Transforming Strategy Into Action on Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Projects

Abstract

This paper reflects on four studies of integrated project delivery in which 80 expert IPD practitioners were interviewed. Taking an institutional theory perspective with a focus on the cultural-cognitive pillar, this paper discusses how people make sense of complex situations and how they interpret what is the right course of action to take. The paper explores how their cultural-cognitive skills assists them and identifies four key elements that helps explain the development of a unified-team best-for-project mindset.

Improved reliability in planning large-scale infrastructure project delivery through Alliancing

“…(2019) demonstrate how Finnish infrastructure alliance project participants aligned their mental models to create a unified common vision enabling integration and collaboration to be engendered. Similarly, Walker (2020), drawing inspiration from institutional theory, examined the formation of an alliance's project strategy and explained how people responded to rules, regulations and governance based on their workplace, national and professional norms through a process of sense-making (through cultural-cognitive capabilities).…”

“…Teams that collaborate and are integrated can freely raise awkward relevant questions to address uncertainty and best cope with complexity or highly ambiguous/complicated situations (Browning and Ramasesh, 2015). IPD/Alliancing contextual institutional theory helps explain how teams form a culture that can sustainably become adaptable, resilient and make sensible, pragmatic judgements to take action based on TOC and TAE deliberations (Walker, 2020).…”