Phew

Would you like work for 10 months with a 6 figure recoupment figure hanging over you head? Of course not, although some of you will have endured the experience and the pressure of trying to resolve a Contract Compliance rating. Hopefully this is now a thing of the past (we have only 2, 5 figure potential recoupments outstanding now).
Today once again demonstrated the total inadequacy of this process properly to reflect the cost and contract compliance of firms. Our experience demonstrates a 4 out of 5 failure to get the initial categorisation correct. This was yet another Cat 2 rating reduced to Cat 1 on representations (i.e. before a Cost Committee hearing) and whilst the costs involved in this to the firm are insignificant compared to the recoupment risk, they are still not insubstantial. There is no real prospect of getting these back.
Whilst I am clearly not as relieved as the Partner I have just spoken to, no longer having some responsibility for a firm threatening sum is a source of great comfort.