Proactive contract thinking

An approach to contracting that treats contracts as tools for guiding collaboration, implementation, and performance, rather than merely allocating risk or resolving disputes. It combines a preventive dimension (anticipating and reducing risks, misunderstandings, and failures) with a promotive dimension (supporting the achievement of shared objectives and intended outcomes).

Proactive contract thinking provides an important conceptual foundation for the JARGONFREE Compass and its focus on implementation, actionability, and embedding sustainability into organisational practice.