England’s NPfIT: contract management without tears
Rebecca Carter and Rosemary Mulley provide a lawyer’s
perspective on some practical ways to manage NPfIT-related contracts and
prevent unnecessary legal disputes.
ABSTRACT
Contract managers are now facing up to the challenge of managing the
massive contracts for the systems required by the National Programme for IT
in the NHS in England. For contracts as complex as these, there are benefits
to be gained from proactively managing the relationships they set up. The
authors recommend the creation of a contract-management manual; establishing
clarity where specifications are either incomplete or ambiguous; and a clear
record kept of changes agreed over the life of the contract. For occasions
when disputes start to arise, practical measures for preserving
relationships and goodwill are given.
Br J Healthcare Comput Info Manage 2005; 22(7): 17–19. |
