This programme equips professionals to identify, document, assess, negotiate, and resolve contractual claims and disputes before they escalate unnecessarily.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
– Understand the principles and processes of contract claims management.
– Identify common types and causes of contractual claims, disputes and conflicts.
– Understand the contractual and legal basis for raising, assessing, defending and resolving claims.
– Develop effective systems for early identification, documentation and management of potential claims.
– Analyse contractual provisions relating to variations, delays, extensions of time, additional costs, defects, payment and performance.
– Develop effective strategies for preparing, evaluating, negotiating and responding to contractual claims.
– Assess the validity, entitlement, causation and value of contract claims.
– Improve skills in maintaining appropriate records, evidence and supporting documentation for claims.
– Understand the principles of quantification and assessment of financial claims and damages.
– Identify early warning signs of contractual disputes and implement appropriate preventive measures.
– Apply effective negotiation and settlement techniques to resolve contractual disputes.
– Understand the different dispute-resolution mechanisms, including negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.
– Determine appropriate dispute-resolution strategies based on the nature, value and complexity of a dispute.
– Develop effective processes for escalating, documenting and tracking disputes.
– Strengthen organizational capabilities in claims avoidance, dispute prevention and resolution.

Organizations will benefit from the course through:
– Reduced financial losses arising from poorly managed claims and disputes.
– Earlier identification and resolution of contractual issues before they escalate.
– Improved ability to prepare, evaluate, negotiate and defend contract claims.
– Stronger protection of the organization’s legal, commercial and financial interests.
– Reduced exposure to costly and prolonged litigation, arbitration and other formal disputes.
– Improved quality of claims documentation, evidence and supporting records.
– Better assessment of the validity, entitlement and financial value of claims.
– Improved management of variations, delays, extensions of time, additional costs and payment disputes.
– Stronger negotiation and settlement outcomes with suppliers, contractors, customers and business partners.
– Improved contractual relationships through more structured, transparent and fair dispute-resolution processes.
– Better understanding of when to use negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation.
– Improved collaboration between legal, procurement, contract management, finance, project and operational teams.
– Stronger contract governance and risk-management practices.
– Improved ability to maintain appropriate audit trails and evidence for potential claims and disputes.
– Reduced disruption to projects and operations resulting from unresolved contractual conflicts.
– Enhanced organizational capacity to prevent recurring contractual disputes and improve future contract management.

– Contract Managers and Contract Administrators
– Claims Managers and Claims Consultants
– Commercial Managers and Commercial Officers
– Legal Counsel, Legal Officers and Corporate Lawyers
– Procurement and Supply Chain Managers
– Project Managers and Programme Managers
– Quantity Surveyors and Cost Managers
– Engineers and Construction Contract Professionals
– Finance Managers and Commercial Finance Professionals
– Risk and Compliance Managers
– Dispute Resolution and Mediation Professionals
– Contract Negotiators and Commercial Negotiators
– Vendor and Supplier Relationship Managers
– Operations and Business Unit Managers
– Government and Public-Sector Procurement and Contract Officers
– NGO and Development-Organization Contract and Procurement Professionals
– Internal Audit and Governance Professionals
– Business Owners, Directors and Senior Managers responsible for significant contractual relationships

3-5 Days

Module 1: Understanding Contractual Claims
Module 2: Claims Identification and Notification
Module 3: Evidence and Claims Documentation
Module 4: Delay, Cost and Performance Claims
Module 5: Claims Assessment and Response
Module 6: Negotiation and Settlement
Module 7: Mediation and Arbitration
Module 8: Litigation and Dispute Escalation