15. Contracts

Abstract

Contracts are used to structure the legal relationship between government and private service providers. Besides this, contract also forms a new model both for relationships between public agencies, and for the relationship between the government and the people it serves. The challenge for the government is to deliver services with integrity, with equity, and with efficiency. The challenge for administrative law is to provide forms of accountability that do what the law can do to promote those goals. This chapter discusses government by contract and proportionate administration, accountability and efficiency, capacity to contract, and how the law controls government contracts.