Topic: Contract administration: A Plan for Success

Speaker - Nicole Mucha, Purchasing Manager, NTX Municipal Water District

Contract Administration follows the award of a contract and it is critical to have a contract management plan in place. We will review the framework for developing a strong understanding of the complexities of contract administration and recognize the importance of planning, monitoring, and proactive insight into and oversight of contract performance.

Objectives:

• Identify and define terms, concepts and principles of the contract administration process
• How to develop a Contract Administration Plan
• How to handle change order requests
• How to remedy when a contractual problem or issue arises

Nicole Crockett Mucha, MA, CPSM

Nicole Mucha is the Purchasing Manager for the North Texas Municipal Water District, where she was selected to lead the District’s effort to centralize procurement and contracting activities under a newly created Purchasing Department. By analyzing siloed processes, she is identifying and implementing the scope of changes needed to develop consistency, clarification and enhanced control over procurement and contracting activities. Nicole is working together with stakeholders to ensure adoption of organizational changes.

Between expectation and reality lies a chasm ripe for misunderstanding. Nicole strives to bridge this gap through strong service-oriented leadership and dispute resolution expertise. With almost 20 years of experience in both public and private industries, Nicole is well versed in procurement and contract management.

Nicole earned a Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution from SMU and a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Political Science from UNT. She has achieved the Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) designation. Also, she received certification training as a mediator in the states of Washington and Texas. Nicole is a past President for the DFW Chapter of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), and is a member of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). As an experienced public speaker, Nicole has created unique training seminars with a focus on workplace conflict management skills, negotiation tactics, and how to understand and overcome generational differences.