IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i4p2971-d1059905.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reimagining Infrastructure Megaproject Delivery: An Australia—New Zealand Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Johan Ninan

    (Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, TU Delft, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Stewart Clegg

    (School of Project Management, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2037, Australia)

  • Steve Burdon

    (School of Computer Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia)

  • John Clay

    (Business School, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia)

Abstract

Infrastructure megaprojects are increasing in size and number worldwide. Widespread shortcomings such as cost overruns, delays, litigious threats, and community opposition are now so pervasive there is a clear mandate to rethink the way we plan, deliver, and operate our infrastructure. In this context, we situate this research to understand how megaprojects can be set up for success. Data were collected from responses to a questionnaire survey, interviews, and case studies. The questionnaire was fielded by multiple agencies involved in infrastructure projects, such as engineers, construction organizations, and government delivery agencies. For qualitative insights, we conducted 30 interviews with participants from these agencies and studied cases that successfully implemented the themes identified. The results highlight the three themes with the highest impact in delivering projects successfully: (1) Improved integrated planning, business cases, and front-end engineering design; (2) efficient use of contracts; and (3) strengthening government and political engagement. This research contrasts the literature on megaproject success with data collected from questionnaires, case studies, and interviews. Collecting solutions that have solved issues effectively is an innovative aspect of our methodology, with these findings holding considerable value for ecosystem practitioners. Thus, we contribute by highlighting eight cost-effective, relevant, and efficient ways for reimagining infrastructure megaproject delivery.

Suggested Citation

  • Johan Ninan & Stewart Clegg & Steve Burdon & John Clay, 2023. "Reimagining Infrastructure Megaproject Delivery: An Australia—New Zealand Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:2971-:d:1059905
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/2971/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/2971/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Flyvbjerg,Bent & Bruzelius,Nils & Rothengatter,Werner, 2003. "Megaprojects and Risk," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521009461.
    2. Busscher, Tim & Tillema, Taede & Arts, Jos, 2015. "In search of sustainable road infrastructure planning: How can we build on historical policy shifts?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 42-51.
    3. Tyrone S. Pitsis & Stewart R. Clegg & Marton Marosszeky & Thekla Rura-Polley, 2003. "Constructing the Olympic Dream: A Future Perfect Strategy of Project Management," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(5), pages 574-590, October.
    4. Beverley M. Lloyd-walker & Anthony John Mills & Derek H.T. Walker, 2014. "Enabling construction innovation: the role of a no-blame culture as a collaboration behavioural driver in project alliances," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 229-245, March.
    5. Brookes, Naomi J. & Locatelli, Giorgio, 2015. "Power plants as megaprojects: Using empirics to shape policy, planning, and construction management," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 57-66.
    6. Tara Brooks & John Spillane & Paul Tansey & Caroline Hendron, 2016. "The impact of the recent economic recession on the operation of the NEC contract in Northern Ireland," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(6), pages 393-417, June.
    7. Johan Ninan & Ashwin Mahalingam & Stewart Clegg & Shankar Sankaran, 2020. "ICT for external stakeholder management: sociomateriality from a power perspective," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(9), pages 840-855, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Iliyasu Abdullahi & Casey Watters & Georgios Kapogiannis & Michal K. Lemański, 2023. "Role of Digital Strategy in Managing the Planning Complexity of Mega Construction Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-18, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Silvia Lucciarini & Rossana Galdini, 2023. "Bridging the “consent gap”: mechanisms of legitimization in a cross-border megaproject," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 42(2), pages 212-225.
    2. Ulrik Kohl & John Andersen, 2022. "Copenhagen’s Struggle to Become the World’s First Carbon Neutral Capital: How Corporatist Power Beats Sustainability," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 230-241.
    3. Giorgio Locatelli, 2018. "Why are Megaprojects, Including Nuclear Power Plants, Delivered Overbudget and Late? Reasons and Remedies," Papers 1802.07312, arXiv.org.
    4. Bent Flyvbjerg & J. Rodney Turner, 2017. "Do Classics Exist in Megaproject Management?," Papers 1710.09678, arXiv.org.
    5. Gregory, Julian, 2020. "Governance, scale, scope: A review of six South African electricity generation infrastructure megaprojects," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    6. Schreiner, Lena & Madlener, Reinhard, 2022. "Investing in power grid infrastructure as a flexibility option: A DSGE assessment for Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    7. Ahsan Nawaz & Xing Su & Qaiser Mohi Ud Din & Muhammad Irslan Khalid & Muhammad Bilal & Syyed Adnan Raheel Shah, 2020. "Identification of the H&S (Health and Safety Factors) Involved in Infrastructure Projects in Developing Countries-A Sequential Mixed Method Approach of OLMT-Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Manning, Stephan, 2017. "The rise of project network organizations: Building core teams and flexible partner pools for interorganizational projects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1399-1415.
    9. Cantarelli, C.C. & Flyvbjerg, B. & Buhl, S.L., 2012. "Geographical variation in project cost performance: the Netherlands versus worldwide," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 324-331.
    10. Zhao, Na, 2019. "Managing interactive collaborative mega project supply chains under infectious risks," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 275-286.
    11. Michael Regan, 2013. "Public project procurement and the case for public–private partnerships," Chapters, in: John Farrar & David G. Mayes (ed.), Globalisation, the Global Financial Crisis and the State, chapter 8, pages 172-196, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Holz-Rau, Christian & Scheiner, Joachim, 2011. "Safety and travel time in cost-benefit analysis: A sensitivity analysis for North Rhine-Westphalia," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 336-346, March.
    13. Leheis, Stéphanie, 2012. "High-speed train planning in France: Lessons from the Mediterranean TGV-line," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 37-44.
    14. Morgenroth, Edgar & FitzGerald, John & FitzGerald, John, 2006. "Summary and Conclusions," Book Chapters, in: Morgenroth, Edgar (ed.),Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Investment Priorities for the National Development Plan 2007-2013, chapter 24, pages 317-333, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
      • Baker, Terence J. & FitzGerald, John & Honohan, Patrick & FitzGerald, John & Honohan, Patrick, 1996. "Summary and Conclusions," Book Chapters, in: Baker, Terence J. (ed.),Economic Implications for Ireland of EMU, chapter 12, pages 339-352, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    15. Litsiou, Konstantia & Polychronakis, Yiannis & Karami, Azhdar & Nikolopoulos, Konstantinos, 2022. "Relative performance of judgmental methods for forecasting the success of megaprojects," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 1185-1196.
    16. Proost, S. & Van der Loo, S. & de Palma, Andre & Lindsey, Robin, 2005. "A cost-benefit analysis of tunnel investment and tolling alternatives in Antwerp," European Transport \ Trasporti Europei, ISTIEE, Institute for the Study of Transport within the European Economic Integration, issue 31, pages 83-100.
    17. Al-Noor Abdullah & Sanzidur Rahman, 2021. "Social Impacts of a Mega-Dam Project as Perceived by Local, Resettled and Displaced Communities: A Case Study of Merowe Dam, Sudan," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-32, September.
    18. Fildes, Robert & Goodwin, Paul & Lawrence, Michael & Nikolopoulos, Konstantinos, 2009. "Effective forecasting and judgmental adjustments: an empirical evaluation and strategies for improvement in supply-chain planning," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 3-23.
    19. Morteza Davari & Erik Demeulemeester, 2019. "The proactive and reactive resource-constrained project scheduling problem," Journal of Scheduling, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 211-237, April.
    20. Konstantina Gkritza & Kumares Sinha & Samuel Labi & Fred Mannering, 2008. "Influence of highway construction projects on economic development: an empirical assessment," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 42(3), pages 545-563, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:2971-:d:1059905. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.