RC113 JulyAugust 2024 - Magazine - Page 29
Best practices
Eglinton Crosstown West Extension A 9.2-kilometre light rail project
running from Toronto to Mississauga. It introduced a series of proactive measures to identify, proactively manage, and create an environment to tackle risk. Particularly striking was the use of incentives for
reaching early milestones, which focused minds early, around handling of issues that would typically just be claims. The contingency
pot which is usually a relatively unsophisticated 昀椀nancial bu昀昀er for
the project for unexpected costs has been made to work smarter. The
contingency pot, has been calculated by pricing out project risks and
whatever is left at the end is shared 50-50. This does not impact the
rights of the contractor to put in a legitimate claim, but it has had a
signi昀椀cant impact on mindset, with contractors coming with solutions
to reduce the impact of an issue or avoid it altogether rather than just
submitting a claim.
Union Station Enhancement Project The track and platform work
that is critical at Canada’s busiest rail station is enabling the massive expansion of rail service across the Greater Toronto Area. It is
particularly complex as it is being delivered as trains continue to run
and passengers continue to travel. It is the 昀椀rst major transit project using an Alliance delivery model that focuses on collaborative
behaviour. Underpinning the approach is a gain-share mechanism
that ensures all parties are rewarded for the project being delivered
successfully. Beyond that there are many interesting mechanism and
softer behavioural elements that focus on creating a collaborative environment. These include having a shared “best for project” charter,
co-locating teams, using key result areas around factors such as team
retention and stakeholder satisfaction, and looking at behaviour as a
factor to evaluate procurement.
Surrey-Langley Skytrain A 16-kilometre extension to the Expo Line
in British Columbia includes an elevated guideway and eight stations.
The project sets the benchmark for transparent market engagement
in Canada. Market feedback is published in a report that feeds into
procurement evaluations and risk reports to ensure perspectives from
those who will be delivering the work are gathered early when they
can have the biggest impact. Early, open engagement both taps into
local insights about what can cause problems and helps establish trust
from day one.
Réseau express métropolitain A 67-kilometre light rail line serving
the Montreal region with 26 stations linking the downtown with
the southeast and northwest. It was delivered in a unique way by
CDPQ, Quebec’s pension plan, but the rigour brought to reducing
overall project risks provides lessons for other projects. A key area
was around providing timeline certainty that came via provincial
legislation to provide 昀椀xed timelines for securing permits. The
environmental assessment process had greater 昀氀exibility, which
reduced the need to resubmit applications with a small design
change, with the project setting out a clear environment plan from
the start. REM leveraged the use of digital tools to better manage
project risks jointly and improve internal communication. They also
used standardized designs for stations to provide replicability and
economies of scale.
“Achieving Indigenous consent through partnership
is material to the future of the Canadian economy,
particularly as we look to advance major projects that
will help Canada meet its 2050 net zero targets.”
At CIMA+, we support our clients
to meet the needs of their communities,
optimize long-term performance and achieve
sustainable development goals.
Based in more than 30 offices across Canada, our engineers
combine world-class skills with an intimate understanding
of local communities to deliver innovative solutions
and customized infrastructure services.
Scan
to learn
more
cima.ca
Photo: Air Photo Max
RENEWCANADA.NET
JULY/AUGUST 2024– RENEW CANADA 29
