Partnering
Partnering is a form of collaboration where the client, advisors, and contractors establish an open and trusting cooperative relationship early on in a construction project.
A partnering agreement is an additional agreement to the actual construction contract. As opposed to a traditional construction contract, the contractor and other key actors become involved early on, often as early as the idea and development stage of the project, and they collaborate closely with the client throughout the duration of the project. The project is at the centre of the collaboration, and requires that all parties involved have a sense of ownership in the project’s joint objectives, activities, and financial interests.
Experiences have shown that partnering agreements reduce costs and prices, in addition to increasing quality and competitive capacity, reducing risks and the number of errors made along the way, and improving project coordination.
Prerequisites for achieving a beneficial collaborative environment
-
The right team
The team comprises a project organisation of people whose competence and expertise complement each other, and who are able to collaborate well -
Conflict resolution
A close dialogue is needed to avoid conflict, and to agree on methods adopted for conflict resolution -
Continual improvement measures
Regular assessments and evaluations offer the chance to continually improve throughout the project -
Workshops and meetings
A kick-off workshop gathering all parties involved establishes a collective understanding of the project’s objectives, opportunities, and challenges. Over the course of the project several follow-up sessions will be held, and these are key arenas for evaluation and improvement of the collaboration so far. -
Unrestricted financial access
The client must have unrestricted access to the project’s finances, and a collective incentive scheme produces joint financial interests.