2025: Enhancing Project Team Capacities for Better Infrastructure Outcomes
In the room the Tony Gee roundtable had experts from across industry sectors, organisation types and scales, informing a rich debate. The session covered both what drives success in delivering outcomes in projects, and how key project roles can use their skills to support. The conversation covered challenges, strategies for improvement, and stakeholder roles.
Key challenges
Across infrastructure we face challenges with quantifying outcomes, exacerbated in major projects by their long-term nature, and influenced by political and stakeholder priorities. How we measure performance for many outcomes will vary through a project lifecycle and for different stakeholders.
A key factor in outcomes success that we noted was the role of leadership in both setting the tone and ambition for achievement. This clarity of vision can also be enhanced with a less is more approach when it comes to successfully delivering outcomes. We discussed whether it is more impactful to focus on a smaller number of relevant strategic priorities, but then to optimise the other issues we know to be important, as best as possible within the project constraints.
There was some healthy challenge to whether we check in enough post-delivery to ensure that the intended outcomes were achieved and to discover the unintended outcomes as well (positive and negative).
Stakeholder roles and their impact
The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding the perspectives of the project team that are tasked with delivering the core project mission. We considered how the existing roles could be best leveraged to drive the value outcomes we all want.
The group considered broad supply chain parties outside of the client teams, QS and commercial teams, and discipline specialists; each having unique impacts on delivering outcomes. Key points included:
Discipline specialists will have the depth of expertise required to identify and leverage value in design solutions, however they are often constrained with a narrow scope and may not be included in the broader discussions on value. As key problem solvers in the team there is huge potential from leaning into the expertise of this community.
QS and commercial teams manage the constraints of the project around cost, programme and change with tight controls on what must be delivered within the scope. By leaning into this laser focus on delivery and turning to a broader perspective this community has potential to really drive the balance of costs and valued outcomes.
Supply chain in the infrastructure sector will rise to any challenge. The best examples raised in the discussions were from projects where there was a realistic contractual arrangement in place to deliver value outcomes. By really using the expertise and experience early on in setting expectations, clients can ‘set the right exam question’ to get the best from a project.
Conclusion
The discussion highlighted the critical role of leadership, collaboration, and leveraging expertise across teams in driving successful project outcomes. It emphasised addressing challenges, optimising stakeholder roles, and fostering strategic prioritisation.