An agreed hourly rate does not establish how much a contractor is authorised to spend. Set a clear spending limit, monitor the forecast cost and approve increases in writing to reduce budget surprises and payment disputes.
Alliance projects can lose time when documents and approvals pass between organisations without clear responsibilities. Define who must act, when their response is due and where it goes next, supported by simple procedures and visible tracking.
Avoid problems later by checking early in the project who is responsible for what aspect of the project and who has authority to approve what. Document this.
Instigate and enforce a good change management system Change management coordinators and people who have to approve changes spend a lot of time chasing signatures, putting information in to spreadsheets, …