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queensland water infrastructure, QWI, phil chipman, alliance contract, project, infrastructure, VFM, reporting, leadership, accountability, governance
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alliance leadership team
Phil Chipman is the Chief Operations Officer for Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd (QWI). Alliance IQ interviewed Phil about his role, responsibility and lessons learned in relation to alliance contracting.
Phil has responsibility to manage the operational activities of the QWI program. The QWI program includes the 15 projects associated with the delivery of the Wyaralong Dam (near Beaudesert, one hour south of Brisbane) and the Traveston Crossing Dam (near Gympie, two hours north of Brisbane).
QWI currently has two Alliances in operation one to design and construct the Wyaralong Dam, the other (a Program Alliance) to design and construct Cedar Grove Weir (complete), Bromelton Offstream Storage (complete) and the Wyaralong Dam Access Road.
He is also the Chairman on the Alliance Leadership Team/ Project Alliance Board for each of these Alliances. This involves chairing ALT/PAB meetings, liaising closely with the Alliance Manager about the passage of information to the Board and Board decisions, a Champion of certain Alliance functional areas and certain delegated responsibilities regarding approvals of Alliance activities.
How long have you been engaged in alliance contracting?My first involvement was the Burnett Dam Alliance in 2003.
What were your drivers to engaging in this specific project delivery methodology?Potential for excellent outcomes through risk sharing and a focus on team work and innovation. Allows some flexibility and speed in the development of project documentation. Well suited to major dam projects due to scale and risks involved.
What are your key lessons learned and what pitfalls would you recommend avoiding?The Alliance principle of no blame doesn’t mean no accountability. Accountability is essential particularly when striving to achieve demanding timeframes and outcomes.
The Alliance principles of Trust and Team Work do not equate to a blind acceptance of proposals, designs and costs. Good practice and governance requires any organisation to challenge and verify proposals, designs and cost estimates to the highest degree.
How has alliance contracting changed the way that you do business?Allowed Alliance participant businesses to focus on positive lead issues (best for project, team work, innovation, culture) rather than negative lag issues (commercial, litigation, individual gain). Facilitated a hands on approach to the high level governance and management of major projects and requires senior management to be structured to provide this hands on involvement on Alliance Leadership Teams etc.
Value for money is always the challenge on the tip of everyone’s tongues – what have you done in the past to demonstrate it?Recognise that VFM commences in the planning stage of the project (prior to procurement commencing) and that whether VFM is achieved is largely determined by key stakeholder perceptions. For this reason ensure key stakeholders are well briefed on how VFM will be demonstrated in the separate stages of the project (procurement, delivery, operation of the asset). Ensure stakeholders are similarly briefed on progress against and outcomes of VFM objectives.
If you could go back and do anything differently – what would you change?Recognize and reduce complexity of Program Alliance reporting.
What’s the future for alliance contracting in your opinion?Good future for major infrastructure projects with significant risks providing key stakeholders have a positive perception of the Alliancing approach, especially that VFM is achieved.
Alliance IQ thanks Phil for his time!
If you would like to learn more about QWI or about Phil's perspective - he is speaking at IQPC's Bi-Annual Alliance Contracting Summit in November 2009. For more information about his presentation or the event specifically please visit: www.alliancecontractingsummit.com or call 02 9229 1000.
Click here for information about Phil Chipman
With over 23 years of engineering and project management experience Phil Chipman is the Chief Operations Officer for Queensland Water Infrastructure (QWI).
In this position Phil is responsible for the overall management of the $2.5 billion QWI program including procurement and delivery of QWI’s projects. These projects include the Wyaralong Dam, Traveston Crossing Dam and associated road and community infrastructure projects. Phil and his team also successfully procured and oversaw the construction of Cedar Grove Weir and Bromelton Off-stream Storage in 2007 and 2008.
Prior to joining QWI, Phil was involved in delivering various critical water infrastructure projects including the Ross River Dam Upgrade in Townsville as Project Manager, the Paradise Dam as the Burnett Water Program Manager and Kirra Weir as Project Director.
Phil holds a Master of Management Studies specialising in Project Management, a Master of Defence Studies and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering. He is a Master Project Director in the Australian Institute of Project Management and a member of the Institute of Engineers Australia.
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