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Lessons from a mega project:the importance of leadership, collaboration and culture

Allen Garner, CEO, Regional Rail Link Authority

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Regional Rail Link

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• Creates capacity for an extra 23 metro services and

10 regional services during each morning and evening

peak period

• More trains, less delays

• More efficient and predicable scheduling

• Less crowding on trains

• More accessibility to and from regional centres

• New communities get access to rail for the first time

Increasing reliability and capacity

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• $4 billion Photo

• 14.1 million man-hours

• 15,000 individuals worked on the project

• Peak daily workforce of 3,800• Lost-time Injury Frequency Rate: 0.6

• Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate: 10.4

• Average $100 million per month turnover

• peaking at $180 million per month

• 119 kilometres of track installed

• 40 bridges and grade separations constructed

• 5 new or rebuilt stations

• 50 occupations

• including 9 major occupations

• 1000’s of kilometres of wires

Project stats

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66

• Make up of the authority

• VPS and VicRoads staff seconded, new VPS staff

• Rail & construction specialists

• Metro Trains and V/Line project staff

• Design, commercial & probity consultants

• An overseeing RRLA board

• Informed authority experienced in project management

• Integrated and cross agency approach

• Focus on continuous improvement, collaboration and

innovation

Regional Rail Link Authority

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Matrix-style organisation structure

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• Focused on:

• Strategic management

• Relationships

• Stakeholders

• Government

• Agencies

• Councils

• Community

• Performance

• Legacy

Leadership team

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• Getting the right mix

• Co-location leading to

• cohesion

• cooperation

• collaboration

• Interaction with industry and government

• Timing

Planning and approvals

1010

• Strategic Procurement Plan

o established work packages and delivery models

• Strong focus on ensuring the right balance of ARO

involvement, industry capacity and open to as many

bidders as possible

• Design and scope

Project development

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Six work packages

Southern Cross $250m

City – Maribyrnong River $600m

Footscray – Deer Park $950m

Deer Park – West Werribee Junction $550m

West Werribee Junction $50m

Rail Systems $250m

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• Collaboration with contractors, AROs, VicRoads, councils,

government agencies, stakeholders and local community

• Managing interfaces

• Mitigating risk

Success through collaboration

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Participants

Objectives

• All interfaces coordinated and managed

• Encourage sharing between parties and lessons learnt

• Discuss innovation relevant to project delivery (eg. driver

simulator, sleeper procurement, safety initiatives)

• Ensuring sub-committees minimise impact of coordination

of activities

• Review project progress and issues

• Identify synergistic time and cost savings between work

packages

Joint Coordination Committee

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Joint Coordination Committee

Governance Structure

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• RRL Master Program

• Milestone Definition Process

• Delivery of staged benefits

Setting milestones

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Setting milestones

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• A project first that will change the way rail projects are

delivered in Victoria

• Successful planning, communications and delivery

• 7 major line occupations

• 72 weekend occupations

• 718 after last / before first service occupations

Major rail occupations

2020

RRLA has worked closely with:

• Victorian and Federal Government and Ministers

• DTPLI, DPC, DSE, DTF and Commonwealth

• Public Transport Victoria, Growth Areas Authority,

VicRoads

• Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line, VicTrack, ARTC

• City of Melbourne, Brimbank City Council, Wyndham City

Council, Maribyrnong City Council, Shire of Melton

• City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, City of Greater

Bendigo

Delivering Regional Rail Link

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• High focus on engagement by the project team

• Managed at multiple levels

• Executives in contractors and client teams involved

• Critical to project success

Stakeholder management

2222

• Effective communication and consultation arrangements

• Individuals and groups affected by the project had

opportunities to participate in its development

• Provided a local perspective

• Assisted in plans for managing construction impacts

Community Reference Group

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Multiple communication channels

• 1800 number (24/7)

• Website

• Email

• Twitter

• Newsletters

• Fact sheets

• Letter box drops

Communications

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• Defining scope

• Strong change management controls

• Proactive contract management

• Robust reporting & review monthly

cycle

• Good people

• Assurance processes

• Project controls & processes

• Enormous value in our stakeholder

relationships

• Communications

In conclusion

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Conclusion