For people who spend a lot of time dealing with conflicts - unpicking deals gone wrong, negotiating contract exits and putting all kinds of commercial wrongs to rights - we try not to forget that even the most intransigent opponent is a human too. Yes they are. It is soooo tempting sometimes to score points against the other side and we do understand the fleeting satisfaction gained from doing so. Believe me, we've done it. But however pleasing it is to stick the boot in, it

Picture the scene - I'm sitting outdoors in a beautiful hotel complex, eating breakfast and enjoying the late summer Mediterranean sun with a good companion. Only we are not alone. A local cat has taken a sudden interest in us (ok, in our breakfasts). Being a good negotiator I know that one of the fundamentals of negotiation is to never give anything away for free. And given that the cat is a notoriously untrustworthy deal maker, I choose to ignore it. My companion on the ot

We don't think the Eagles were contemplating outsourcing contracts when they wrote Hotel California. And we've not seen much in the way of "mirrors on the ceiling", or "pink champagne on ice" recently (honest). But the difficulties entailed in leaving a contract are definitely worthy of careful consideration. Particularly when the services are brought back in house, something we are focusing on in this article. In reality, the moment a contract is signed, all parties will hav

If you've ever had doubts about your outsourced contracts, you are not alone. The International Association of Commercial Contract Management estimates that the top performing global companies lose around 9% of value from their contracts. We help public sector clients sort out their troublesome contracts and recover lost value. Whether it's a multi-million pound deal or something much smaller, we can help. And you have one less thing to worry about.

It's a truism that an effective working culture delivers more than a fistful of strategies ever will. But what about your processes? Most business leaders say they want a culture that empowers staff, where people are accountable and work to a high level of trust. And yet their processes often tell another story, a story of disempowerment, lack of accountability and low levels of trust. What do you think?

We were really thrilled to talk with Stephen Morgan MP today at the Labour Party conference about our new policy paper, reproduced below. Creating an ethical obligation in public service contracts In June 2014, the Committee on Standards in Public Life published a report: Ethical Standards for Providers of Public Services. The government has made clear that the Seven Principles of Public Life first set down by Lord Nolan - honesty, integrity, accountability, leadership, openn

On 1st November 2019, Slough Borough Council successfully brought a range of critical services back in house after early termination of its contract with Arvato Public Sector Services Ltd. The ten year contract with Arvato commenced in March 2012 and, after a variation in 2013, provided the services for revenues and benefits, transactional finance, transactional HR, ICT, customer services and logistics. Following a Cabinet decision, notice of termination was given to Arvato i