Major Transport Projects Review

Transport services and infrastructure across Australia’s most populous state are planned and managed by its integrated transport authority, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW).

Its Planning & Programs Division (PPD) provides planning advice to government and leads the development of a safe, efficient and integrated transport system, tailoring investment and managing programs to align with ministerial directions and federal government initiatives.

With responsibility for the country’s largest ever transport investment program, TfNSW is committed to ensuring that major new projects, like transport services to customers, are delivered to world-class standards.

Brief

Within the PPD, the Major Project Transport Planning (MPTP) branch has the crucial role of planning and managing projects worth tens of billions of dollars. HKA was engaged to undertake a strategic review of the branch with a view to improving its processes, systems and resourcing.

What we did

Our consultants analysed the business priorities, and the tools, processes, systems and organisational functions employed to deliver these.

The strategic review was designed to:

• Provide an independent, expert view of MPTP’s current operations.

• Benchmark this operating model against international best practice in the transport industry.

• Identify gaps in its capacity and capabilities, and opportunities to strengthen delivery of the major projects portfolio.

• Develop action plans for implementing these changes to enhance the way MPTP operates.

HKA’s team devised a new operating framework and processes to provide consistent and rigorous control over projects from front-end development to their ultimate delivery.

Working closely with TfNSW, our consultants led the process to pilot, test and refine the new model, which was successfully embedded within MPTP. A key component was the role of an executive sponsor for each project who steers and oversees progress, with accountability for outcomes.

Our team advised on the recruitment of project managers and developed them, ensuring that the branch’s capabilities in program management complemented its proven expertise in transport planning.

Outcomes

TfNSW and its major projects team now benefit from greater visibility of the program pipeline across the full life cycle of projects.

The strengthening of the MPTP branch ensures greater control over delivery of major transport projects across all modes.

The changes have increased certainty about planning time frames and enhanced confidence within the transport authority and government that planned outcomes are met.