Agile Contracting: Executive Briefing
Agile contracts are breaking traditional procurement models—and if you’re signing off on software delivery, you need to understand why. This 32-minute briefing cuts through the jargon to show you how contract structures either enable or cripple agile teams. You’ll walk away knowing exactly what to demand from your legal and procurement teams.
AIU.ac Verdict: Essential for CTOs, procurement leads, and programme managers who approve contracts but aren’t yet fluent in agile realities. The format is deliberately compressed—perfect for busy executives—though it won’t deep-dive into legal drafting templates or vendor negotiation tactics.
What This Course Covers
The course unpacks why traditional fixed-scope, fixed-price contracts fail agile teams, then walks through the contractual mechanisms that actually work: outcome-based pricing, iterative delivery clauses, change management protocols, and risk-sharing models. You’ll see real-world examples of how contract language either accelerates or blocks sprint cycles, and why ‘agile’ contracts aren’t just about flexibility—they’re about alignment.
Practically, you’ll learn what to look for in vendor proposals, how to structure acceptance criteria in contracts, and the governance checkpoints that keep agile delivery honest without strangling it in bureaucracy. Dragana covers the commercial psychology too—why vendors resist true agile terms and how to negotiate without reverting to waterfall thinking.
Who Is This Course For?
Ideal for:
- Executive sponsor or CTO: You approve contracts and need to stop approving terms that guarantee project failure. This briefing is your 32-minute competitive advantage.
- Procurement or legal lead: You’re tired of being the ‘blocker’ on agile projects. Learn the contractual patterns that actually work so you can move faster without risk.
- Delivery programme manager: You’re caught between vendor contracts written for waterfall and teams trying to work agile. Understand the leverage points to fix this.
May not suit:
- Contract lawyers drafting terms: This is a strategic briefing, not a legal template library. You’ll need specialist resources for actual clause drafting.
- Individual contributors new to agile: If you’re learning agile fundamentals, start with core methodology courses first. This assumes you know agile exists and want to fix how it’s contracted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Agile Contracting: Executive Briefing take?
32 minutes. It’s designed for busy executives—watch it in one sitting or split across two coffee breaks.
Will this help me negotiate with vendors?
Yes. You’ll understand the contractual levers that matter and why vendors push back on certain agile terms. That’s your negotiation foundation.
Do I need legal or procurement experience?
No. Dragana explains contracting concepts clearly for non-specialists. If you’ve approved a software contract, you have enough context.
What’s the difference between this and a full agile contracting course?
This is a strategic briefing—it answers ‘why’ and ‘what to demand.’ A full course would cover ‘how to draft’ and negotiation tactics in depth. Perfect if you’re time-constrained.
Course by Dragana Hadzic on Pluralsight. Duration: 0h 32m. Last verified by AIU.ac: March 2026.
