In today’s complicated building landscape, fiscal transparency, work-site safety, environmental consequences, and structural integrity are just some of considerations that must be factored into the building process. But with so many hands in the mix, and so many key priorities to juggle, it isn’t unusual for decisions to be rushed or details to be missed along the way.

According to Jeff Rabinovitch, Principal at RJC Engineers, employing the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method will help limit needless oversights and keep the project on track from both a budget and scheduling perspective, ensuring all parties—and particularly the owner—are satisfied with the outcome.

“IPD is a project delivery method in which the builder owner has elected to sign a poly-party contract with the general contractor, prime consultant, and other key design and construction members of the project team,” he explains. “The method promotes collaborative behaviour through team sharing of a project’s risks and rewards.”

Rabinovitch, who’s been involved in IPD projects as a structural consultant for nearly 10 years, says the key principles of this popular method include:

• A contractually defined relationship of equals that supports collaboration and consensus-based decisions;
• Shared financial risks and rewards based on achieving agreed-to project outcomes;
• Fiscal transparency between all team members;
• Early involvement in design by all team members;
• Well-established project objectives or “Conditions of Satisfaction”;
• Collaborative decision-making based on “best for project” outcomes.

Achieving the benefits of the principles above rely on having a knowledgeable, like-minded team of individuals willing to work together, rather than in silos, and respect each other’s opinions and expertise. There also must be a willingness to engage in open, clear communication and embrace a culture of collaboration throughout the duration of the project.

Meanwhile, Rabinovitch says employing the principles of  ‘Lean Design and Construction’ helps maximize project value, eliminate waste, and deliver on project commitments—and this, coupled with the shared pursuit of continuous improvement, creates a competitive atmosphere that drives success.

 “As with most projects, the big-picture goal is typically to maximize owner value while delivering a high degree of cost certainty and transparency,” he says. “IPD facilitates this by intensifying efforts between designers and builders in the Validation phase of the project. This early consultation permits an accelerated construction schedule by leveraging innovative construction phasing and procurement practises—and when the owner’s maintenance personnel are also included in the collaborative design process, both upfront costs and building operational efficiency can be optimized.”

All that said, for IPD to be successful, Rabinovitch stresses that informed decision-makers must be at the table from the onset.

“This is critically important for the owner,” he concludes. “An owner’s management and decision-making structure must be able to permit authority to be exercised by key project participants; otherwise, resolution of design and construction issues will be delayed, and the project outcome hindered.”

For more on Integrated Project Delivery, please visit www.rjc.ca or contact Jeff Rabinovitch directly at JRabinovitch@rjc.ca