Been Awarded a Government Contract (PPP), Now What?

One way to measure business success is by looking at the size of the contracts you secure. For construction or architectural firms, one of the biggest types of contracts to receive are those to perform government work. Your company may be brought in under what’s called a public-private partnership.

Public-private partnerships, often called PPP or P3s, are contractual agreements formed between a public agency (such as the government) and a private sector company. This agreement allows the private sector company to participate greatly in such projects as building construction, transportation improvement and other government projects.

After the excitement of being awarded the opportunity to work on such an important project with the government, there are several things you should consider before getting underway.

1. Get it in writing. Make sure the contract includes detailed information on the roles and responsibilities of those involved from your company and the government entity. Everyone should understand the benefits and risks involved in taking on such a large, and often public, project. Also include language for resolving any disputes that may come up related to design, execution or impropriety.

2. Examine the team. PPP projects can involve many stakeholders: executives from your business, government officials, employees, unions, etc. Before officially signing off on the project, take a look at each stakeholder to see if you would like your business name associated with this person or entity. It can be attractive to take on such a large project with big names but not if it could cause a PR firestorm or otherwise damage your company’s reputation.

3. Use software to help manage the project. Infrastructure projects can span from a few months to a few years. There will be many milestones to hit, documents to file and meetings to be had. Rather than relying on memory or paper and pen to organize these activities, consider incorporating software. For example, Service Works Group provides PPP contract management systems that could work well in your project. When looking for a system, aim to purchase one that includes the ability to schedule activities, report templates to save you time, financial modeling and performance measurement. It will be the responsibility of both organizations to make sure the project is completed on time and within budget. The proper software can help make sure this happens.

Have you been awarded a government contract? What other advice do you have to make sure the project runs smoothly? Add them in the comments below.