HKA Oceania ranked top four for construction services by Consultancy Australia
28th July 2022
Consultancy Australia has released their latest industry and expertise rankings for Australia with HKA receiving a high ranking.
Construction services
Our construction experts have been ranked Platinum for construction sector services. Led by David Hardiman, Kourosh Kayvani, Jonathan Humphrey and Geoff Bell, the expert services team provides a range of dispute expert witnesses to the construction sector including quantum, engineering, architectural and technical, delay and disruption, forensic accounting and commercial damages, as well as expert advisory and determination.
HKA’s Forensic Accounting and Commerical Damages practice, led by Partner Jonathan Humphrey, has also ranked in the Top 4 leading consulting firms for forensic and litigation services. HKA’s forensic accounting and commercial damages experts work both independently and in conjunction with our global delay, quantum and technical experts to present both written and oral evidence before courts, arbitration tribunals and in mediations.
Jonathan is a Who’s Who’s Legal Global Elite Thought Leader – Arbitration and is recognised for Arbitration, Construction and Commercial litigation.
“I’m delighted to see HKA’s experts recognised for their excellent work. Our experts are supported by an amazing team of professionals so this is recognition for their skills and commitment as well. Congratulations!”
There was a fantastic array of speakers and an opportunity to network with industry leaders and peers throughout the two-day conference. Jessie and Caitlin share their takeaways in two articles.
Leading with influence – Confidence and solution-oriented conversations
Overcome imposter syndrome
One in two female engineers feel like an imposter at work, compared with one in three male engineers (Engineers Australia). There is a tendency for women to be apologetic in their behaviour, but women need to back themselves.
When you aren’t willing to risk rejection, you hold yourself back and won’t ask for opportunities. When you don’t ask, you don’t know if the answer is a yes or no. So the critical lesson is to ask. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?“. Often the worst-case scenario won’t be nearly as extreme as feared or imagined.
Kim Curtain encouraged women to build confidence and remain assertive. It’s a skill to stay assertive in saying yes and the knowns and unknowns. By saying yes before imposter syndrome kicks in, you are less likely to talk yourself out of a role you could step into. And you gain respect if you learn to say no with clarity and direction.
If in doubt, or you’re unable to find clarity and confidence, you shouldn’t be afraid to reach out for help and lean on others for wisdom. Sometimes a part of being brave is asking and listening for feedback. Permit those you trust to provide feedback. Those are the conversations that change you.
Lead ourselves before we can lead others
Leading ourselves is an ongoing commitment, an inward mission that shapes our vision and outward impact. When you ask yourself what type of leader you want to be, reflect on how you lead yourself and others. A top tip is to consider how you want others to feel rather than what you want them to do – this frames how you lead.
One of the most revealing elements of leading ourselves is how you respond to change and uncertainty. Nasim Sohrabi framed one way you might choose to respond:
“Change is going to happen. Accept that change as a challenge. Learn things about yourself in those challenging times.”
Leaders to lead with solution-focused conversations
A fundamental expression of leadership is mentoring. Of course, mentoring shifts depending on where we are in our careers, but mentors should listen for brilliance rather than the problem. A mentor is not there to solve the mentee’s problems but to lead solution-focused conversations. Leading a solution-focused discussion is a skill; the most powerful mentors will be those who help unlock what we want and how we can achieve that goal.
Becoming a mentor means understanding that underneath every problem is unmet desires. If a mentee wants something (a promotion, resolution of conflict, or solution to a technical frustration), it is often because they have experienced this in the past. The mentee bases their preferred future on what they know is possible. The influential mentor has a critical role in helping a mentee tap into their potential and realise their preferred future.
Leadership is not linear or one-dimensional
We are not the sum of our skills but the combination of our experiences, relationships and skills. As our experience, relationships and skills evolve, so does our impact.
“To have an impact, you need to be brave. If it was easy, it would have been done.”
You can be intentional with your impact when you understand your why. It can be hard to find your why early in your career, so it is better to focus on the how. Ask yourself, how do I contribute at my best? People will remember how you contribute, not what you contribute.
During this session, women in the industry shared the unconventional, non-linear nature of their career journeys. The reality is, that careers are both by design and opportunity. You can plan, but there are turning points in your story that may come as a surprise. What opportunities are waiting for you? What leadership journey are you willing to bravely step into?
Top leadership tips
Influence: The shadow you cast as a leader has influence.
Bravery: Lead with impact and difference.
Resilience and agility: To lead in uncertainty requires resilience and agility.
Grit and endurance:
“When someone says ‘I can’t do it’, I’ll turn around and do it” – Sue Eddy, Victorian Building Authority
“If not, why not” – You are good enough. You can do the job – Marlene Kanga
There was a fantastic array of speakers and an opportunity to network with industry leaders and peers throughout the two-day conference. Jessie and Caitlin share their takeaways in two articles.
Leading with difference – inclusion and diversity
Create positive pathways for women
Australia will be nearly 70,000 engineers short by 2023. Retention is key, but we have a leaky pipeline.
How do we solve it? By creating a culture of diversity and an environment where others can fulfil their potential. This is an industry problem, not just about women but diversity generally. (Marlene Kanga AO).
In the war for talent, there is an increase in the percentage of women in construction.
“There is too much work to be done in Australia to ignore 51% of the population.”
There is power and productivity in diversity of thought, but only when accompanied by inclusion and belonging. Diversity can’t be leveraged without inclusion. And we can’t consider diverse opinions if we aren’t creating inclusive environments. We need to acknowledge and celebrate diversity.
What do diversity and inclusion look like?
Diversity should not be limited to gender, culture, religion, or disciplinary knowledge domains. When committing to diversity and inclusion, we open ourselves to the non-defined, non-binary, non-conventional, non- ‘us’ categories of human experience. We are all human, and we all have something to offer. This contributes to diversity; how we choose to offer and receive others’ offerings is how we frame inclusion.
To create a positive pathway to diversity and inclusion:
Enable people to do their job in an environment where everyone is united to achieve a common outcome
Allow people to bring different ideas, approaches, experiences and thinking to the table.
We discover and achieve better solutions when we learn how to leverage, and listen to, different voices.
Diversity is a catalyst for innovation if we are open to new and different problem-solving methods.
A systematic approach to building inclusive team cultures
Construction is not all hard hats and hi-vis. It’s a tapestry of individuals with an array of skills and varied opportunities. To build inclusive teams, we need to change how the industry is presented to open up participation.
Are we showing the industry, the next generation, and the world what we believe to be possible? If we are trying to build a world for everyone, an industry where everyone is welcome, everyone needs to be involved in creating that world, including in the boardroom.
“When you get to the table, the boardroom – bring people to the table with you.”
Finding welcoming workplaces is not a given for women in the industry. Commitment to gender diversity and inclusion goes beyond quotas and targets to whether workplaces are designed for women. For the workplace, this means ensuring the right policies are in place to protect women, not to police them (e.g. dress codes, etc.). Body policing affects confidence in women more than it will affect performance.
The inevitable question is, how do we enable people to show up to work and perform?
In a hyper-competitive market, workers are empowered to choose where and why they work there. This means workplace culture must be by design, not by chance. There is a need for intentionality when a company defines what they do and do not want the workplace culture to be. Culture is driven by policy, purpose, behaviour and strategy.
A healthy culture is conducive to human flourishing; a sense of belonging and an inherent level of inclusion invites everyone to have a voice and participate. Leadership sets the tone for healthy workplace culture.
Leading through structure is a dying model; co-leading is the way towards a sustainable future.
We heard how Atlassian’s Co-CEOs inspired Arup Australasia Co-Chairs Kerryn Coker and Kate West to pioneer a new leadership model. This co-leadership model requires suspension of ego and a shared, purpose-led vision toward a sustainable future. It presents an opportunity for complementary skills to join forces, map agendas linked to capability, and increase capacity through geographical reach.
Champions for Change
The way the industry presents itself to the market is not appealing to high school students or experienced hires. Who wants to work in an industry with inflexible work hours and practices or to work a six-day work week?
How do we solve this?
As a start, there should be fewer photos of tunnel boring machines and hard hats and more of women doing other things in the construction industry.
Focusing on flexible working arrangements and five-day work weeks improves retention for all employees, particularly women who need access to child care etc. For example, champions of Change Award Winner Stephen Surjan increased female representation at his company by 7% in one year.
Women also need to help themselves:
Don’t accept disrespect
Don’t accept the statement that flexibility ‘can’t be done’ – it’s possible to work part-time in an engineering role
Be brave and reach out; people generally want to help
Don’t apologise for networking
Don’t sell yourself short. Know your worth.
The industry needs to help by paying women what they are entitled to and boosting their pay when it is clear they are being underpaid.
HKA’s site visit to the Picnic Point High School redevelopment project
7th July 2022
Our team recently went on a site visit to Picnic Point High School, a redevelopment project to refurbish some existing learning and administration spaces and construct a new Technical Applied Science (TAS) learning facility.
The new TAS building is currently in construction. It uses innovative Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DfMA) systems to standardise design and reduce the impact on the school and disruption to students whilst still allowing the delivery team to respond nimbly to local site conditions and requirements.
Infrastructure Australia’s Delivering Outcomesreport recommends that projects be “in favour of Modern Methods of Construction, enabling improvements in productivity, quality and safety”. School Infrastructure NSW is leading the deployment of DfMA on NSW social infrastructure projects, with many school projects like Picnic Point High School adopting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
The benefits of the DfMA system and modular design include:
Increased speed of delivery
Shortened assembly time
Lower assembly costs
Reduced wastage
Higher quality
Increased safety
Improved sustainability
Greater product reliability
Increased quality control by fabricating elements in a controlled environment
Less disruption to students and stakeholders
Our team received a comprehensive tour of the active site, where we witnessed firsthand the panels being moved and installed. It was amazing to see the project coming to life, one panel at a time!
Ashok Rajendran from the Quasar team provided an overview of some of the lessons learned:
Lock in the final design early
Conduct an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) phase
Commence early works as soon as you can
Upskill and train the team on how to adopt and deliver modular buildings using DfMA and MMC as soon as the design system has been chosen
Use that upskilled team to deliver future projects using innovative MMC.
“The use of DfMA/MMC and the implementation of this system at Picnic Point High School is the future of construction. This system is concerned with maximising the manufacturing ease of a product. It employs techniques that make manufacturing faster, cheaper, and easier by improving the design and the manufacturing process.”
HKA sponsors ABCC Infrastructure breakfast with Minister Rob Stokes
21st June 2022
HKA was honoured to sponsor the Australian British Chamber of Commerce breakfast event, with guest speaker the Hon. Rob Stokes, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Cities, and Minister for Active Sport.
The Minister was introduced byDafydd Wyn Owen, Partner at HKA, and discussed the state’s record $110 billion infrastructure pipeline and the opportunities and challenges presented delivering a multitude of major projects across NSW.
“It was great to hear Minister Stokes address the need for long-term future planning, which focusses on addressing problems rather than jumping straight to the solution. Providing the Harbour Bridge as an example of successful long-term planning, the Minister outlined how the 8-laned bridge was able to meet the demand for commuters from the early 1930’s to now, showcasing the need to appropriately plan for our future generations and to place greater emphasis on the planning phase.
The Minister touched on the productivity issue in the construction industry and alluded to the need to transform the way infrastructure is planned and delivered to support a more productive, innovative and financially resilient industry. The Infrastructure Australia Report, released in March 2022 provides insights into how we can combat the productivity issue that is prominent within our industry. One way that our industry is shifting is through the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction, enabling improvements in productivity, quality and safety. It would be great to see whether the way we plan and deliver infrastructure will prioritise a Modern Methods of Construction approach.”
A conversation with Caitlin Trumble, Associate Director, Oceania
13th April 2022
Caitlin competing in a surf boat competition
After six months of parental leave, Caitlin Trumble rejoined the business to work on one of Sydney’s largest infrastructure projects. We sat down to talk about her return to work experience.
I am currently working as part of the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport Integration and Delivery Partner (IDP) team, which is helping to deliver the stations that link the airport to the rest of the network. This project is a major part of the greater vision for Western Sydney. As a project manager, my job is to ensure that the cogs in the wheel are in place to move the project forward.
What is your academic and business background?
I have an undergraduate degree in Politics from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctorate (law degree) from the University of Melbourne but there’s a bit of a back story.
I grew up in Perth with my Canadian parents. We came to Australia when my dad was offered a job. As a teenager, I was a competitive river rower and got into the WA Institute of Sport. Towards the end of high school, my mum suggested applying for a sports scholarship in the States which is how I ended up at the University of Michigan.
I completed my undergrad degree while rowing 25 hours per week plus events. Our team went to the National Championships twice and we finished top 8. I was selected to row for Canada, with my team making it to the U23 World Championships. We came fourth.
I decided it was time to move back to Australia, where I began a law degree. After completing some legal clerkships, I decided law wasn’t the path I wanted to pursue. A recommendation to try commercial management piqued my interest, and I’ve now been working in the construction industry, mainly in commercial roles, for nine years.
What sparked your interest in infrastructure?
I like how infrastructure can connect people and really change their lives. Providing easily accessible and affordable public transport is an important part of government service delivery.
When I was living in Michigan, I noticed the lack of public transport and how that affected anyone who couldn’t afford their own car. Simply adding a bus stop or a train station can impact someone who previously had no way of getting around.
That’s why it’s exciting to be involved in a project like Western Sydney Airport. It’s being built in an area that has limited public transport at the moment so the rail link will have tangible effects on the community.
What made you choose this career path?
I fell into construction and commercial management after I finished my law degree and decided I didn’t want to be a lawyer. My commercial roles have given me some amazing experiences, but last year, I decided I wanted a new direction.
HKA is very supportive of people’s individual interests and providing learning opportunities, so I talked to my team leader about trying something different. I was able to pivot to a project management role, which I’m really enjoying.
What do you love about what you do?
Construction, particularly infrastructure, is a whole bunch of people with different personalities and skill sets coming together to create something big. I love working with people with such diverse backgrounds.
You were recently promoted. Tell me about that.
It was very exciting to be promoted, especially since I was on parental leave at the time.
COVID has made it more challenging for leaders to understand what their team is working on and where people are stepping up and doing more or falling behind. The leadership team have to work harder to understand who is performing but it’s important to continue to reward people for their work, even in tough times. I’m really happy to be recognised in this way.
Like most of us, you have other roles beyond your role at HKA; tell me more about them.
I have a seven-month-old son and a 1-year-old dog which keeps me pretty busy! I’m also on a surf boat rowing team competing in the Australian Championships.
I always wanted to row surfboats. It’s much less formal than river rowing, and there’s that element of danger. You never know what the waves are going to throw at you and you have to trust your sweep to get you back to shore safely. It’s the ultimate team sport – if someone fails, you all fail. It teaches you to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and different personalities which is like construction in a way.
You’ve just returned from parental leave. How has the transition been?
Although it was hard to send my little man to daycare after spending six months with him, the HKA and Transport for NSW teams have been so supportive. It’s made it much easier to return to work, and I am really enjoying working with the team. The hybrid work environment also really helps. My commute to the daycare is much shorter when I am working from home, meaning I get to spend more time with him.
How did you stay connected to the business during that time?
HKA was very good about inviting me to social events scheduled when I was on leave and I made an effort to attend where I could to keep in touch with my colleagues. It was so nice to see people face to face and I felt more connected to the business because of it. A couple of colleagues said they were pleased to see me too, which is a bonus!
What is something about you that might surprise people?
I don’t like tomatoes. Give me tomato sauce any day of the week but tomatoes, particularly on a sandwich? Who wants soggy bread!
If you want to find out more about joining HKA, contact lizkane@hka.com to arrange a confidential discussion or visit www.careers.hka.com
Infrastructure Australia releases Delivering Outcomes report in partnership with HKA
20th March 2022
HKA is proud to have partnered with Infrastructure Australia on the Delivering Outcomes report, published today.
Delivering Outcomes is a major reform roadmap to enhance the productivity, innovation and financial sustainability of infrastructure deliverability in Australia. The roadmap applies to all public infrastructure projects and programs, including transport, energy, waste, water, telecommunications, and social infrastructure.
Infrastructure Australia engaged HKA to support the development of the roadmap, which included engagement with more than 200 domestic and international infrastructure leaders to understand perceptions on the performance of the sector and opportunities for reform.
The engagement, alongside the parallel process to support the development of the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan and the 2021 Infrastructure Market Capacity program, represents one of the largest consultation exercises undertaken by Infrastructure Australia to inform reform.
The reforms put forward in this report respond to the current state of the sector, key challenges and root causes impeding productivity and innovation and sets out the desired future state for the sector.
“People, wellbeing and resilience is the foundation of a flourishing infrastructure sector. The report provides a clear plan on how to address the issues affecting the industry.
It sets out best practice principles to achieve better, faster, greener delivery and improved outcomes. The roadmap has involved significant stakeholder engagement across all tiers of government, recognised industry leaders and global experts in adjacent industries. Drawing on stakeholder insights, the roadmap presents a series of recommendations and tangible actions to transform how infrastructure is planned, procured and delivered in Australia to achieve transformative change across the infrastructure sector. It underscores the need for Australia’s governments and industry to work collaboratively to advance sector-wide reform.”
HKA is the world’s leading consultancy of choice for multi-disciplinary expert and specialist services in risk mitigation and dispute resolution within the capital projects and infrastructure sector.
We also have experience advising clients on the economic impact of commercial and investment treaty disputes and forensic accounting matters. In addition, HKA supports companies that conduct business with the US Federal Government, providing them with consulting services on complex government contracting matters.
As trusted independent consultants, experts and advisors, we deliver solutions amid uncertainty, dispute and overrun, and provide the insights that make the best possible outcomes a reality for public and private sector clients worldwide.
HKA has in excess of 1,000 consultants, experts and advisors in more than 40 offices across 17 countries.
A conversation with Amri Denton, Partner, Asia Pacific
28th February 2022
Amri Denton, Principal
Amri Denton, a Partner in Asia Pacific, relocated from the UK to join HKA in Sydney. He shared his experience with Peita Calvert..
What is your role at HKA?
I lead the Commercial Advisory stream, which is part of our Advisory business.
In my team leadership role, I’m responsible for developing people and helping them respond effectively to client needs. I try to understand their strengths and aspirations to help them build a fulfilling career.
In my client-facing role, I help clients get better value for money from their infrastructure investment projects and programmes. This means continually engaging with industry and understanding the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in order to help clients develop tailored commercial strategies to achieve their objectives and desired outcomes.
What sparked your interest in infrastructure?
Growing up, I had a talent for art; I was a graphic designer right out of high school, designing t-shirts in the Caribbean.
My aptitude for drawing made me want to be an architect, and upon further studying building professions, engineering seemed a good choice as it blended my art and maths skills. I still draw caricatures and the like in my spare time.
What is your academic and business background?
After completing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, I started my career in building construction and then moved on to design, planning, and construction of highway projects. Early in that period, I became interested in contracts and how they work, which led me to later focus on procurement strategies and contract development. In parallel, I completed Masters degrees, first in Highway Engineering and then in Strategic Procurement.
Before joining HKA, I headed up Transport for London’s infrastructure procurement for its Surface Transport division. I was responsible for procurement of design, construction and maintenance services for London’s roads, bridges, tunnels etc.
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about people. From my HKA team and colleagues to seeing clients satisfied, through to what clients are trying to deliver for their communities, people are at the centre. I was in a client organisation for a long time, therefore even as a consultant, I still can’t help putting myself in the clients’ shoes and feeling their sense of long term ownership.
You relocated to Australia to join HKA. What were the motivations behind you and the family making the move?
When I got to know more about HKA, I really liked what it stands for – a collaborative, inclusive environment and people who are passionate about driving change in the industry. Also, the type of work HKA is involved with, and the size of the infrastructure spend in Australia over the coming years made me feel I could make a meaningful contribution.
Relocating more than 16,000 kilometres to Sydney was an interesting proposition but not an easy decision to make, so I discussed it with the family – my wife and two daughters, who were six and eight at the time.
Together, we watched hours of Youtube videos of beaches, the harbour, the native animals, the outback, etc. The girls got really excited.
We decided it was an opportunity to find great work and life balance while enjoying a new environment and outdoor lifestyle. The girls have settled into school and made lots of friends, so we’re all happy with the move.
How did you find the process?
There are always challenges, but HKA provided support and continued engagement throughout the process.
Everyone made themselves available to talk about places to live, how transport works, schools etc. I also connected with Carl Chouler during his trip to London and quizzed him about everything!
When we arrived, we were greeted with a bunch of flowers, none of which we had seen before – they were Australian natives – and a bottle of beautifully fermented grapes, so we felt really welcome.
You arrived in Australia just before COVID hit. How did you find settling in a new country during a lockdown?
We arrived in Sydney a few weeks before everything shut down. Before I started work, my family decided to explore Sydney by picking different train lines each day and going to the end of the line. We’d look around the area then hop off at a few more stations on the way back. We went to Berowra, Cronulla, Macarthur, Emu Plains, Leppington, Richmond etc. It was a great way to see the different sides of Sydney.
Once I started work, I was able to go to client offices and the HKA office before everything shut down. It was amazing to see how quickly the HKA family adapted to the new way of working – regular Teams meetings, quizzes, coffee bingo and online cocktail and cooking classes. I prefer to be rubbing shoulders with people though, so I’m very excited we may soon see the back of all restrictions – touching wood! I also can’t wait to get the decks out and spin some of my eclectic tunes for everyone!
What are the key differences between living and working in Australia compared to the UK?
The first difference anyone from London would notice is the weather and access to amazing beaches! This is from someone who thinks London is one of the best places in the world to just have fun with amazing nightlife and culture.
Working with different states, I’ve noticed the differences in their philosophy and approach. It’s almost like working in different countries as each state has different priorities, but it brings diversity and richness to the working experience. Some principles that would now be considered norms in the UK are still finding their feet here, such as the role of collaborative contracting in solving some of industry’s ills. Some clients are ahead on the journey, but there is still the debate to be had here quite often.
However, the corporate culture is pretty similar, so adjusting to that has been relatively easy.
How is your team helping to drive change in the industry?
The industry is facing some significant challenges related to market capacity in key areas to deliver the substantial planned investment: geopolitical and constrained resource impacts on the supply of critical products, shortage of key skills, low productivity, prevailing approaches to risk allocation and relationships, all currently exacerbated by the pandemic.
Key players in the industry have realised the need for change. Many of our major clients are responding to the challenge by reviewing their entire approach to procurement and delivery of their infrastructure programmes.
Our first-hand experience with targeted industry engagement, advanced delivery models and innovative contractual approaches has helped many clients on their journey towards successful delivery. We continue to build on this experience, grow our client base and refine our methodologies to remain agile and responsive to the industry’s changing circumstances.
If you want to find out more about relocating with HKA, contact lizkane@hka.com for a confidential discussion or visit www.careers.hka.com
Australia’s fragmented approach to infrastructure projects is one of the major roadblocks to success. It is often treated as a ‘zero-sum game’ as reflected in unbalanced risk allocation and penalty-laden commercial models. As a result, designers, consultants, contractors, and supply chains are frequently kept at arm’s length from each other. Only when it’s ‘their turn’ do these participants become fully invested in the project. However, integrated practices, integrated teams, and integrated design processes are fundamental approaches to enhancing collaboration.
Increased complexity and integration
Delivering on the $20 billion of infrastructure investment across Western Parkland City long-term requires collaboration and integration across the infrastructure ecosystem.
The heart of the city will be established around the new international Western Sydney Airport and Aerotropolis and include housing diversity around centres and transit nodes. New city-shaping transport will make the city the most connected place in Australia, and the population is likely to grow to 1.1 million by 2036[1]https://www.greater.sydney/metropolis-of-three-cities/vision-of-metropolis-of-three-cities/western-parkland-city-vision. Strong commerce, freight, logistics, advanced manufacturing, health, education, and scientific sectors will benefit from the creation of a Western Economic Corridor. This will create knowledge-intensive jobs near areas of significant population growth, propelling the corridor and metropolitan cluster forward.
This example demonstrates how infrastructure is becoming more complex and integrated than ever. It underlines that we can’t keep doing what we’re doing – infrastructure projects and programs in Australia are primarily procured on a project-by-project basis, with few examples of long-term, collaborative partnerships. It’s difficult to imagine any other industry taking such a disjointed approach to major projects, which could explain why construction productivity hasn’t increased in thirty years. A new delivery model is required to transform the infrastructure sector, founded in long-term, collaborative and trust-based relationships.
A need for collaboration
By shifting towards long-term, collaborative relationships focusing on outcomes, there are significant benefits for both owners and the ecosystem. While this adds a new degree of discipline to the process, it also allows contractors to offer real-world experience to the project from the start. In addition, there is potential to identify novel approaches to achieve client requirements (such as energy efficiency or natural lighting) while reducing project complexity, expense, and unpredictability.
Implementing collaborative models with longer-term relationships is supported by international best practice including Project 13 and the UK Construction Playbook.
The benefits of developing long-term relationships are myriad, including lower project costs for the owner, increased profitability for contractors, faster completion, and fewer contract disputes. Effective communication and understanding can also help to correct plan and specification problems while reducing delays. Cooperation and coordination of operations engender better decision-making and the prevention of final product flaws, assuring the owner’s satisfaction.
Focusing on collaboration rather than transactions makes it possible to build support for continual improvement and long-term relationships that will extend into future projects. By investing in a long-term relationship, owners provide certainty for the supply chain and help to establish a more financially sustainable, healthier ecosystem.
The rise of the delivery enterprise
High-performing teams form the foundation of successful infrastructure delivery, and industry best practice calls for integrated teams that drive collaboration and achieve better outcomes. This model was adopted by pioneering projects such as LXRP (the Victorian Level Crossing Removal Project) and the Sydney Water P4S (Partnering for Success). It’s a model that stands in stark contrast to the fragmented approach, which stifles genuine collaboration and leaves room for misunderstandings about customer goals and project specifications.
Sydney Water chose NEC4 contracts[2]https://www.neccontract.com/NEC-in-Action/Case-Studies/Partnering-for-Success-P4S-Sydney-Water-Australia to support its P4S program. The focus on collaborative behaviours will enable delivery of up to $4 billion in building works and services between 2020 and 2030. It is the first significant infrastructure provider in the country to employ NEC as its primary procurement method.
The new NEC4-based strategy entailed replacing its traditional transaction-based supply chain with three regional delivery consortia. Each consortium currently offers a comprehensive spectrum of design, building, maintenance, and facilities management services for each region’s water and wastewater assets, resulting in projected annual program savings of 5-10%.
This integrated teams approach encourages collaboration and thus helps to optimise business processes, reduces costs and eradicates bottlenecks. Removing boundaries between the parties involved while integrating their capabilities and functions produces better outcomes for everyone concerned.
A collaborative approach
When teams recognise their work is interconnected, they more easily see that they’re striving for the same goals. Consequently, transparency is at the heart of integration. Integrated teams are open about their work and appreciate the work of others. Integrity, active listening and teamwork are all required. When done correctly, they ensure that everyone is working together rather than against each other.
The most effective teams function as networks of collaborative partnerships, fostering information exchange and complementing each other’s talents to get superior results.
Effective delivery enterprises are characterised across three key integrated streams: information, organisation, and process. This involves determining what work is needed to accomplish the goal, assigning those tasks to contractors, and arranging those contractors in a decision‐making framework. The result is an organisation consisting of unified parties acting in harmony to execute tasks to deliver outcomes for people and places.
A collaborative approach is vital in a country implementing a $110 billion infrastructure program[3]https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/, so infrastructure clients need to develop collaborative, high-performing teams to get the most out of the integrated approach.
The stakes are extraordinary. The actions we take now will influence future generations for decades to come. So we must get it right.
Infrastructure Australia has issued its 2021 Infrastructure Plan, which addresses the 180 infrastructure challenges and opportunities identified in the 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit. However, a generational step-change in accountability and focus is badly needed in order to implement the country’s vast $225 billion infrastructure program.[1]Infrastructure Partnerships Australia 2021, Australian Infrastructure Budget Monitor 2020-21, infrastructure.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Australian-Infrastructure-Budget-Monitor.pdf.
Leveraging Investment
Infrastructure investment has formed a key plank in Australia’s economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, there is a host of systemic problems facing the nation’s infrastructure sector. Australia’s current infrastructure planning and delivery approach impedes productivity, stifles innovation, and challenges the sector’s financial sustainability. Decision-making falls short of consistent best practice, procurement and contracting arrangements can drive poor investment outcomes, and the lack of project coordination contributes to capacity constraints.
Furthermore, the sector is characterised by adversarial rather than collaborative approaches, a lack of innovation and diversity (less than 13% of the workforce are women), and has not yet fully embraced the opportunity of digitalisation. There is also a failure to support good mental health (industry workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than a workplace incident. These issues are enduring.
Record levels of infrastructure investment represent the single largest opportunity for progressive change in the infrastructure sector.
A Sense of Place
Australia’s current and future attractiveness as a place to live and for businesses to invest in is underpinned by the quality, accessibility and performance of its economic and social infrastructure. In an increasingly connected global economy, our cities and regions are competing to attract highly skilled labour (when the borders reopen) and new business investment and capital. As a result, infrastructure quality and performance have never been more critical to Australia’s prosperity.
The fundamental role of infrastructure is to deliver social, economic and environmental outcomes to enable people and places to flourish and prosper. Nowhere is the opportunity for getting this right (and the potential risk of getting it wrong) more significant than the development of the Western Sydney Airport and surrounding Aerotropolis.
Western Sydney Airport is a catalyst for much of Western Sydney’s future prosperity, and the surrounding Aerotropolis will be the beating heart of Western Parkland City.
All three levels of government are investing over $20 billion[2]https://wpca.sydney/creating-places/the-western-parkland-city/ in the future of Western Parklands City. Its industries and thriving community generate more than $56 billion per year in Gross Regional Product.
Key infrastructure underpinning the future of the Western Parklands City includes the Airport, the Western Sydney Metro Airport Line, major road infrastructure (including the Northern Road upgrade and the M12 Motorway), the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre, and a range of other critical enabling infrastructure.
The Western Sydney Airport and Aerotropolis is an opportunity to address some of the industry’s enduring challenges, to help infrastructure make a ‘place’. Not only is an airport being constructed, but entire communities are being built, requiring roads and transport connectivity and associated utilities such as water, energy and waste. It also means bringing jobs to the area, including advanced manufacturing and knowledge-based work, jobs for the future that enable people to prosper in place.
The Need for a System of Systems Approach
The stakes are high. The decisions we make now will impact generations to come. So we need to get it right.
The development of Western Parklands City highlights that the built environment is a deeply interconnected and complex system. Assets and networks are linked inextricably with themselves, the community, and the natural environment.
There is a need to adopt a system-of-systems approach to planning and delivering the Western Sydney Airport, Aerotropolis and infrastructure underpinning the Western Parklands City. Managing infrastructure as a system supports the identification of optimal solutions, both asset and non-asset, to achieve desired outcomes.
Infrastructure solutions are managed as a system – the addition of each asset and its subsequent lifecycle is understood in relation to the broader system with new assets effectively integrated into this existing system.
Thinking holistically about infrastructure challenges, assets, and services with numerous dynamic interactions and perspectives creates opportunities to deliver greater outcomes for people and places.
One of the ways to achieve this is to develop collaborative delivery enterprises and delivery models where clients and organisations work with their whole ecosystem of suppliers to deliver the needs of the community. This way, everyone gains a shared understanding of ’where we want to get to and how to get there’.
A ‘system of systems’ approach can also leverage digital tools and practices, such as digital twins, to enhance the optimisation, management, integration, and re-use of new and existing assets across portfolios to achieve desired outcomes within an integrated system. This approach should be supported by adopting portfolio approaches to infrastructure planning, driving investment in new technologies and solutions, improving consistency, quality and speed of delivery, and value for money.
We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to streamline and reform the industry. We can’t afford to wait another five or ten years; record spending is already taking place, but at the same time, companies are closing their doors, and people are quitting the industry. The nation relies on the construction sector to propel the economy forward, so we need to move quickly.
A Competitive Advantage
Increased industry productivity and value for money are two central themes in the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan. Construction productivity growth has consistently lagged behind other major industries over the last 30 years. However, if the productivity gap could be narrowed by half, Australia could invest an additional $15 billion in infrastructure[3]https://www.constructors.com.au/infrastructure-plan-welcomed-but-national-action-needed-now each year and employ an extra 15,000 people without raising wage costs.
Urgent tasks that must be completed include: integrating transportation networks (which requires integrated planning, integrated infrastructure, and integrated operations), enabling a cost-effective transition to net-zero energy, water safety and security, equitable access to digital communications, and social infrastructure.
Another top priority is promoting digitalisation. This will empower enterprises and individuals throughout the construction lifecycle and allow them to be more proactive in exploiting data. In turn, it will provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities. Digitalising an organisation can give it a competitive advantage by doing things better, faster and cheaper than the competition
With billions of dollars set to be spent on Australian infrastructure in the next decade, we must push the boundaries and create a system of systems approach that will develop and take the industry forward in a pioneering and sustainable manner.
With billions of dollars set to be spent on Australian infrastructure in the next decade, we must push the boundaries and create a system of systems approach that will develop and take the industry forward in a pioneering and sustainable manner.
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia 2021, Australian Infrastructure Budget Monitor 2020-21, infrastructure.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Australian-Infrastructure-Budget-Monitor.pdf.
