Form of agreement structure: general principles or detailed elements?

In my years of dealing with contracts, I have dealt with both forms. Please note that the details missing from a generic contract will usually be placed in a work order called against the contract.

In other words, if the details are not put in the contract, they are usually put in a subordinate contracting vehicle.

In my experience, after working in both sides of the desk (as client and as a provider) in quit diferent domains I have saw that contacts with general principles are the most prefered not because the culture, because the sale style. That was a headache for me because I allways was part of the team that must work on "dreams come true" .

About your considerations when answered to Stephane, to be honest, I have faced both types of characteristics. And I was part of intiatives working with diferent type of business from goverment to others niches. I was in the middle of initiatives where a hugh contract existed and a great number of lawyers existed and I was in the middle of initiatives with hugh companies and a lot of money involved where a contract with not more than five pages existed and all what matters was a question of words. As I mentioned, and based on my personal experience, in my case it was a matter of organizational style and sales people strategy (the same when the negotiation of the contract take place). Personally I always prefer that every detail is written in a paper but along the years I learnt that every detail is not possible to take into account. So, in my personal experience, what I did is to perform a risk analysis, mainly with subject matter experts, and go ahead.

It is my observation that a fixed-price contract is generally being issued with details whilst a cost-plus contract is usually being issued like " a work order called against the generic contract." as Stephane suggested.

I have worked majorly in south East Asian countries , customer always come up big lengthy contract to safeguard them. It's big headache to swallow all the terms and condition of contract but with relationship management anything can be amend because it's not only project manager want the project a great success also all other stakeholder want the successful completion of project .

In my experience a detail contract is the most use, regardless of countries. Local laws make a big difference in the way a detail contract is structured and the wording is key. Never forgetting where the contract will be interpreted in case of misunderstanding.

A detail contract become voluminous opening the door to contradictions. Often those will need to have a technical resolution.

In addition in the construction industry I've seem reference to norms that are contradictory.

A detail Contrat often become too complex, and contradictions become clear just at the execution phase.