Contract administration is the work done before a contract is signed into effect and contract management covers everything done after signing. A management contract usually refers to a situation where the main contractor itself doesn't do the actual construction itself.Contract management in construction is the process of overseeing and administrating contracts between various parties involved in a construction project. What Is Contract Management? Contract management involves overseeing the complete, end-to-end timeline of creating and executing contracts. Their primary difference, however, is in regards to their contract and payment. Contract management is the process of managing legallybinding agreements from initiation through to execution.