Prove it Weirdo

The Mosaic Centre Project Team delivered an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) primer to a packed house at the 2014 CHANDOS leadership retreat held at the River Cree Resort last Thursday night. A sea of project managers and site superintendents looked on as Jennifer, Vedran, Tyler and I introduced most of the CHANDOS team to the chosen contract delivery method for the first time.

Admittedly, I was skeptical that a room full of systematic executors of traditional project delivery would be open to a new paradigm. With that, I prepared for nothing short of rotten tomatoes and blatant crotch gazing and took the stage first. My task was to introduce the project philosophy and communicate that the Mosaic Centre is to be built based on core values like teamwork, fun and sustainability. There were no tomatoes or brightly lit faces, but rather a full room of eyes on the presentation.

This continued as Vedran spoke to the design philosophy and Jennifer delivered a knockout lean fundamentals presentation. Tyler came in like a seasoned closer from the bullpen to finish the presentation, illustrating the IPD profit pool based on possible budget scenarios.

As I sat back and observed the audience nodding in approval and tilting their head to comprehend the full extent of the IPD method, I quickly came to realize that the construction industry in Edmonton is ready for a change. A fully engaged crowd signified that they are willing to learn a better way to do something they do every day.

My experience at this retreat renewed my hope that this project will help to change the way construction projects are delivered in our great city and that someday “collaboration” will replace “litigation” in our major capital projects.