Developing collaborative and less adversarial project teams through coaching.

Case study paper published by Building Economist on the Barwon Water Alliance Rework Prevention Program, in Australia. The paper highlights what a program of works can do as a team to address errors, and champions the benefit of working in partnership with all parties in an alliancing arrangement. 

In Australia, construction projects are delivered using a range of models, one of which is alliancing alongside many which are delivered under contracts. Since 2014, all of Barwon Water’s infrastructure projects (pump stations, pipe-lines, water storages and reclamation plants) have been delivered under contract to a range of companies in an open tendering process where the most optimal bid wins.

In the UK a vast majority of construction projects have been, and always will be, carried out under contracts that are probably more confrontational.

The key question on this subject, is how to create a working environment where learning, declaring errors and improving processes can take place despite the contract? There are many examples where this has occurred, and p18 of the GIRI Design Guide gives such an example.