Why Contract Management Is the New Governance Frontier
The invisible risk in every organisation
Every organisation — whether a government agency, iwi trust, NGO, or private contractor — is built on promises. These promises are captured in contracts. Yet, many of these contracts go dark after signing.
The result? Financial waste, reputational risk, missed deliverables, and legal exposure.
Contract wastage accounts for an estimated 3–7% of spend — millions in lost value. In many institutions, Excel is still the primary tool for managing these commitments. That’s no longer good enough.
Turning promises into proof
Effective contract management turns obligations into outcomes. It tracks what was promised, what was delivered, and what still needs attention. It brings visibility to:
- Deliverables and KPIs
- Payments and milestones
- Social, environmental, and cultural outcomes
- Vendor performance
- Governance accountability
Tools like dharta are designed to do exactly this — bringing live visibility to every contract, real-time risk alerts, and auditable evidence for boards, funders, and auditors.
From compliance to confidence
Contract management is no longer just a back-office function — it's a governance tool. Leaders now require early-warning systems, not just retrospective reports. With regulation increasing and the public asking for transparency, contract oversight is becoming core to organisational resilience.
Let’s treat contracts not as static PDFs, but as dynamic tools for strategy, compliance, and impact.
