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The Key to Mastering Complexity

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The Key to Mastering Complexity Interview hat does it take to with existing infrastructure around really crystallised what’s the required deliver complex infra- it, as well as engaging with stakehold- output, the desired outcome of the structure projects on ers and retaining their confidence. programme, and do you have the time and on budget? She expanded on her thoughts for ability to verbalise what that is? Have Deliverability ForW decades UK construction was Transport Times, and explained the dis- you assessed the risks and incor- needs a plagued by an apparent inability to tinction she makes between deliverabil- porated that into the baseline?” razor-like undertake flagship schemes without ity and constructability. Constructabili- Constructability is a subset: vision of what them being late or over budget. Recent- ty is clearly essential, but deliverability, part of deliverability is to have a ly, with projects such as the Olympics she explains, takes a wider perspective. project that’s constructable. the project’s and High Speed 1, the industry has “I see deliverability as being the “That requires engagement with all about turned this around. But it’s a reputation bigger umbrella with constructability the supply chain,” she adds, “because that is hard won and easily lost, says fitting under it,” she says. Deliver- the supply chain are the experts and managing director for Europe and ability covers questions such as do have the experience and knowledge Africa infrastructure Ailie MacAdam. you have an aligned agenda with about the constructability, and it’s Ms MacAdam has 30 years’ expe- the stakeholders? Do the cost, the really important that stakeholders and rience with construction and project programme and the scope make decision-makers on the programme management giant Bechtel, which sense? Do you have a supply chain engage the supply chain early in order has a global reputation for successful that can respond to the cost and to get the input on constructability. execution of the most complex projects the scope and the programme? “You can’t just click your fingers as a contractor and project manager. “If you do a vertical cut down the and come up with an additional 100 For the UK Infrastructure Summit, project is it all aligned? Otherwise signallers or 100 people to put OLE up, Ms MacAdam distilled her experience you get into a situation where the or another 10 cranes that can operate on projects including High Speed 1 project is launched and the supply on Network Rail lines, for example. and Crossrail to give an insight into chain just doesn’t have the capacity, You have to give the supply chain what underlies a successful project. or the resources, the talent or com- sufficient visibility of the pipeline of She concluded: “It’s all about deliv- petence to be able to respond and work so they can get ready to respond erability and constructability.” deliver it in a way that makes sense.” to some of these programmes, and Other key aspects needing a sharp Deliverability, she says, needs “a also to voice their confidence in their focus were the question of how a really razor-like vision about what ability to construct to the parameters project under construction integrated the project’s all about. Have you of the programme as it’s been set out.” Bechtel has a global reputation for successful completion of the most complex projects. Managing director for infrastructure for Europe and Africa Ailie MacAdam discussed the essence of success with David Fowler turn to page 28 The key to mastering complexity Transport Times May 2016 27 Interview from page 27 This leads to the question of stake- leadership. When you think about a “A big part of deliverability is the holder engagement. Projects such as project manager, their focus is health, importance of recognising the needs Crossrail and High Speed 2 seem to safety, quality, cost, programme. You of the customer in how you stage have an endless list of people with a don’t want to lose that focus and drive, the construction, and St Pancras is legitimate interest in their outcome. but you need to drive in a way that is a great example. We kept the Mid- Some, like the supply chain, have a conscious of the environment you’re land main line operating all the way direct involvement in the project and driving in. It’s gett ing that balance be- through, while doing some very need to buy into targets and dead- tween being considerate of stakehold- signifi cant changes. That came from lines. Others are people who will ers and the drive of project delivery.” a huge amount of pre-planning and be aff ected by the project – nearby eff ort to understand the detail of the residents, the local authority and so on. Easily adopted? various stages and how it all fi tt ed in “More and more stakeholders Is this something the archetypal project with how MML needed to operate feel connected to these projects,” manager can easily adapt to? Some are their service,” Ms MacAdam says. says Ms MacAdam. “They feel bett er than others, she says. “If you Crossrail is being built right they deserve a voice in how what look at all the infrastructure that’s in alongside live Tube lines, so there’s is mostly public money is being the pipeline here in the UK, one of the a need “to maintain the confi dence spent, and that’s absolutely right. constraints and concerns about contin- of London Underground that you “When we’re working on these uing to deliver these things to time and understand their business, what’s projects I use the term ‘licence to budget is the leadership at all levels, in important to them and that you’re construct’. That’s not a legal concept, the customer organisation, in the de- going to be conducting your work but it recognises that there’s a lot of livery partners, in the contractors and recognising what their business needs”. people – public, the media, politicians, all the way down the supply chain.” Working with Network Rail on pos- business, councils, English Heritage – It’s something, she believes, that can’t sessions, there is a diff erent focus – in who could stop a project in its tracks. be taught or brought about by manage- this case time is of the essence and rig- These stakeholders need to have a ment directives, but has to be built into orous planning is needed to make sure sense of confi dence that their voice the organisation’s ethos and culture. all the necessary people and equipment is being heard, to be confi dent in the “I’m a strong believer that it’s every- are in the right place at the right time. way the project’s being delivered.” body’s job to be aware of the impact of “It requires an understanding of Managing the expectations of so the decisions they’re making from an the environment you’re delivering in: many people and organisations, and ethical perspective. I don’t think you the way you respond to the environ- retaining their confi dence in the can just audit that sort of thing. It’s the ment is diff erent – and the way you project, appears on the face of it an same with stakeholders. I don’t think plan and control the job is diff erent.” impossibly daunting task, I suggest. you can purely rely on a process to It requires skills which can perhaps But what makes it manageable is manage all these stakeholders – you’ve only be gained through direct experi- that it is not a task that the person at got to rely on the culture of an organi- ence, she believes. “I don’t think there’s I consider the head of the project faces alone. sation, understanding the importance any substitute for on the job training “I always say to our teams that I of the part that every individual plays and working through challenges. everybody on consider everybody on our projects to in managing that relationship.” When I’m looking at a team, those who our projects be stakeholder managers who must For complex projects such as Cross- have successfully worked through to be recognise the importance of how we’re rail or the rebuilding of St Pancras challenges and learnt lessons are the stakeholder delivering these projects,” she re- station as part of High Speed 1, a key best people to bring on to a new job.” managers sponds. “It’s a diff erent way of thinking concern is how the project integrates Bechtel was founded 118 years ago and a diff erent way of developing with existing infrastructure. in the US and has 60 years’ experi- ence in the UK; its global infrastruc- ture business is headquartered in London. It is known here mainly as Stakeholders project manager or delivery partner – a function it is undertaking on the central section of Crossrail, and also for Network Rail on the above ground improvements to Reading. Worldwide, though, only 25% of its activities is project management – for three-quar- ters of its work it acts as a contractor. The company is looking to increase its contractor work in the UK, and, in March, was the only company shortlisted on its own (under the name Catalyst) as a contractor for one of the civils packages for HS2. It’s an exciting prospect, Ms MacAd- am says. “We’ve got a proven model that I’m hoping will really make a diff erence to the way tier two and tier three suppliers are engaged in the UK.
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