UK National Savings & Investments (NS&I) cancelled its major outsourced IT transformation project after around £3 billion was spent with little value delivered. The project highlighted weaknesses in supplier oversight, governance and commercial management. Awarding a contract is only the beginning. Effective supplier governance and contract management are essential.Our WorldC...

Procurement and commercial managers should note that recent court decisions emphasise the importance of adhering to the natural meaning of well-drafted commercial contracts. This highlights that precise drafting is the most effective risk management tool available. Courts are generally reluctant to assist parties who have engaged in poor drafting, and they will not rectify a bad bargain....

UK Courts are currently assessing the formation of legally binding agreements by examining not just the written documents, but also the objective conduct and communications of the parties involved. This highlights the importance of buyers and commercial managers maintaining meticulous records that capture the narrative of their commercial dealings.Key considerations include:- Avo...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is to block a proposed £50m Metropolitan Police AI contract with Palantir over procurement and governance concerns. These include lack of competitive procurement, vendor lock-in, governance risk, transparency, and dependency on a single supplier. Experts say this is hugely significant because it shows that contractor and supplier governance and procurement scrutin...