CEDA, IADC to Organise Forum on Early Contractor Involvement

An interactive forum and networking event for project owners, financiers, insurers, contractors, construction lawyers, regulators, government agencies and NGOs, advisors to decision makers in the maritime infrastructure construction industry.

This two-day forum with the theme Partnering Creates Possibilities will bring together top-level experts and advisors responsible for construction projects for an in-depth exchange of knowledge. With well-known keynote speakers setting the tone for the forum the participants will explore the benefits of “contractual partnering” – that is, a co-operation amongst all the contractual players from the very early stages of project development. Early Contractor Involvement can help identify risks and responsibilities and obstacles to co-operation, as well as possible methods to deal with, eliminate or minimize them. The aim of conference is to explore the practical and legal possibilities of utilising better and more intelligently the resources associated with “the early involvement of contractors” in order to bring benefits to society in the form of faster and more cost-effective solutions.

By examining four successful recent projects from different parts of the world, this free-spirited event aims to disseminate existing knowledge and to stimulate new, creative ideas for achieving solutions for Best for the Project (win-win).

A hypothetical case study will challenge the participating professionals to think out of the box and confront their own doubts and preconceptions. Whilst the event’s primary focus will be maritime infrastructure construction projects, experience and lessons learned in other industries will also be sought.

The target audience comprises but is not limited to experts involved in maritime infrastructure projects: project principles/project owners (both experienced and less experienced), development agencies; dredging contractors; consulting engineers; construction lawyers and legal counsels; project financiers; and decision makers and their advisors.

The venue is Hilton Docklands, London, located on the South Bank of the River Thames opposite Canary Wharf, with remarkable views of the river.

On Wednesday evening 22 June, the forum will kick off with a Meet and Greet in the hotel, giving delegates an opportunity to mingle in an informal setting.

Day 1 Thursday 23 June the Forum begins with keynote speakers:

Listen and learn

1. Dean T. Kashiwagi, Ph.D., P.E., Professor, Director, Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG), Del E. Webb School of Construction/ School (DEWSC) School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE), on “Best Value Performance by Early Contractor Involvement”;

2. Peter Lundhus, Technical Director, Fehmern Baelt, Denmark, addressing “The difficulties in achieving a constructive Early Contractor Involvement’”;

3. Daphne Broerse, Partner, Amsterdam Office, Norton Rose LLP on “Rules and regulation are not stopping partnering!”.

Each speaker will present a unique aspect of the concept of Early Contractor Involvement aimed at explaining WHY ECI is beneficial to all parties, WHEN it should be implemented and HOW to implement it. These presentations will form the basis for the workshops that follow.

Discuss and debate

After a lunch break, attendees will be organised into workgroups to examine in-depth a hypothetical case and let their opinions be heard from their own perspectives as project owner, or consultant, or contractor. This interactive discussion and debate is meant to give participants time to evaluate the opportunities and obstacles they have encountered, or may encounter, when tackling major maritime infrastructure projects.

Day 2 Friday 24 June

Listen and learn

Under the heading HOW THEY DID IT! four successful projects where Early Contractor Involvement took place will be presented by four project owners:

• Stephen Bradford, Chief Executive Officer of Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC), providing leadership for the strategic management of Australia’s largest container and general cargo port, “Balancing economic, environmental and social demands”;

• Cees Brandsen, General Director, Competence Centre Infrastucture Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, “Best Value Procurement for Road Infrastructure Priority Investment Programme”; and

• Richard Nunn, Principle Civil Engineer, Flood and Coastal Risk Technical Manager, Environment Agency, UK, will explain “Innovation in Flood Risk Management – early enough or too late?”; and

• Menno Steenman, Contract Manager, Port of Rotterdam N.V. for the first construction contract in relation to the Maasvlakte 2 project and will speak on “The business case (why money counts), the tender process, client supervision, defining specifications, and why contracts are important.”

Finally, Marc Gramberger, managing director of Prospex, the consultancy specialized in cooperation for excellence, will speak on “How can 1 plus 1 equal 3?

How can we make cooperation work?”

Discuss and debate

Inspired by these presentations, in a second working group session attendees are encouraged to share their experiences – negative and positive – and identify ways and solutions to successfully face the challenges of Early Contractor Involvement.

The Forum on Early Contractor Involvement is organised by CEDA and IADC, and is supported by CIRIA.

About CEDA

The Central Dredging Association (CEDA) is an international professional membership organisation for all those involved in dredging related activities and who live or work in Europe, Africa, or the Middle East. CEDA provides an independent forum for the exchange of knowledge in fields related to dredging, maritime construction and dredged material management. Members are drawn from many fields and include consultants, research and educational institutes, port authorities, government agencies, dredging contractors, builders of dredging vessels, and suppliers of ancillary equipment. CEDA encompasses a wide range of disciplines and activities and does not represent the interests of any particular industry sector.

About IADC

IADC stands for “International Association of Dredging Companies” and is the global umbrella organisation for contractors in the private dredging industry. As such IADC is dedicated to not only promoting the skills, integrity and reliability of its members, but also the dredging industry in general. IADC has over one hundred main and associated members. Together they represent the forefront of the dredging industry.

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Source: iadc-dredging, February 18, 2011