CIPS L4M3 - Commercial Contracting

Request for quotation has valuable function when its use is properly controlled. It works the best under framework agreements where the contract terms are already fixed.

A misrepresentation is a false statement of fact or law which induces the representee to enter a contract. Where a statement made during the course of negotiations is classed as a representation rather than a term an action for misrepresentation may be available where the statement turns out to be untrue.

For a party to claim for misrepresentation, there must be a false statement of fact or law as oppose to opinion or estimate of future events. It does not matter whether the incorrect information is given by words or takes the form of misleading conduct.

Silence will not generally amount to a misrepresentation. However, it can become a misrepresentation in some exceptional circumstances.

In the L4M3 study guide, the author states that "A statement of law is not misrepresentation". This is untrue in both common law and civil law systems. In the UK, false statement of law will now amount to an actionable misrepresentation (see Pankhania v Hackney [2002] EWHC 2441).

Procurement professionals have a role in challenging specifications. Technical experts can get things wrong and asking naive questions can be useful in bringing these to light. The challenging may include:

- Does the organisation really need these features/functions?

- With this specification, are there many available suppliers in the market?

- How many does the organisation really need?

etc

A liquidated damages clause specifies a predetermined amount of money that must be paid as damages for failure to perform under a contract. The amount of the liquidated damages is supposed to be the parties’ best estimate at the time they sign the contract of the damages that would be caused by a breach. If a breach occurs and the liquidated damages clause is enforceable, the parties do not calculate the actual damages (i.e., how much money a party actually lost as a result of the breach). Instead, the breaching party pays the predetermined sum provided by the liquidated damages provision.

To be enforceable, a liquidated damages clause should meet the following criteria.

Damages are difficult to estimate. A court will be more likely to enforce a liquidated damages provision if the damages that will be incurred as a result of a breach of the contract are difficult to estimate when the contract is entered into. In certain situations, injuries are easy to prove. For example, if a breach will result in the loss of sales, it is easy to determine the actual damages by calculating lost profits. Others are more difficult, like the harm caused by breach of a confidentiality agreement or theft of trade secrets. To be enforceable, the damages should be either uncertain or difficult to quantify at the time the contract is entered into.

The amount is reasonable and not a penalty. If the amount of the liquidated damages is grossly disproportionate to the actual harm incurred, a court will likely find it is a penalty or punishment and will not enforce the provision. When making this analysis, courts usually consider what was reasonable at the time the contract was entered into as opposed to when the breach occurred. There have been cases, however, where courts will decide the reasonableness of the damage estimate based on the actual harm at the time of the breach.

The scenario is excerpted and edited based on a real world case law. In that case, the court held that GPP was entitled to liquidated damages under all four of the EPC contracts, ruling that the provisions did not amount to unenforceable penalties in each of the contracts.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

In the context of commercial contracting, it's crucial for buyers to ensure that suppliers have appropriate insurance coverage to mitigate potential risks associated with the products or services provided. Product liability insurance specifically covers the supplier against claims of personal injury or property damage caused by products they have supplied. This type of insurance is essential when introducing new or innovative products to the market, as there may be unforeseen risks associated with their use.

According to the CIPS L4M3 Commercial Contracting Study Guide, product liability insurance is designed to protect against claims arising from injuries or damages caused by defective products. This insurance is particularly important when the buyer is introducing a new product from a supplier with whom they have no prior experience, as it provides a safety net against potential legal and financial repercussions.

A service-level agreement (SLA) defines the level of service you expect from a vendor, laying out the metrics by which service is measured, as well as remedies or penalties should agreed-on service levels not be achieved.

According to CIPS L4M3 study guide, SLA should cover the following:

- KPIs

- How the measurements convert into scores

- Any other service level standards

- Minimum acceptable standards or scores in each case

- Range of scores both above and below the minimum acceptable

- Any mitigating factors which might apply in the event of poor performance

- Any time period permitted in which to remedy a situation of poor performance

- Remedies available

- Dispute settlement

- How to deal with inconsistencies or conflicts between KPIs and any other documents.

In IT service (such as in the scenario), the SLA often covers:

- Uptime

- Call metrics

- Customer satisfaction

- Turn around time

- Quality

- Mean time to recovery

- Mean time between failure

- Backlog

- Business results

You can read the details of above indicators here.

FIDIC is the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (or Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs Conseils in French). FIDIC has produced many publications, including the model form contracts, best practice guidances, research on sustainability, integrity and risk management. FIDIC model form contracts have been developed by this organisation since 1999, now they consist of several different books which are marked by colours. Thus, FIDIC model contracts also have the nickname "Rainbow suite of contracts". Basically, the "Rainbow Suite" include the following books:

* Yellow book: Plant and Design-Build Contract (2 editions: 1999 and 2017)

* Silver book: EPC/Turnkey Contract (2 editions: 1999 and 2017)

* Red book: Construction Contracts (2 editions: 1999 and 2017)

* Emerald book: Conditions of Contract for Underground Works (1st Ed 2019)

* Blue-Green book: Dredgers Contract (2 editions: 2006 and 2016)

* Gold book: Design, Build and Operate Contract Guide

* Pink book: Construction Contract Multilateral Development Bank Harmonised Ed (2 editions: 2005 and 2010)

This type of model contract is commonly used around the world because its author, International Federation of Consulting Engineers, collaborates closely with development banks such as World Bank, Africa Development Bank, Asia Development Bank, etc. Every construction project that is financed by these institutions must adopt the FIDIC contracts.

The Joint Contracts Tribunal, also known as the JCT, produces standard forms of contract for construction, guidance notes and other standard documentation for use in the constructionindustry in the United Kingdom. From its establishment in 1931, JCT has expanded the number of contributing organisations.

ITC (International Trade Centre) produces contracts specifically designed for small companies doing international business, covering the sale of goods, distribution, services and joint ventures. Many small companies are now engaged in international trade, but don’t have access to the necessary contract forms to protect themselves. ITC and leading legal experts developed eight generic contract templates that incorporate internationally recognized standards and laws for most small business situations.

CIPS has several model forms of contract designed specifically for IT buying and servicing.

A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee (user) to pay the lessor (owner) for use of an asset. Some characteristics of Leases are:

- The right to use the lessor’s asset is granted in exchange for a fee called the lease payment.

- The lease payments are usually paid in installments.

- Leases may be long- or short-term.

- At its inception a lease agreement constitutes a mutually unperformed contract

Though the ownership of the asset is not transferred to the lessee, some responsibilities and risks do. The lessor and lessee may negotiate on who is responsible on maintenance, insurance, etc.

Generally, under the Sale of Goods Acts (in UK, Singapore, Australia,...) or Commercial Codes (in France, Germany, Vietnam,...), the sale contracts have the following implied terms:

- the seller has the right to sell the goods. This is also a condition of the contract

- the goods are free from undisclosed security interests

- the goods supplied under the contract will be reasonably fit for any purpose which the buyer made known to the seller

- sales of unseen goods will be of merchantable quality, and match their description and conformwith a sample.

- Passing of risk

- Passing of possession and title

Reasons for including social and environmental criteria may include the following:

- Expected Cost Savings and Financial Motives

- Management Support and Commitment

- Employees

- Altruistic Values

- Power Imbalances along the supply chain

- Image and Reputation

- Government Regulations

- Customers

- Competitors

Management, employees, government, customers and competitors are among the stakeholders that make pressures to the organisation on social and environmental criteria.