews. Participants work with clauses, correspondence, payment records and project evidence to assess positions and select proportionate responses. They leave with a reusable Contract Management and Dispute Resolution Toolkit containing templates, checklists and analysis models suitable for adaptation to their contracts.

The course is suited to professionals who administer, supervise, negotiate or assure contracts after award, including project, procurement, commercial, operations and supplier-management personnel.

What you will be able to do

  • Map contract lifecycle controls using governance roles, registers and approval authorities
  • Interpret key contract clauses using order of precedence and plain-language analysis
  • Draft measurable scope, acceptance criteria, service levels and obligation statements
  • Administer notices, records, meetings and performance evidence against contractual requirements
  • Control variations and assess entitlement using change logs and time impact analysis
  • Evaluate payment, liability, indemnity and risk-allocation provisions for commercial exposure
  • Prepare claim narratives and dispute files linking facts, clauses, evidence and quantum
  • Select negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration or litigation routes for disputes

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence interpreting operationally significant contract clauses
  • Practical methods for protecting notice and claim rights
  • Stronger evidence records for changes, delays and payment disputes
  • Clearer preparation for commercial negotiations and settlement discussions
  • Reusable tools for managing contracts from award through close-out

For your organisation

  • Fewer unmanaged obligations, missed notices and unauthorised commitments
  • Earlier identification and escalation of delivery and contractual risks
  • Better substantiated variation, delay and payment positions
  • More consistent contract records, approvals and supplier communications
  • Reduced dispute costs through structured negotiation and ADR selection

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can establish governance, ownership, records and controls across the contract lifecycle.

  • Contract lifecycle map from sourcing approval through close-out and retention
  • RACI matrix assigns authority for commitments, variations, notices and payments
  • Delegations of authority aligned with signature limits and approval evidence
  • Contract register fields for obligations, dates, values, risks and owners
  • Records retention schedule distinguishes contractual, statutory, audit and operational evidence
  • ISO 44001 relationship management principles and contract governance implications
  • Close-out checklist confirms deliverables, releases, warranties and final account

Participants can identify enforceability issues and interpret contractual documents systematically.

  • Offer, acceptance, consideration and authority requirements for enforceable agreements
  • Battle of forms analysis identifies governing terms and conflicting documents
  • Order of precedence clauses resolve inconsistencies between specifications and schedules
  • Plain-language interpretation: defined terms, operative verbs, qualifiers and conditions precedent
  • Entire agreement and non-reliance clauses limit pre-contractual statements
  • Jurisdiction, governing law and forum clauses determine procedural routes
  • Legal review escalation triggers for non-standard commitments and unacceptable risk

Participants can define scope and performance requirements that are measurable and administrable.

  • Statement of work structure links deliverables, acceptance criteria and milestones
  • SMART acceptance criteria distinguish objective tests from subjective satisfaction
  • Drafting obligations using shall, must, may, dependencies and time bars
  • Service levels specify metrics, measurement sources, remedies and exclusions
  • Interface matrix allocates responsibilities across client, contractor and third parties
  • Assumptions register converts planning dependencies into express contractual qualifications
  • Drafting hierarchy separates business requirements, technical specifications and legal terms

Participants can monitor contractual performance and maintain records that support informed decisions.

  • Obligation matrix converts clauses into owners, dates, evidence and status
  • Critical path analysis connects contractual milestones with schedule performance
  • Notice provisions: trigger, recipient, content, delivery method and deadline
  • Early warning procedures identify emerging issues before entitlement is prejudiced
  • Meeting minutes distinguish discussion, decision, action and contractual instruction
  • Document control applies versioning, correspondence logs and evidence retrieval
  • Key performance indicator dashboards separate service reporting from contractual compliance

Participants can control changes and assess contractual entitlement for claims and delays.

  • Change control workflow captures request, impact, authority, approval and implementation
  • Variation clauses define valuation methods, notice periods and authorised instructions
  • Time impact analysis evaluates delay effects on contractual completion dates
  • Entitlement analysis tests causation, contractual grounds, notice and mitigation
  • Contemporaneous records support disruption, acceleration and prolongation cost claims
  • Change log reconciles instructed work, pending quotations and unauthorised actions
  • Reservation of rights wording protects position while performance continues

Participants can administer payment provisions and assess principal contractual financial remedies.

  • Pricing models compare lump sum, reimbursable, target cost and unit rates
  • Payment schedules link milestones, certification, invoices, retention and due dates
  • Invoice review checks contractual backup, tax treatment and disputed amounts
  • Final account process reconciles variations, claims, offsets and release language
  • Liquidated damages clauses distinguish agreed remedies from unenforceable penalties
  • Limitation of liability analysis considers caps, exclusions and carve-outs
  • Set-off rights and withholding procedures require documented contractual grounds

Participants can analyse risk allocation clauses and connect them to operational risk controls.

  • Risk allocation matrix matches events, owners, controls, insurance and remedies
  • Force majeure clauses test events, causation, notice and relief
  • Indemnities allocate third-party liabilities beyond ordinary breach damages
  • Insurance schedules verify required cover, limits, endorsements and evidence
  • Confidentiality, data protection and intellectual property obligations require coordinated controls
  • Subcontract flow-down clauses preserve upstream duties and remedy alignment
  • Risk register escalation differentiates operational mitigation from contractual reservation

Participants can prevent escalation through early assessment, structured negotiation and settlement planning.

  • Dispute avoidance systems establish escalation paths, meeting cadence and decision rights
  • Conflict assessment separates facts, perceptions, interests, rights and remedies
  • Without prejudice communications: purpose, limits and appropriate handling
  • Negotiation preparation uses BATNA, reservation point, interests and concessions
  • Claim narrative structure links events, clauses, evidence, quantum and relief
  • Dispute register tracks issues, positions, deadlines, costs and settlement authority
  • Settlement authority matrix defines mandates, approvals, confidentiality and releases

Participants can select and prepare for appropriate dispute-resolution procedures.

  • ADR selection compares negotiation, mediation, adjudication, expert determination and arbitration
  • Mediation briefs frame issues, interests, proposals and settlement boundaries
  • Adjudication procedures address referral notices, timetables, evidence and decisions
  • Expert determination suits technical valuation or measurement disputes
  • ICC Arbitration Rules: tribunal appointment, submissions, hearings and awards
  • Litigation assessment considers disclosure, precedent, enforcement, cost and publicity
  • Multi-tier dispute clauses sequence negotiation, mediation and binding determination

Participants can prepare a defensible dispute file and plan contract-management improvements.

  • Dispute triage prioritises limitation dates, notices, evidence gaps and business impact
  • Chronology building converts correspondence and records into a verified event sequence
  • Quantum schedules separate direct loss, mitigation, interest and contractual remedies
  • Privilege protocols distinguish legal advice, work product and ordinary records
  • Witness preparation tests factual accounts against contemporaneous documentary evidence
  • Settlement agreements address payment, releases, confidentiality, tax and non-disparagement
  • Personal application plan assigns contract controls, stakeholders and ninety-day actions

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Contract lifecycle governance checklist
  2. Contract register and obligation matrix templates
  3. Change control and variation log
  4. Claims entitlement analysis model
  5. Dispute register and claim narrative template
  6. Ninety-day contract management application plan

Who should attend

  • Contract Managers — manage post-award obligations, changes, claims and supplier performance
  • Project Managers — control scope, notices, evidence and completion risks
  • Procurement Managers — manage supplier commitments after contract award
  • Commercial Managers — assess contractual entitlement, risk exposure and settlement options
  • Operations Managers — translate service delivery responsibilities into contractual controls
  • Supplier Relationship Managers — address performance disputes while maintaining working relationships

Skills and tools covered

Contract lifecycle governanceScope and obligationsChange controlClaims analysisDispute avoidanceADR selection

Tools and standards

ISO 44001, NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract, FIDIC Conditions of Contract, ICC Arbitration Rules

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings, clause reviews, contract-document analysis, case work, group exercises, negotiation simulations and application planning. Participants examine realistic issues such as a disputed variation, delayed completion, service-level failure, contested invoice and supplier claim. Facilitated discussion links legal wording to commercial decisions, operational controls and evidence requirements. Trainers adapt sector examples to participant roles and use structured templates throughout, enabling participants to test methods against their own contract-management responsibilities.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience working with contracts, purchase orders, project agreements, outsourced services or supplier relationships. They should be familiar with basic commercial terms such as scope, price, delivery dates, invoice, variation and breach. Experience in procurement, project delivery, operations, commercial management or contract administration is useful. No law degree, legal qualification or prior dispute-resolution training is required. The course explains legal concepts in a commercial context, but it does not provide jurisdiction-specific legal advice or replace consultation with qualified counsel.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should have practical exposure to contracts, suppliers, projects or service delivery. A law degree and previous dispute-resolution training are not required.

Bring a non-confidential example of a contract-management challenge, such as a change, delayed delivery, disputed invoice or supplier-performance issue. You may also bring redacted contract clauses for personal reference.

It is designed for contract, project, procurement, commercial, operations and supplier-management professionals with post-award responsibilities. It is particularly useful for people who must manage contractual issues before legal teams become involved.

Drafting courses concentrate on creating contract terms, while procurement courses focus mainly on sourcing and award. This course concentrates on administering signed contracts, controlling change, handling claims and resolving disputes.

Participants can introduce contract registers, obligation matrices, notice controls, change logs and dispute registers into active work. The templates can be adapted to projects, outsourced services and supplier agreements.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided among ten modules covering administration, scope, performance, changes, financial exposure, claims and dispute-resolution methods.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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