Board profile - Oana Sala

New GIRI board member Oana Sala is principal consultant for infrastructure performance at Expedition Engineering and led the development of the GIRI Error Reduction Framework. She explains how this experience inspired her to join GIRI's board to help drive change within the sector.

Why did you want to join the GIRI board of directors?

Error in construction is one of the key challenges facing the infrastructure sector. Project costs and delivery times in the UK are rising year on year and exceed those of other European countries. GIRI is the leading organisation attempting to tackle error in the sector by raising awareness of the issues and working with members to eliminate avoidable error on their projects.

Expedition Engineering has a long-standing relationship with GIRI and shares the same values. In my role at Expedition, I have worked closely with GIRI over the last year developing the GIRI Error Reduction Framework. This introduced me to the remarkable community of like-minded members working together to tackle the challenge of error, and I was impressed by the breadth of organisations involved in the initiative, including those with international reach. Together the membership creates a platform for an invaluable exchange of knowledge at an international level that will help to drive. I want to be a part of that and in a position to help influence the change.

How does your work at Expedition Engineering align with GIRI's objectives?

I’m part of the infrastructure team at Expedition Engineering and we provide engineering-led strategic advisory to infrastructure organisations to help them deliver more sustainable infrastructure projects and reduce cost, programme, and carbon. We work with organisations across various sectors such as nuclear, water, rail, and highways, helping them identify key challenges and developing a systemic approach to delivering change. This involves innovative approaches in design and construction and enabling behavioural change. 

Tackling error at all levels and building organisational maturity to manage and eliminate it is a key consideration when it comes to improving productivity in this industry. GIRI provides a platform for organisations to share knowledge and learn about tackling error, and at Expedition we work with organisations to implement change. 

You worked with GIRI on the Error Reduction Framework. What impact do you hope this will have on error reduction in the industry?

The GIRI Error Reduction Framework provides a systemic way to tackle error in project delivery and improve organisational maturity in managing error through behavioural change. The framework is based on widely known principles of lean construction with the added benefit of both a systems-change approach and a behavioural model. I hope the framework will help members reduce error within their organisations and prove an effective model for driving change across the sector. 

What do you see as the top priority for GIRI over the next few years?

GIRI has already had a significant impact by addressing error from multiple angles. The initiative has pioneered innovative approaches such as the Design Guide, championed the use of construction technologies to assist with error reduction, and produced insightful guidance such as the Insurance Guide, as well as developing training courses that tackle the root causes of error. The Error Reduction Framework helps to bring all these aspects together. Continuing to provide members and the wider infrastructure community with comprehensive research around error and a platform for change should remain a priority.

Going forward, I believe that another key priority is to demonstrate the tangible benefits of reducing error so that organisations of all types, not just members, are incentivised to make this a priority. Furthermore, the benefits of reducing error extend to issues such as carbon, collaboration, innovation, and project risk. Therefore, I believe there are many partnerships GIRI can build with other organisations to take the benefits of error further. 

What do you see as the biggest obstacles to reducing error on a meaningful scale in the construction industry?

I think the main challenge is the traditional mindset within the sector and a reluctance to adopt new ways of working and new technologies. Many stakeholders are accustomed to certain working practices and are resistant to change. The fragmented nature of the construction process, and the complexity of projects, makes it difficult to drive through change on a meaningful level. Budgets are also an issue. With reduced funding to allocate to these issues, it is important to get error on the agenda at a strategic level alongside carbon and productivity.

How do you think the industry's attitudes to error are changing and how can GIRI continue to support this? 

The industry’s attitudes towards error are evolving and there is a growing recognition of the importance of proactively managing error rather than correcting it after it has occurred. Errors are inevitable in complex systems but can be managed through fostering a culture that encourages reporting, analysis, and learning.

GIRI can support this by continuing to provide a platform where members can safely share the issues around error and their experiences of tackling them. It is also important that GIRI continues to provide research, guidance, and training to help organisations understand root causes and effectively learn how to manage error, ensuring value for members.

At a wider industry level, GIRI can continue to raise awareness about error and advocate for proactive error management, transparency, and learning from errors from projects in the UK and overseas.

Find out more about the GIRI Error Reduction Framework.