PARADIGM SHIFT THE AIPM DIGITAL MAGAZINE
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE
SPRING 2021
NEW WORKSHOP LAUNCHED
Influencing in Project Leadership Communicate and influence for project success.
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CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE CEO . . . . . . . . . 4 IN THE NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN A HIGH GROWTH START-UP. . . . . . . . . . 6 PROCURING INNOVATIVE, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES. . . . . . . 10 PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICES NEED TO BE ON THE SUSTAINABILITY FRONTLINE. . . . . . 14 FUTURE PROOFING SECURITY SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. . . 18 PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT THE TWO ELEVEN COMMERCIAL PROJECT IN CREMORNE. . . . . . . . . . 22 BRINGING ENERGY AND VIBRANCY INTO ECU’S NEW CITY CAMPUS PROJECT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 EMBRACING INNOVATION AT THE MELTON RECYCLED WATER PLANT. . 28 Cover image: The TWO ELEVEN commercial project in Cremorne. (Source: David Taylor)
Paradigm Shift is published quarterly. Calls for articles for the next edition will be made approximately 45 days before publication. Please see the back page for more details on how you can feature in our next edition.
RESEARCH PROJECTS AS VEHICLES FOR CULTIVATING RESILIENCE . . . . . . . . 32 CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE. . . . . . . . . 36 MANAGING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PROJECT MANAGERS. . . . . . . . . 40 FELLOWS FORUM SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING DRONE OPERATIONS REMOTELY. . . 44 CONNECT WHAT EVENTS ARE COMING UP?. . . 48 3
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO SID GOKANI
As we navigate this uncertain time through the pandemic, I am inspired by the adaptability and resilience demonstrated by AIPM members, our staff, and volunteers. These attributes were in the spotlight on the final day of our fully virtual National Conference series for 2021. With over 400 delegates attending the series, we had an outstanding line up of speakers including Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific and Global Strategy, Macquarie Group, Viktor Shvets, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Cathy Foley AO PSM, and Executive Chairman of Aspen Medical, Glenn Keys AO.
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The judging of the 2021 Project Management Achievement Awards has also commenced, and I would like to thank each individual and organisation who submitted your entry – the quality of this year’s entrants is truly exceptional. We look forward to announcing the Chapter winners in the coming months and the National winners at the 2022 National Conference, with more details to come soon. There are a number of other initiatives I look forward to sharing with you, including our joint report with KPMG, which will look at the state of project management in Australia and will be released on International Project Management Day, as well as the 2021 Annual Report, which showcases our prosperous future and resilience as an organisation. Thank you to each member for your continued support, and I hope you stay well and safe. Enjoy reading, Sid Gokani MBA GAICD CEO Australian Institute of Project Management
IN THE NEWS
provide operational feedback and to lead performance will ensure a smoother path to achieving the highperformance in project teams.
2021 PROJECT MANAGEMENT SALARY REPORT AUSTRALIA RELEASED
This workshop also develops skills to manage difficult conversations, to work with approaches to hot and cold conflict, and to use emotional intelligence to build (or rebuild) rapport to achieve better outcomes. Whatever project management methodology or project type, leadership is the crucial component to success. Learn more.
If you’re wondering what your project management skills are worth in today’s market, take a moment to download the 2021 Project Management Salary Report Australia. The report provides an overview of salaries for project professionals across Australia based on our survey of nearly 1,400 project managers. We also provide an overview of the current job market for project managers, through our expert panel of industry leaders from organisations such as the University of Sydney, Telstra, Zinfra and Hudson.
NEW WORKSHOP – INFLUENCING IN PROJECT LEADERSHIP Building on the learnings from the highly popular Foundations in Project Leadership, our new twoday workshop does a deep dive into the influencing strategies needed when leading performance in a project team and managing crucial conversations with stakeholders. Project managers are often faced with unclear lines of reporting and authority with team members, yet still need to delegate, follow up and give feedback on performance tasks. Effective skills to delegate,
2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE WRAP UP AND 2022 THEME ANNOUNCED Our first ever fully virtual National Conference, which ran over three half days and explored the theme of Together Towards Tomorrow, has come to an end. Featuring a standout line up of speakers, including Viktor Shvets, Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific and Global Strategy, Macquarie Group, Michael Pascoe, respected and experienced finance and economics commentator, Lucy Turnbull AO Urbanist, businesswoman and philanthropist and Cathy Foley AO PSM, Australia’s Chief Scientist, the conference looked at the challenges impacting the global economy and how project management can support recovery. We are currently preparing for the 2022 National Conference with the theme of Forward with Purpose, which is planned to be held face to face from 27 February to 1 March on the Gold Coast. We will be keeping a close eye on the developing COVID-19 situation and will keep you updated if alternative arrangements are required. 5
INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN A HIGH GROWTH START-UP IN THIS ARTICLE, JACQUES MARKGRAAFF, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT LAVO, AND A SPEAKER AT THE 2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, EXPLAINS WHY HE ADVOCATES FOR A MORE ADAPTIVE APPROACH TO SOLVING COMPLEX PROBLEMS, WHILE DRIVING BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION.
We are arguably living in times of unprecedented change driven by major shifts in environmental, regulatory, technology and societal norms. This is all the more real for entrepreneurial enterprises and established incumbents alike faced with disruption. As a clean-tech start-up, LAVO aims to change the way people live with energy using world-first technology in the new hydrogen 6
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economy. In my role as Chief Operating Officer, I work across the value chain from research and development, product design and deployment through to corporate development, commercialisation, and operations. In my time in the business the need to think and act radically different as a small Agile team has become critical to our ongoing success.
FACTORS IN START-UP SUCCESS Like many start-ups, timing for us is everything. We have significant global market demand and need to urgently commercialise and release our technology. We’ve
whom have either come from large corporates or academia so the challenge here was to get the team to quickly go from Storming to Forming to Norming and eventually Performing (using Bruce Tuckman’s stages of group development). Hyper collaboration has been essential to us being able to solve complex problems in a multi-disciplinary way. We’ve found managing to a plan is fine but more importantly is the need to stay adaptive, especially when you’re dealing with a highly complex set of variables in unchartered territory.
ADAPTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
achieved high technical and commercial readiness levels in under six months which is unprecedented in our industry. However, we need to power through the start-up ‘valley of death’ and not languish too long before we scale up. When it comes to the most important factors for start-up success, just behind Timing in importance is Team – having a high performing team focused on progress over perfection so we cross the valley is critical. We have a number of highly talented Engineers and Industrial Design Specialists, many of
As a small team with a flat structure, it became critical for us to break the complexity down into bite size chunks and move away from more traditional and linear approaches to more iterative ways of working. In many ways, the Agile approach is much more of a mindset shift than a set of tools and techniques. Even as a start-up, we’ve certainly had to shift our culture and management practices away from controlbased methods driven by a desire for predictability and engineered perfection to methods centred more around experimentation, trialling and failing fast and rapidly refining/ adapting based on feedback. Our technology least of all, the hydrogen economy is new to everyone so having a growth mindset of continuous learning and development is essential. 7
The most important factors for start-up success. (Source: Idealab founder and CEO Bill Gross)
Moving to a more Agile approach has allowed us to drive greater levels of empowerment and focus on those areas that were on our critical path as a business and consequently a more effective way to manage and lead in complexity.
LESSONS LEARNT There is a common set of ingredients or values to Agile innovation which we’re still learning. These include: Individuals and interactions above processes and tools: • Focus on a smaller cross functional, empowered team (<10 is ideal). • Wherever possible facilitate face-to-face communication and avoid writing lengthy progress reports. Digitise where possible using tools (such as Monday. com, ASANA and Airtable) but go minimal on the tools. Nothing replaces the benefits of a group of talented and engaged staff problem solving face-to-face, particularly complex problems. • Make the work as visible as possible (such as using KANBAN 8
boards) showing priority actions, in-progress, done and backlog, and monthly/weekly sprint goals. Link these back to your strategic objectives and key result areas as a business so everyone is focused on pulling in the same direction. Working prototypes over excessive documentation: • Break complex problems into manageable modules or workstreams with dedicated teams. • Focus on delivering output, even if only a small part of the overall solution. Have a bias toward action, as time waits for no man in start-up land. • Dedicate resources to a single task at a time. This can be challenging especially in a startup with limited resources where multitasking is often the name of the game. Customer collaboration over rigid contracts: • Get feedback early and often, even mid-sprint if possible. If you don’t have customers yet, get in front of partners or suppliers
that can give you honest unbridled feedback. Responding to change over following a plan: • Create a vision and plan but allow the answer to emerge. As Mike Tyson once famously said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”, and in start-up land, facing major challenges that need to be overcome becomes an almost daily occurrence. • Celebrate learning that improves the team’s direction. Implementing weekly wins has also helped install a results driven culture and one that celebrates success and encourages action. • Turn more innovations into twoway doors or decisions that are reversible, if they don’t plan out as you had hoped. Don’t go so far down the path that you can’t back out. Trial, experiment and see whether the idea has real merit in a low risk, low-cost manner before betting the farm.
IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR AGILE Agile is a great tool, but it does not work everywhere. Teams should look to use the appropriate method for the type of problem they are trying to solve. Scrum is best used for adaptive innovation – like breakthrough product development where these conditions exist. Lean is more applicable to routine operations, such as manufacturing
and support functions. Waterfall is more applicable to predictive innovation like building a solar farm or developing a new lending product. At times a combination of Agile and Waterfall may make more sense where a more linear process is needed, for example regulatory approvals.
SUMMARY TAKEAWAYS Uncertainty creates massive opportunities to change traditional ways of working. Agile is as much about shifting mindsets as it is about tools and techniques. Succeeding under heightened uncertainty, project management requires a careful balance between commitment to clear plans and flexibility in approach. Agile has many benefits, but it does not work everywhere and is best used for adaptive innovation, like breakthrough product development rather than routine operations or predictive innovation. Author: Jacques Markgraaff has held several senior leadership, sales, and commercial roles for some of the world’s leading management consulting, financial services, and consumer goods companies. In his role as Chief Operating Officer at LAVO, he is accountable for developing and delivering crossfunctional business outcomes including: accelerated product development; timely product delivery; corporate development and business operations.
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INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS
PROCURING INNOVATIVE, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES
WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES, IMPLEMENTING ‘SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PROCUREMENT’ DURING PROJECT INITIATION AND PLANNING, COULD BE THE ANSWER – COLLABORATING AND ENGAGING EARLY IS THE KEY.
(Source: Canva)
Australia’s Construction industry is project based and competitive. It relies heavily on bringing dozens and, sometimes hundreds, of separate team members together to deliver a capital asset. It is this bringing together, and high level of organisation and project 10
management, that creates an opportunity to build in innovation, and social and environmental outcomes through procurement being part of upfront collaboration. This can be achieved through the power of government spending, choice of materials, modelling through testing virtual prototypes and procurement professionals
implementing the elements of ‘socially responsible procurement’.
SO, WHAT IS ‘SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PROCUREMENT’? The Institute for Supply Management defines ‘socially responsible procurement’ as a framework of measurable corporate policies and procedures, and resulting behaviour, designed to benefit the workplace and, by extension, the individual, the organisation, and the community.
Pursuing this objective requires focused efforts along the six elements of socially responsible procurement: 1. Community involvement 2. Diversity and inclusion 3. Environmental protection 4. Ethics and financial stewardship 5. Human rights respect 6. Health and safety Procurement professionals are 11
required to set priorities and make trade-offs between these elements to properly allocate limited resources. They must consider how the procurement activities align with government strategies, and whether actions taken by government can truly make a difference in the community. Socially responsible procurement extends beyond the prime contractor or initial supplier and cascades through the entire supply chain. Governments are increasingly requiring suppliers to contractually adhere to similar socially responsible behaviours. Of course, as a large purchasing body, government can minimise the environmental impacts of frontend procurement activities by influencing innovative practices and supply market practices that can lead to: • Waste minimisation • Maximisation of recyclable/ recovered content • Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, including reduced carbon embodied materials, and use of emerging infrastructure related technologies which contribute to reducing carbon emissions • Conservation of energy and water • Minimising habitat destruction and environmental degradation • Non-toxic solutions One of the greatest opportunities 12
to influence environmental outcomes is by selecting products and services with the least ongoing environmental impacts, such as use of water, electricity and fuel, waste/ disposal management, and impact on human health over the life of the product or service. These decisions can also support Australia to deliver on its commitment under the Paris Agreement and the OECD Sustainable Development Goals. Another tool in the kit bag for the project team is the use of modelling and the creation of prototypes in the construction process. That is where a focus on collaboration comes in. Sustainable and innovative solutions for a project, like any organisation, need to be planned for, worked at, and managed. This is where innovation, environmental and social aspects can be incorporated. By its very nature, the delivery of a prototype is a dynamic process, requiring members of the project team to work together to continually fine-tune and adjust the detailed project innovation requirements. The more effectively the project team is integrated, the more innovative and sustainable the solutions that can be created and delivered.
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING The higher the level of integration at the prototype state, the greater the opportunities to introduce innovation and gain maximum benefit from project team collaboration and cooperation – this is where Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be an agent for innovation. To BIM or not to BIM is often a decision made by the procurement professional as part of an integrated project team. BIM is a digital process for creating and managing all the information on a project – before, during and after construction. The output of this process is the Building Information Model, the digital description of every aspect of the built asset. BIM provides predictability as essentially the building is constructed twice: first through the virtual build, second physically on site. Therefore, BIM has the ability to proactively resolve design limitations before they impact upon construction. It also provides a level of ‘comfort’ for the supply chain in respect to design proofing, early detection, and resolution of clashes between construction components and cost savings. Likewise, innovation can be developed and trialled in the virtual world to ensure it is fit for purpose and is tailored to the many complex and moving parts of the construction.
In addition to productivity, time and quality gains, BIM encourages innovative practices which can be harvested at every stage of the project delivery process without inhibiting competition or transparency. The full benefits of BIM are reaped when BIM is integrated into the day-to-day workflow from feasibility to asset/facility management. BIM responds to the increasing need for new, more effective approaches to project delivery that will transform building and construction industry practices and greatly assist in optimising project outcomes for clients. Engaging procurement professionals as early as possible in the design process, implementing the elements of ‘socially responsible procurement’, and using new technology such as BIM, can lead to more sustainable and innovative outcomes. Author: Teresa Scott is the Executive Director of the Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC). Teresa has many years’ experience in both project management and procurement and works with the Council of Chief Executives to set the strategic direction of the APCC, and expanding the APCC’s role as Australasia’s leading public sector procurement and construction forum.
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INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICES NEED TO BE ON THE SUSTAINABILITY FRONTLINE
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY FOR DECADES AND THE GLOBAL CONSENSUS IS FINALLY SHIFTING, WITH STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW RESEARCH SHOWING NINE OUT OF TEN CEOS BELIEVE SUSTAINABILITY IS CRITICAL TO FUTURE SUCCESS. YET WHY HAS THERE BEEN SO LITTLE ACTION AND HOW CAN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE HELP CHANGE THAT?
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As the strategic and standardisation arm of the business, the Project Management Office (PMO) plays a critical role in the success of sustainability efforts in businesses as they help define, update, and maintain the practices and processes that enable strategic success. 14
If strategic success is linked to sustainability, the PMOs job is to create the right conditions for sustainability to flourish throughout the entire project life cycle, from project selection all the way down to everyday project processes. Picking the right projects with the right criteria and ensuring they are executed with the right processes was always the task of the PMO. However, what now constitutes as right is no longer purely economically motivated, but social and environmentally motivated too.
The major reason why PMOs have not been at the forefront of the discussion is largely because there is no single silver bullet comprehensive framework or guideline on how to roll out a sustainability strategy feasibly and successfully through the PMO. Though many have explored different models, most of the market has yet to latch onto any specific framework. There are so many factors that influence a PMOs integration of sustainability, from organisation structure, leadership strategic direction, to current project management processes and organisational cultures. But businesses cannot afford to wait for a miraculous framework to appear and lose out on valuable opportunities to be pioneers and leaders in their market. Rather than waiting on the back burner, there are five critical areas PMOs can make a difference in right now to properly position their businesses for a sustainable future.
5 WAYS PMOS CAN MAKE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS 1. Project management methodology, standards, and tools Selecting and defining a project management methodology is one of the most critical responsibilities of the PMO. Typically, these methodologies are either inspired by or directly reflect industry standards; standards that have often failed to directly address the sustainability agenda. However, international standards are shifting with several project management associations and institutions such
as the International Standards Organisation and International Project Management Association introducing new indicators that highlight the need for project governance to reflect an organisation’s commitment to sustainability. With this change in standards, new sustainability focused project management methodologies have arisen. For example, the PRiSM (Projects Integrating Sustainability Measures) methodology aims to intentionally integrate sustainability considerations into the typical project management process through the introduction of a ‘sustainability impact analysis’ to the project documentation process. This analysis feeds into a greater sustainability management plan that is managed, reviewed, and adapted in collaboration with an allocated sustainability officer to ensure all necessary compliances are met. Though it may not be perfect, PRiSM provides a scaffold model for PMOs to help adapt and integrate sustainability considerations into their own project management methodologies and standards.
2. Project portfolio management The core function of project portfolio management is to facilitate the strategic decision-making process through a range of activities such as the prioritisation, selection, and termination of projects. The key role of the PMO is to provide templates and models for project proposal, progress reports, and communication that inform the portfolio decision 15
making process and in turn achieve the strategic goals of the business. For a sustainable future, PMOs need to actively link all their processes, models and criterias to the business’ overarching sustainability strategy. This ensures that projects are not only selected based on sustainable principles, but they are also executed sustainably and evaluated based on sustainability criterias. Comprehensive frameworks for sustainable project portfolio selection are also available such as the one crafted by Khalili-Damghani and Tavana. This extensive model covers the entirety of the project portfolio management process and is split into two modules. The first focuses on integrating sustainability into the strategic planning process. The outputs of this module, a set of projects that align with strategic (and sustainable) goals and objectives, are then filtered through a second module, the sustainable project portfolio selection procedure. This module implements a financial, semi-financial and non-financial analysis that ensures the final projects being implemented are all inherently sustainable economically, environmentally, and socially. More and more in-depth frameworks like these are popping up and will continue to help PMOs easily visualise, implement, and maintain a truly sustainable project management process.
3. Benefits realisation management PMOs have the responsibility of ensuring benefits are properly 16
identified and assessed within the early business case of a project proposal. If businesses are to be truly sustainable, it must also be reflected in their benefits realisation process. This can be done by expanding the business case to consider the nonfinancial factors and benefits the proposed project can bring. A key responsibility of the PMO is to ensure that there are proper measurements, criterias and metrics that can help easily quantify, communicate, and monitor sustainability throughout projects and the portfolio as a whole in accordance with the overarching business’ sustainability strategy. Though PMOs may not traditionally see themselves as fully involved in the benefits realisation process, they play a pivotal role in the development of the criterias that will form the backbone of sustainability success.
4. Knowledge management Some of the PMO key objectives are learning, adapting, and implementing proper processes that can increase the achievement of strategic objectives and goals. Major project management methodologies and standards such as PRINCE2 and PMI’s PMBOK have their own prescribed processes that support organisational learning. Though knowledge management is nothing new to the PMO, ensuring that a sustainability focus is integrated into the holistic knowledge gathering, evaluation and education process across the entirety of the organisation is a new dimension to this responsibility.
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However, how do you capture ‘sustainability knowledge’? As a complex problem and concept, knowledge on sustainability is both a matter of general knowledge, from upcoming methodologies to compliance requirements, and largely tacit or implicit knowledge that is gained from experience. Due to this unique combination, applying this knowledge may not be a straightforward process. As a result, effective knowledge transfer for sustainable project management would need more social forms of knowledge exchange than traditional methods.
5. Training, consulting, and project support If the PMO is making the standards, they are also tasked with training, providing consultation and project support services to ensure procedures are applicable and are being applied. There are a few market offerings for sustainable project management training such as Green Project Management, and the availability of these programs is set to grow. However, these programs may be generic and should act more as a
starting point for organisations to then adapt to their own context. In the long-term, sustainability experts will become a mainstay of sustainable project and portfolio management. It may be beneficial for businesses to start investing in or expanding their teams to include sustainability experts that can add their special expertise to have training programs and support services that are genuinely impactful. For decades, sustainability has seemed like an impossible trial looming over us with no real way to successfully overcome it. On a grassroots and individual level, people have been making small progressive steps towards a sustainable future. But the time for slow progress is up, and PMOs need to be at the forefront of this challenge to make a truly sustainable future a reality. Author: Laith Adel is a principal consultant and general manager of pmo365, with 15+ years’ experience in PMO and Project Portfolio Management. Formerly a civil engineer, then a consultant with Microsoft consulting services, Laith specialises in helping businesses globally guarantee visibility and control over all projects with pmo365 as a Gold Microsoft Partner & Preferred Solution Provider. 17
INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS
FUTURE PROOFING SECURITY SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS DEMAND BOTH ROBUST SECURITY AND A FRICTIONLESS USER EXPERIENCE.
Ken Seiler, Director at Secom Technical Services, and Blair Crawford, MD and Co-Founder of Daltrey. (Source: Secom Technical Services)
In a climate where the threat of a security breach continues to worsen, adopting a resilient and sustainable security capability is an essential requirement for government and critical infrastructure. So how do you deliver a security solution that’s able to adapt to an ever-changing 18
threat landscape, while meeting demands for both protection and convenience? We spoke to Ken Seiler, Director at Secom Technical Services, and Blair Crawford, MD and CoFounder of Daltrey, about their partnership and their work delivering a first-of-its-kind biometric security solution to the Commonwealth Government.
This project is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. How did it come about? What was the vision? Ken: Our client presented a problem involving support of a legacy product and its impact on their operations. The problem encompassed various locations worldwide and inconsistent usage patterns, which meant varying support availability and uptime were critical. Auditing and management of user access were imperative. Our vision was to detach the customer from
dependencies associated with the legacy vendor and product. We needed to provide resilience and multiple support vectors using industry-standard products and protocols, including high uptime, supportability, and repeatability in deployment. Blair: The nature of operations in high-security environments requires access by multiple stakeholders, but legacy systems have resulted in a combination of insecure and inconvenient access methods. This presents a 19
poor user experience and fails to provide certainty that the people accessing the assets are the right people. We work closely with partners to bring our solution to market, and Secom is the leading business delivering this biometric security capability into Canberra. Our job was to support the vision Secom had established with the client, understanding and complying with requirements in the design phase and over the lifetime of the contract. Why is this so different to past approaches? Ken: This proof of concept has never been done in Australia or overseas. Although the project’s primary focus is physical security and access control, the technology used connects to the client’s ICT environment, leveraging existing infrastructure. Converging cyber and physical access requirements ensured all vulnerabilities are addressed appropriately at the required levels. The outcome for the customer was lower support costs and fast response times, and immediate access to apply security patches, ensuring no disruption to service. Blair: This project is an example of a complex digital identity use case and is unique for a number of reasons. Importantly, it adheres to industry standards for how biometric technology should be deployed in high-security environments. Being able to meet those standards while 20
deploying within an established and complex technology environment is something that hasn’t been possible before and a big win for the industry. How did the technology choice support resilience requirements? Blair: The use of biometric-based identity technology addressed the need for the solution to protect both the customer and asset. Its resilience is the result of a thorough and collaborative design process, ensuring it meets the customer’s specific security and user requirements – including integration with the existing technology environment – while adhering to the relevant industry standards. Because of the nature of the environment the solution is being deployed into, performance and accuracy of the biometric is paramount – we had to ensure the people being identified are being accurately identified. The solution also had to be deployed across multiple regions and sites, requiring architecture that efficiently supports that level of scale. If it’s not built to meet these critical requirements for uptime, availability of service (always on), performance (speed) and accuracy, it won’t be robust enough for a client like this to rely on. Finally, it needs to be easy to maintain. Our strategy is to have as few moving parts as possible so we can be as handsoff as possible while the system is running.
How did you work with the end client? What were the project stages and milestones? Ken: The simple criteria from the client was “the system had to work” and demonstrably work well. It also had to meet budget expectations and be deployed and serviced in a repeatable fashion, ensuring resilience and immediate response to outages or vulnerability. The key project stages: • Identifying the problem: A workshop session with the client to establish the requirements, restrictions and current technologies. • Solving the problem on paper: Work with Daltrey to provide a preliminary designed solution based on the client’s parameters. • Checking financials and viability: Discuss client’s expectations of capital expenditure and ongoing costs. Complete a reverse brief to ensure the paper design over the lifetime of the product was viable. • Drafting Proof of Concept: Work with Daltrey to pre-commission a system and run it through its paces. • Delivering Proof of Concept: Demonstrate a live working model on Secom’s network and provide details to meet the stringent technology and support criteria.
How did Secom and Daltrey work together to deliver this project? Ken: Both parties worked collaboratively, providing active commercial and real-world functionality, restrictions and commercial checks before committing to the prototype. Secom supported Daltrey through the supply of infrastructure and depth of industry knowledge. The support added strength to the design and implementation of the prototype, allowing Secom to work closely with the client, preparing their expectations before the demonstration. The demonstration included a Q&A workshop session with Daltrey, Secom and the customer to convince the client to engage in the cutting-edge biometric deployment. Blair: One of the most important elements of a collaborative project like this is maintaining the voice of the client. They have a strong relationship with their security partner – in this case, Secom – and one of the best things we’ve achieved through this project to date is how the Secom team has accurately translated detailed requirements without Daltrey having to be in every conversation.
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PROJECT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
THE TWO ELEVEN COMMERCIAL PROJECT IN CREMORNE UNDER THE CAREFUL DIRECTION OF COSO ARCHITECTURE AND WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH HABIT8 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, THE TEAM AT THE GREENWALL COMPANY WERE ABLE TO REALISE THE CREATIVE VISION SET FOR THE TWO ELEVEN COMMERCIAL PROJECT.
The TWO ELEVEN commercial project in Cremorne. (Source: David Taylor)
Located at 211 Military Road in Cremorne, Sydney, the site posed numerous difficulties, including a long and narrow block of land with high density living on three sides, a major arterial route, and a dedicated bus lane on the fourth side. In addition to the various planning regulations set down by North Sydney Council, it was important to give as much green space to the residents. The amount of greenery benefited both neighbours and residents alike. During construction, Anthony Solomon of Coso Architecture and 22
David Vago of Habit8 were eager to engage The Greenwall Company as Landscaping sub-contractors. The collaborative approach in concert with the Architects and Landscape Architect led to a solution to the satisfaction of all parties. Towering clumps of bamboo enabled instant privacy between neighbours and carefully selected ground covers enriched the layers of foliage, experienced from all angles. Of particular importance was the addition of Eco Pillows. These lightweight premade pillows provided instant ground cover over
hard surfaces. The large basement below presented a problem for deep soil planting, hence the use of Eco Pillows. With no soil over concrete slabs required, they are preferred by Structural Engineers and are perfect for concrete roofs and floors over sub terrain spaces. The cost savings alone from reduced concrete and reinforcement outweighs the cost of the Eco Pillows. The Greenwall Company was also able to source all of the selected plant species from local suppliers.
THE ROLE OF TEAMWORK The teamwork between Habit8 Landscape Architects, The Greenwall Company and the builders, MLP Co. meant the project was able to be completed seamlessly. The builders were able to liaise efficiently with the administrative arm of The Greenwall Company and this was then translated onto the site with the team working alongside all the other trades.
“The critical thing is to be able to work with landscape contractors on a collaborative basis,” says David Vago, Director of Habit8 Landscape Architects.
“The addition of our greening solutions to the development has enabled the complex to reach a 5-star sustainability rating and provide a sustainable system, designed to last the lifetime of the building,” says Mark Paul, Founder and Director of The Greenwall Company. greenspace for those looking into and out of the building. The high density living of this complex was softened greatly by mature planting, pre-grown by The Greenwall Company, which has resulted in a significant reduction of ambient noise, while creating instant privacy and tranquillity for both residents and neighbours alike. Author: Penny Sutton is the Growth Development Manager at The Greenwall Company and has a passion to reclaim the built environment.
RECEIVING A 5-STAR SUSTAINABILITY RATING Featuring grouped Eco Pillows over three key areas of the top floor of the complex, the planting system was designed to not only provide privacy for the residents but also a
The TWO ELEVEN commercial project in Cremorne. (Source: David Taylor)
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PROJECT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
BRINGING ENERGY AND VIBRANCY INTO ECU’S NEW CITY CAMPUS PROJECT Located in Perth’s CBD, ECU City is the centrepiece of the Perth City Deal, a collaboration between the Australian Government, Western Australian Government, and City of Perth. The Perth City Deal is a $1.5 billion partnership to deliver economic stimulus, jobs and liveability outcomes for the Perth CBD.
ECU City will be centrally located in Perth’s CBD, interfacing with Yagan Square (Source: Edith Cowan University)
The new city campus will be the iconic built form stage for ECU’s wider whole of institution, multi-dimensional program of change called the University of the Future program. This five-year transformational agenda will challenge and redefine ECU’s ambition, positioning, delivery, and leadership role in Western Australia and the broader international higher education market. ECU sees this as a once in a generation confluence of vision, credentials, location, and ambition. The challenge for the project team at this early stage has been to connect the corporate, program and project visions to a workable scope that links economic, social, and technical sustainability themes.
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e, and connecting Perth’s commercial, cultural and entertainment districts.
Since the city campus was first announced in September 2020, the project team has engaged with many internal and external stakeholders using different techniques, all while operating within the constraints of a pandemic. Community engagement approaches have included a modern website, a comprehensive online survey, and a pop-up information hub. This hub offered the CBD community an opportunity to ask questions, learn more about the campus, and contribute thoughts and feedback regarding the impacts of the project.
THE CENTRE OF EVERYTHING As might be expected from a university delivering project management courses and
research, the scope was developed after the city campus project had identified the key benefits through a comprehensive business case. This business case suggested that the project will deliver a $1.5 billion boost to the local economy and create more than 3,100 jobs during the construction phase. The expectation is that from 2025, this world-class facility will bring significant energy and vibrancy into the heart of Perth’s CBD. So how do energy and vibrancy translate into a sustainable project? The answer to this lies in the location and the people. When it opens, the campus will bring thousands of students and staff to its location adjacent to Yagan Square, Perth Railway Station, and Perth’s recently completed underground bus port. This positions the new campus at the heart of the newly developed link between the CBD, the entertainment district of Northbridge, and the city’s cultural precinct. Neighbours include the State Theatre Centre, Perth Cultural Centre, Art Gallery of WA and the new WA Museum.
ACTIVATING THE CITY It is not surprising that one of the main benefits of the project is to bring life to the CBD – day and night. Much of the energy and vibrancy comes from the main social and cultural contributions that the project will bring to Perth. The new city campus will 25
be home to ECU’s internationally recognised Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), bringing more than 300 public performances to the CBD’s arts calendar every year. ECU’s Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Kurongkurl Katitjin, will also be based at the city campus. Given the important role of culture in the project, one of the first tasks for the project team was to appoint leading cultural advisers, including an Elders Advisory Group who hold strong connections to Whadjuk country – the land upon which ECU City will be built. The Elders Advisory Group has been supporting ECU and the project team to respectfully walk alongside Noongar Elders and community members in considering the vision of the new campus.
“It is appropriate that a new place of learning, one that will represent the future of university education, will be established on a site that has played such a significant role in the education of young Aboriginal people in another time,” says Dr Richard Walley OAM, a Noongar man and WA Senior of the Year. Community engagement has also included meetings with many of Perth’s arts and culture leaders to explore cultural opportunities from the project.
DEFINING THE CHALLENGE
One of the technical challenges for the project is how to plan a multi-storey campus that sits on top of two railway lines and an underground bus station, while providing whisper quiet auditoriums for public performances, as well as teaching spaces for WA Screen Academy, performing arts, broadcasting, arts, design, and communications. The project also needs to integrate ECU City will feature activated streetscapes and lively common laneways to Roe, Queen, and Wellington Streets, and Yagan Square. (Source: Edith Cowan University) state-of-the-
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art learning spaces for courses in business and law, technology and cyber security, associated research and accommodate a display of Founding Pianos – ECU’s collection of rare and important pianos, including Australia’s First Fleet Piano. The collision of creativity, technology and business proposed at this campus is unique to ECU. It creates an exciting nexus where future courses, careers, research, and partnerships can be imagined and delivered. Technology, connection, and immersion will be intrinsic to the DNA of the space. “ECU City Campus will naturally be a drawcard for students and academics, but it will also provide enormous opportunities for industry integration, including areas like cyber security, ensuring the development of a future-fit workforce,” says Steve Chapman, Vice Chancellor Professor.
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FUTURE The location of the campus reflects the underlying sustainability theme of the project. Perth CBD is the central point for a modern public bus and train transport system that stretches to most of Western Australia’s major metropolitan areas. While siting
the campus on top of these hubs poses many challenges for the designers, it also gives the project a unique opportunity to minimise car journeys, reduce air pollution and encourage city businesses and workers to work, learn and socialise in a precinct purposely designed for all three. The campus will also be central to Perth’s METRONET, a public transport system connecting the city and offering sustainable travel. The project will be targeting 5-Star Greenstar Certification, which demonstrates Australian excellence in sustainable building management. The project is currently in the design development and documentation stage, with construction expected to begin in earnest in 2022. AIPM members will be kept up to date with the progress of this exciting project. Authors: This article was written by Associate Professor Denise Gengatharen and Richard Hughes from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Denise is an Associate Dean in the School of Business and Law, and Richard is the course coordinator for the School’s project management courses. Both Denise and Richard have backgrounds as project managers. They are also members of AIPM and are currently researching topics on sustainable project management.
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PROJECT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EMBRACING INNOVATION AT THE MELTON RECYCLED WATER PLANT
AN INNOVATIVE NEW WASTE TO ENERGY FACILITY HAS OPENED AT THE MELTON RECYCLED WATER PLANT THAT TREATS LIQUID WASTE FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES, WHICH IS THEN CONVERTED INTO BIOGAS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY. Waste to Energy facility waste receival bay – truck bringing liquid food waste to site. (Source: Greater Western Water)
The facility operated by Greater Western Water, makes clever use of the plant’s existing digester tank that normally converts sewage to biosolids but now also treats liquid food waste, processing up to 5,000 litres of waste each year. It is a clever use of technology that is good for the environment and reduces plant operating costs. 28
Renewable energy from both the facility and a recently constructed 500-kilowatt solar array will provide up to 100% of the Melton plant’s energy needs during peak periods. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 900 tonnes annually – the equivalent of taking 430 vehicles off the road each year. For Greater Western Water Project Manager Luke Wilson, the opening of the new facility is the culmination of several years of careful planning, from conception to scope, design and finally construction. “Part of my role at Greater Western Water involves maximising
the use of our assets and how we can reduce impacts to the environment, while maintaining affordable services for our customers.” “The Melton Recycled Water Plant is a major asset, treating sewage from a fast-growing population in Melbourne’s outer west.” “We were considering how we could leverage the plant to help reduce our environmental impact in the community. We thought ‘is there anything we can do to reduce carbon emissions and extract more value from the resources inherent in organic waste, especially liquid food waste?’”
PLANNING THE PROJECT The water industry has been trialling adding organic waste into anaerobic digesters to generate more renewable energy for some time now. It made sense that Greater Western Water investigate it as well, considering there was digester capacity at the recycled water plant. A project control group was established to oversee development of the business case. This ensured there was oversight and rigor throughout the planning phase. A range of service offerings were then considered before landing on 29
an innovative solution that allowed the integration of a new waste to energy facility into existing site operations. While ambitious, this made sense from an operational perspective as Greater Western Water’s experienced treatment staff could manage the new facility daily. Securing funding was the next goal. Part of the $3.3 million project cost was funded with an $800,000 contribution via Sustainability Victoria’s Waste to Energy Infrastructure Fund. This is a Victorian Government initiative that supports investment in waste to energy technologies to assist
Victoria in achieving the transition to a low carbon economy.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Waste to energy production is a niche industry. Anaerobic digesters have traditionally only been used to manage sewerage – it is only recently that they have been utilised to manage food waste. For that reason, finding a preferred contractor was critical. The project team knew the project was complex and required close cooperation with the contractor to deliver the facility. A decision was made to go with a design
Waste to Energy facility storage holding tank – front view. (Source: Greater Western Water)
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Waste to Energy facility storage holding tank. (Source: Greater Western Water)
At the waste to energy facility, liquid food waste is blended and then transferred to the anaerobic digester. Inside the digester, waste is mixed with sewage through a process known as codigestion. Micro-organisms naturally break down all the waste into reusable biogas – and biosolids. The biogas, which is rich in methane, can then be extracted and stored. The gas can be safely burned in a combined heat and power unit, converting it into renewable energy.
and construct contract. This approach worked well, as the team were able to clearly define the scope from the outset and communicate effectively throughout construction. The team was also fortunate that the contractor was very receptive to the suggested approach and worked collaboratively. “It was seven years in the making, from 2014 when it was first conceived until March 2021 when the facility was opened to customers. We are so pleased with how it’s gone that we are exploring how the facility can be expanded to receive and process other forms of waste beyond just liquid food waste,” says Luke Wilson.
The biosolids, produced by the anaerobic digester, are rich in nutrients. They can be turned into soil improver or fertiliser for agricultural use. 31
RESEARCH
PROJECTS AS VEHICLES FOR CULTIVATING RESILIENCE
THE NEED FOR RESILIENCE IN THE GLOBAL RISK SOCIETY IS PARAMOUNT TO FUTURE-PROOF OURSELVES AGAINST INCREASINGLY FREQUENT LARGE-SCALE DISRUPTIONS AND DISASTERS.
(Source: Canva)
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As a scientific term ‘resilience’ arose initially in Engineering and Physics. The concept of resilience has become increasingly significant across multiple disciplines with a wide range of applications. Resilience connotes systemic, organisational, team and individual capabilities to absorb shocks and to learn from them, while simultaneously preparing for and responding to future change. Resilience represents the ability to bounce back from failures, setbacks, and adversities. Management of resilience refers to actions to ensure that the system, an organisation, project, team or individual, continues to perform, or can rapidly restore performance, under such expected and unexpected disturbances.
WHAT DO PROJECTS HAVE TO DO WITH RESILIENCE? Projects can be thought of as interventions into present systems to create something that is new, that did not presently exist. Project are always a throwing forward of an imagined
reality into an established fact, transforming social, technical, and environmental systems. For example, a new metro line project is an intervention into people’s mobility with an impact not only on the transportation system of an entire city but also in their daily life or future infrastructure plans maybe for centuries. Systems that seem to function well under present conditions may collapse when external conditions change, unless they allow for rapid response, restructuring and acceptance of disturbances and development of extant processes. For example, fossil fuel-based energy systems that powered industrial revolution and many great human achievements will not survive in their current form in the 21st century as their contribution to global environmental changes make the Earth increasingly less fit for human life. Projects at their best can be: 1. Transition vehicles from unsustainable system arrangements; and 2. Response vehicles to system shocks such as social unrests, climate disasters, political instabilities, or economic and financial collapses. These two roles of projects are illustrated in the diagram on the following page. The importance of resilience has been stated at the individual and team level and generalised to higher levels of analysis, including projects, 33
Role of projects in system transformation and recovery. (Source: The University of Sydney)
organisations, and industrial networks, as well as nations globally (see graph right). Projects are not anymore just about budget, scope and schedule as the metrics of value. Longer term recognition of the objectives of maintaining the resilience of multiple systems is expanding, which increasingly involves employees and their relations at work in the project; wider stakeholder relations, whether they be internal or external stakeholders; the ecology and issues of value in terms of sustainability and, of course, clients. In project-based organisations, clear 34
goals, namely a purpose that orients organisational action, and a culture of ‘learnability’ is essential to a successful development of resilience. Project leaders need to recognise their role as interventionists in social, environmental, and technical systems, building our future in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. Organisations aiming to support learning of project leaders need to think deeply which skills and networks will help to lead ambitious interventions for more resilient futures – it is surely more than budgeting and scheduling.
Levels of resilience (Source: Naderpajouh et al., 2020)
Authors: This article was written by Dr Petr Matous, Dr Nader Naderpajouh and Professor Stewart Clegg. Petr is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Project Management and a researcher in the John Grill Institute for Project Leadership at the University of Sydney. Nader is a member of the John Grill Institute for Project Leadership and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, while he also holds an honorary position at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University). Stewart is a member of the
School of Project Management and John Grill Institute for Project Leadership at the University of Sydney while being an Emeritus Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and a (virtual) Visiting Professor at the University of Stavanger, Norway and Universidade Nova, Portugal.
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RESEARCH
CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE DISCOVER HOW THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY CAN SUPPORT GREATER RESOURCE EFFICIENCY BY THE REUSE, REMANUFACTURE AND RECYCLING OF MATERIALS. Sustainable, green building. (Source: Canva)
The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry are generally low in resource efficiency worldwide. This poor performance has resulted in serious negative environmental impacts caused by the high rate of construction and demolition waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and forest degradation. The AEC industry is estimated to be responsible for: • approximately 40% of energy consumption; 36
• 30% of CO2 emissions; and • 40% of total solid production waste globally. The AEC industry is a large contributor to Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP). It is estimated by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee that the industry generates over: • A$360 billion in revenue; • contributes a 9% share of the country’s total GDP; and • features a projected 2.4% growth rate in the next five years.
An analysis of government and industry reports shows that the Australian AEC industry suffers from low resource efficiency to an extent exceeding the global average. The National Waste Report (NWR) 2020 indicates that Australia generates 27 megatonnes (mt) of construction and demolition waste annually, a 61% increase on the figures recorded in 2006-2007. Currently, this waste stream, with more than 44% and 47% generated and recycled, respectively, is the largest source of waste. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions in the industry have been quoted by a publication from the University of Adelaide as being higher than in most other regions of the world. In Australia, GHG emissions per capita are estimated to be three times the global average; Australia is constantly reported as the worst-performing country on climate policy. To address these issues, one avenue for Australia is to move towards a circular economy that supports a sustainable AEC industry. Indeed, across the Australian landscape, the drivers for a circular economy have gained ground with the increasing consciousness of the fundamental importance of environmental sustainability in uninterrupted growth.
WHAT IS THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY MODEL? The circular economy (CE) model, as a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development, has already spread throughout the world. This model has been conceptualised as a system that is restorative by design with a core strategic focus on reframing and reorganising materials, and information and energy flows to achieve greater resource efficiency by the reuse, remanufacture and recycling of materials. Its key premise is that waste minimisation can act as a new source of value for the business. Fundamentally, the concept of the circular economy model encapsulates the tension between limits and growth, advocating for a shift from linear to circular patterns of resource use and management. Long-established sustainability principles, such as cradle to cradle (C2C) are being reconfigured through this lens. The growing prominence of circular economy frameworks and their associated discourses represent increasing interest in the more specific guiding principles of maintaining sustainable economic systems through retaining, for as long as possible, the added value in products. No single definition has been universally agreed upon for the term circular economy. 37
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s definition of the circular economy as “an industrial economy that is restorative or regenerative by intention” is, however, widely accepted and used by the scholarly community, industry experts and government officials. The idea of a circular flow for materials and energy is not new, appearing as early as 1966 in a book by Kenneth E. Boulding in which he explained that we should be in a “cyclical” system of production. The term circular economy appeared for the first time in 1988 in an article by Allen V. Kneese titled The Economics of Natural Resources. This notion was developed further following three major events:
• the explosion of raw material prices between 2000 and 2010; • the Chinese embargo on rare earth materials; and • the arrival of the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis.
KNOWLEDGE AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATION AND CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS Several sources provide principles for the circular economy that underpin organisational decision making and planning. While having some general overlaps, such as waste recycling, the various circular economy principles are differently defined. A circular economy is underpinned by several principles as depicted below. More specific guidelines with a focus on the adoption of a circular economy in the AEC industry, however, provide a clearer picture.
Major components of a circular economy in the AEC industry (Source: NSW Government, 2019)
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(Source: Adopted from Benachio et al, 2020)
For instance, the European Commission listed eight circular economy principles for building design with a suite of key actions to implement each principle.
These practices contribute to resource and energy efficiency, reuse of materials, efficient use of spaces and reduced quantity of C&D waste.
Drawing on the previous graph, the table above identifies how the application of a circular economy can achieve value for the AEC industry and identifies priority practices during five stages of a construction project life cycle.
Authors: This article was written by Salman Shooshtarian, a Research Fellow and Tayyab Maqsood, Associate Dean, Project Management from the School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University. 39
RESEARCH
MANAGING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PROJECT MANAGERS
POOR MENTAL HEALTH IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM, WITH TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS.
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new psychosocial risks in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) project organisations, causing poor mental health for some project managers. Despite the urgent need for mental health management practices during the COVID-19 era, it is surprising that there is an absence of mental health studies in AEC project organisations to tackle psychosocial risks triggering poor mental health. 40
(Source: Canva)
Insufficient empirical studies on mental health management has hampered the ability of AEC firms to adopt project management practices that reduce newly introduced COVID-19 psychosocial risks. Therefore, it is up to practitioners, government institutions and researchers to challenge existing studies to uncover ways to improve mental health management for project managers.
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS CAUSING POOR MENTAL HEALTH Some of the psychosocial risks triggering poor mental health among project managers in the Construction industry include: • L ong working hours • Increased workload •R educed rest periods •W ork-family conflict COVID-19 has introduced a range of additional psychosocial risks, including:
• Social isolation • Teleworking • Job loss • Reduction in revenue • Fear of catching the COVID-19 virus • Changes in procurement management procedures • Changes in project planning and management For over 20 years mental health research in the Construction industry has perceived psychosocial risks as generic 41
factors without considering the project context. Emergent COVID-19 related psychosocial risks in AEC project organisations has meant mental health management practices for project managers has needed to evolve with innovative solutions required.
MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT PRACTICES NEEDED DURING COVID-19 AEC firms seeking to promote positive mental health among project managers must take into account their project organisation
design and identify project management practices that will promote positive mental health. Lets draw inspiration from the McKinsey 7S Model to identify mental health management practices for reducing psychosocial risks during COVID-19. The McKinsey 7S Model comprises seven elements: structure, systems, style, staff, skills, strategy, and shared values, which can underpin the design of mental health management practices in AEC project organisations.
(Source: McKinsey 7S Model. Extracted from Waterman, Peters and Philips, 1980, p.18)
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1. Structure: Structure refers to governance institutions in AEC project organisations controlling project organisational learning, project management competencies, project performance control and monitoring, development of standardised methodologies and decision making. 2. Systems: Refers to operational systems of the AEC project organisation that determine project management activities allocated to project managers. 3. Style: Style refers to leadership styles, starting from top managers to project leadership, adopted in coordinating the affairs of project managers in AEC project organisations. 4. Staff: Staff refers to human resources management for coordinating and monitoring recruitment, rewards, and appraisal of project managers in the organisation. 5. Skills: Skills refers to the project management skills required for project management activities in an AEC project. 6. Strategy: Strategy in the model refers to the business strategy the AEC firm plans in response or anticipation to changes in its external environment that can impose pressure on business operation and project managers engaging in project management practices.
7. Shared values: Shared values refers to the culture inherent in the AEC project organisation. Given the link between organisational design and mental health, interactive relationships between the seven organisational elements in the 7S Mckinsey model can underlay the development of mental health management practices in AEC project organisations. Practitioners should take into consideration these seven organisational elements influencing psychosocial risk, which can cause poor mental health. If you or anyone you know needs help right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Authors: This article was written by Mr. Bashir Tijani, A/Prof. Xiaohua Jin, Dr. Robert Osei-Kyei and Prof Srinath Perera. Bashir is a Doctoral researcher at Western Sydney University, who is currently developing a mental health management framework for project management practitioners in AEC project organisations. Xiaohua is a Director of the academic program for Project Management at Western Sydney University. Robert is an academic course advisor for Construction Management at Western Sydney University. Srinath is the director for the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) at Western Sydney University.
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FELLOWS FORUM
SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING DRONE OPERATIONS REMOTELY
FELLOWS HAVE GIVEN EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSION. HEAR FROM ONE HERE EACH QUARTER.
UAVISUALS monitoring drone operations on site at Horsham, regional Victoria. (Source: UAVISUALS)
February 2021 was a time of sporadic border closures between states, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Gerard Coutts & Associates (GCA), a Victorian-based project management firm, collaborated with Aivia Group (Aivia), a NSWbased commercial drone services and solutions provider, to overcome significant challenges in 44
deploying drone technology across borders during this uncertain time. In this article, Gerard Coutts a Certified Practicing Project Director and a Fellow of AIPM, discusses the challenges encountered in delivering this key component of an ongoing land development project in regional Victoria.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY Drone technology has played a key role in this development project, located in the heart of Horsham, Victoria, especially during the
design stage. By partnering with Aivia, we’ve been able to expand our product offering to clients to include Digital Surface Modeling (DSM), in addition to highresolution aerial photography. A DSM is essentially a dimensionally scaled, geo-tagged digital version of an area of land. We overlay Building Information Models, 3D designs and infographics over DSM’s and aerial photography, for intuitive design visualisation. This has enabled us to showcase comprehensive urban design and development opportunities to stakeholders.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The first challenge we faced was unpredictable border closures. Aivia can service interstate projects onsite, however between April and December 2020 unpredictable border closures prevented securing a date to fly the drone.
“Aivia offers a unique and specialised service; they were able to provide us with a customised solution that our project required. There was some initial hesitancy to engage a provider across state lines, but we were reassured that Aivia were determined to achieve this component of the project and achieve it well,” says Priscilla Riscica, planning animator at GCA. The second challenge was navigating around the pre-existing crop that was grown on the site. Until the development advances to the earthworks stage, the landowner utilises the site for agricultural produce (barley). By the time the aerial survey was scheduled to take place in October 2020, the barley crop had matured to the point where it could have
Digital Surface Model of the site at Horsham, Victoria showing aerial camera positions, heat map and contours. (Source: Gerard Coutts & Associates)
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significantly impacted on the quality of photogrammetric processing. Prioritising the best value for the client, a decision was made to wait until the barley crop had been harvested to conduct the onsite capture to ensure quality requirements were reliably met. Right as the location was suitable for mapping, another border closure started. “Our solution was to manage drone operations remotely; Aivia connected with UAV pilots based in Victoria, with the competency to execute specific workflows on the ground to the standard that was required (UAVISUALS). Swift coordination between Aivia Group and the UAVISUALS team enabled the project to proceed without further delay,” says Patrick Munsey a Partner at Aivia Group.
Aivia shipped specialised hardware to UAVISUALS pilots, who acted as Aivia’s feet on the ground. Large amounts of raw data were transferred to Aivia for processing, and the resulting DSM and other data were made available online, for GCA and stakeholders to access anytime, anywhere.
LESSONS LEARNT The key ‘learning’ is around project risk and managing complexity. The team have been agile, flexible, and adaptive to ensure project deliverables. The use of technology has ensured we have not been hamstrung by border closures and restricted travel. We recognise the complexity of COVID restrictions and of public safety and we have been able to work in parallel with these conditions without significant impact on our project program.
UAVISUALS Managing Director, Aaron Rajamoney, operating a drone on site at Horsham, regional Victoria. (Source: UAVISUALS)
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Early development concept (3D design and info-graphics) overlaid on aerial photography of site. (Source: Gerard Coutts & Associates)
“This project has highlighted the importance of remote data accessibility and that the quality and capability of our data products are just as important as our ability to get it into stakeholders’ hands in a usable way. We will be focusing a lot of our resources on further developing our geospatial data management and remote collaboration capabilities for future projects,” says Patrick Munsey a Partner at Aivia Group.
Fundamentally, through the formulation of a creative and volatile plan, Aivia Group successfully managed drone operations remotely, and delivered drone data solutions to Gerard Coutts & Associates, without compromise in timeframe, budget, or the quality. This example of interstate and interindustry collaboration demonstrates the importance of a resilient attitude and adaptable approach in the business of land use planning and, on a broader spectrum, in project management. Author: Gerard Coutts is a Certified Practicing Project Director at Gerard Coutts & Associates, and a Fellow of AIPM. Gerard has a lifetime of practical participation in the property, building, project management, design, planning, and land management industries. 47
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VALE ADEL KHREICH IN MEMORIAM
Former President of the AIPM NSW Chapter, Adel Khreich, passed away in October 2020 after a courageous long battle with cancer. He was a significant contributor to AIPM and the wider project management industry. Adel came from humble beginnings. In 1976, at the age of 12, he migrated to Australia with his family for a fresh start from war-torn Lebanon. Despite the apparent challenges in adapting to a new culture and learning a foreign language, Adel excelled in school and was accepted into the prestigious University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he graduated with an Honours in Civil Engineering. After more than a decade of working for various companies in the project delivery industry, Adel made the jump to start his own business. In 2001, blueVisions was established with the aim to close the customer experience gap and produce better project outcomes for clients. Enterprising and immensely passionate about making a positive difference, Adel believed that understanding and appreciating the clients’ requirements is key to the success of any project. He also had an uncanny ability to size up situations and articulate the issue in the simplest terms possible. Because of these skills, complemented by a commanding presence, strong attention to detail, and a strategic project planning ability, many have said that he was the perfect mix of a great project manager and inspiring business leader. This was evident in his highly motivated team, acknowledgements received from his peers as well as the high levels of repeat business.
His unwavering dedication and hard work – restless business journeys, long-haul flights, sleeping with one eye-open (as he used to describe it) to endless emails and phone calls – has seen the company evolve into the remarkable organisation it is today, ensuring a secure future for his family. Over the decades, Adel immersed himself in everything related to project management. He held the president’s office and was a board member for the AIPM, UNSW Civil Engineering and University of New England Management during his career. Adel lived a full life for 56 years – travelling the world, creating a global business legacy, marrying the love of his life, Molita before raising a family with her and their two sons, Daniel and Justin. He used to joke that his life was equivalent to 7 lives of anyone else! Adel, sometimes the match ends before the final whistle, and the sun disappears before the actual sunset; all heavenly wisdoms that we cannot comprehend yet we always trust that the sun will rise on the other side of the universe, your current abode. Molita Khreich and the executive management team at blueVisions continue to uphold the values instilled by Adel and further his vision to deliver the highest level of project services and capability development to clients across Australia, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.
As competitive as Adel was, he always remained a gentleman – looking for win-win solutions wherever possible. He did not believe in “a pound of flesh” and lived by the values of trust, loyalty, friendship and above everything else, integrity. It was in his nature to give more than he received. Adel’s ambition was to expand blueVisions into the Middle East and Asian countries. 49
CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEXT ISSUE OF PARADIGM SHIFT
Please visit www.aipm.com.au for project resources, industry updates, upcoming events and membership inquiries.
Have a project that you would like our project community to know about? Do you have a project insight you believe needs to be shared? Our next theme is CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP and we would love to hear your article ideas. Email communications@aipm.com.au with the subject line ‘Paradigm Shift article contribution’ and tell us what you have in mind before Friday, 8 October 2021. Our next issue will be out in December 2021.
