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Structured Collaborative PartneringTM

Project Partnering

Structured Collaborative Partnering™ helps project teams reduce complexity on projects by aligning behind one set of common goals. By helping the team co-create an Issue Resolution Structure and teaching teams how to identify risks and resolve them in a timely fashion, OrgMetrics teaches project teams how to be more cohesive, trusting, and effective.

This highly effective model has proven itself over the past three decades and has been used on over 4,000 projects. A successfully partnered project features a creative team that solves problems, builds momentum, and enjoys leveling up as they deliver their project.

Construction ScorecardTM 

OrgMetrics has developed a Construction Scorecard™ that allows teams to measure their progress, make adjustments, and hold one another accountable to live up to their commitments. Teams that implement Construction Scorecards improve over time and ultimately help the project come in ahead of schedule and under budget!

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Virtual Partnering

Originally designed for projects under $10M, OrgMetrics launched Virtual Small Project Partnering in 2015, winning an IPI Award for the SFO Z1 Taxiways Blast Fence Project. Through the 2020s, we have learned that partnering can indeed be successful in a hybrid setting or conducted virtually via a videoconferencing platform (i.e., Zoom, MS Teams, BlueJeans, etc.) by selecting the key participants at both the executive and field level from the owner (client), contractor, designer or engineer, key stakeholders, and key subcontractors.

Here is what teams are saying about virtual Partnering:

  • Virtual Partnering provided the opportunity to meet the team at all levels, develop expectations, and mutually create goals.
  • The process was well-moderated and kept moving.
  • The Scorecard was helpful for the executives to take the pulse of the team and see any potential issues.
  • Virtual Partnering was very convenient and made the meeting more manageable.
  • The Virtual Partnering process assisted with the team delivering on the tight time frames for this job.
  • I was pleasantly surprised by how this process broke the ice and allowed us to meet and greet the team.
  • The follow-up sessions were helpful and allowed the team to get more interaction from the stakeholder participants.

Give us a call or fill out our form today to start Partnering your projects large and small!

 

Developing Collaborative Organizations

OrgMetrics Collaborative PartneringTM Programs

A Collaborative Partnering™ Program is a comprehensive, integrated approach developed to foster a culture of collaboration across all major projects in a facility owner’s capital or maintenance program. The “Program” approach includes a process for working to establish an internal culture of collaboration among the owners’ functional units and external stakeholders that affect the project outcomes.

While each program is designed to meet the specific needs and scale of an owner’s capital/maintenance program, there are elements that are typically utilized. These include:

  • Collaborative Partnering – across all projects.
  • Collaborative Partnering Steering Committee – gather representatives from the industry and owner(s) cross-functioning units to work together to identify barriers to collaboration and ways to overcome each barrier.
  • Internal Strategic Partnering – creating collaboration between functional groups or departments and seeking global optimization vs local optimization. By aligning the internal units, collaboration becomes more natural on the projects to support successful delivery.
  • External Strategic Partnering – none of our projects are built in a vacuum. We must work with many other entities to get a project approved and built. Bringing everyone together to build congruence with key third parties and stakeholders (e.g., utilities and neighboring cities) and agreement is essential to support successful project delivery.
  • Program Performance Measures – broadening the Construction Scorecard for key program metrics (e.g., Safety, Budget, Schedule, Quality, Trust)  to measure if we are achieving our desired objectives.
Collaborative Partnering Training

OrgMetrics’ unique history as the leading Partnering Facilitation Firm in guiding Partnering Steering Committees—including Caltrans (1999 –2014), San Francisco (2016 –present), and more—means we are experienced in developing training to support the successful roll-out. This is a culture change process, so all the participants in a construction project, including owner teams (designer, public information, project, and construction management), contractor teams (prime contractor, subcontractors of any tier and suppliers), and any third parties that can impact the outcome of the project (utility owners, permitting agencies, funding agencies) will benefit from Collaborative Partnering Training.

Owners who implement successful partnering programs help eliminate claims, improve problem solving, and routinely help you become a “client of choice” for the builders who deliver your projects.

Resolving Disputes

OrgMetrics Facilitated Dispute ResolutionTM

OrgMetrics Facilitated Dispute Resolution™ (FDR) is an extension of your partnering process and is an essential component of your integrated dispute system. FDR has proven to be highly effective in helping teams resolve complex issues. FDR is a structured negotiation process intended to provide the facts surrounding the issues for decision-makers, so they can resolve the disputes for each issue based on its merits. It provides a forum for the project team to resolve their own issues before sending the issue off to a third party for resolution (e.g., Dispute Resolution Board (DRB), Dispute Review Advisor (DRA), or arbitration). We have a great belief in the team’s ability to resolve their own issues. Once they know they can resolve a tough issue, they realize they can resolve all of the issues on their project. FDR is an alternative to the traditional “adversarial” approach required by our legal system. It is practical, informal, and highly focused on the issues to be resolved.

FDR Benefits:

  • It is non-adversarial.
  • The team gains confidence in their ability to resolve their own issues.
  • It is less expensive than DRB, arbitration, or litigation.
  • There is a high rate of settlement (over 90%).
  • You have more control over the process and outcome.
  • Many state laws (e.g. California, Texas) allow for your FDR process to remain confidential.
  • It restores or improves communication.
  • It is faster than DRB, arbitration, or litigation.

OrgMetrics Partnering Facilitators are trained and certified Mediators. We specialize in facilitating dispute resolution for individuals and organizations.

Integrated Dispute Resolution Systems

In addition to resolving individual disputes, OrgMetrics can also develop an integrated dispute resolution system for your construction program. Most owners utilize various “claims” processes. These tend to evolve over time, so it is common for the process to be disjointed.

OrgMetrics helps owners develop an integrated approach to resolving their project disputes. This includes starting with Partnering to prevent disputes, and flows to more formal processes. It also should include the claims process so there is no confusion on the part of the project teams on what the next step is to work to resolve their project issues.

Read the White Paper on Facilitated Claims Resolution