Last edited 07 Aug 2017

Contract register

Contract registers provide schedules of contracts that have been let. They might be prepared for a specific project or by a large contracting organisation such as a local authority who may have a large number of live contracts at any time. Where the situation is very complex, there may be a number of sub-registers, for different projects, departments or locations.

Contract registers provide an invaluable record, helping track contract status and can be used by public organisations to provide transparency.

A main contractor may establish a contract register during the mobilisation stage of a project. This can be provide crucial information, not just for tracking contracts, but if for example the main contractor becomes insolvent.

A contract register might include information such as:

An identification number for the contract.
The purpose of the contract.
Location of the works.
Who the contract is with (this is not always as clear as might be hoped – see for example Derek Hodd Limited v Climate Change Capital Limited)
Who signed the contract and when.
Where the original executed contract can be found.
Who is responsible for the contract.
The status of the contract.
Payments made.
Retention.
The start date.
The completion date.
Details of any extensions of time or changes to the contract sum.

Contract registers will generally be prepared digitally, and may be configured so that information is imported from or exported to other databases or software or so that reports can be generated automatically. Consideration may need to be given to security issues and confidentiality of information in relation to some contracts.

Contract management software may be used for recording contract details and tracking progress, providing contract managers with up-to-date information and enabling them to make better decisions.