Getting to Agreement: Negotiating Contracts and Resolving Claims Training Course
1Summary
Most contract disputes don't start in court — they start at the negotiating table, months or years earlier, with a clause nobody pushed back on. This Training Course by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy trains professionals to negotiate contracts and settle claims with the same discipline: prepare thoroughly, know the legal ground you're standing on, and close cleanly.
The course works through claims handling, negotiation fundamentals, the contract law professionals need to negotiate confidently, and the tactics, risk allocation, and post-award management that keep an agreement working long after signature.
2Objectives and target group
Who Should Attend?
- Contract managers, procurement officers, and project coordinators.
- Legal advisors involved in contract drafting or review.
- Claims managers, risk officers, and dispute resolution professionals.
- Engineers and project managers who negotiate or administer contracts.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Classify a claim correctly and build a well-documented, defensible case for it.
- Plan and run a negotiation from opening position to closure.
- Apply contract law fundamentals to strengthen their negotiating position.
- Choose the right tactics, while respecting cultural and ethical boundaries.
- Allocate risk and monitor performance throughout the life of the contract.
- Manage a contract effectively after the negotiation ends, through to post-award administration.
3Course Content
Module 1: Where Claims Come From, and How to Handle Them
- Categorising claims: delay, disruption, scope change, force majeure, and unforeseen conditions.
- Collecting evidence, meeting notice requirements, and estimating entitlement.
- Negotiating claims resolution before it escalates to litigation.
Module 2: Negotiation Fundamentals for Contract Professionals
- The negotiation process from preparation to closure.
- Setting priorities, fallback positions, and understanding the other party's interests.
- Roles and responsibilities within a negotiation team.
Module 3: Contract Law and Structure Every Negotiator Needs
- Elements of a legally binding agreement and how to interpret contract clauses.
- Fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, and time & materials contracts.
- Public versus private sector contracting norms, and the contract lifecycle.
Module 4: Tactics, Culture and Ethics at the Table
- Win-win versus competitive strategies, anchoring, and concession planning.
- Handling difficult personalities and pressure tactics.
- Cross-cultural communication and ethical boundaries in international contracts.
Module 5: Managing Risk and Performance Over the Contract's Life
- Allocating contractual risk: indemnity, warranties, and limitation of liability.
- Setting performance indicators and remedies for non-performance.
- Preventing conflict in long-term agreements through early warning systems and regular review.
Module 6: From Agreement to Execution
- Translating negotiated points into a written contract without common wording pitfalls.
- Final checklists, sign-off procedures, and legal review before closing.
- Handover to delivery teams and managing modifications after the award.