PARTNERING


Partnering Continued from page 17


function as a system and procedure to handle situations during an emergency. With the COVID-19 pandemic


that has swept across the globe, the construction industry must go into emergency response mode. Tey must make those relationships work on the fly, given the role of our industry and our public works partners in protecting the integrity of our vital infrastructure and our workers.


Focused on Mutual Success True partnering has a core principle


that goes beyond a signed charter or a facilitated partnering session. It is a true commitment of every team member to the success of every other team member. Tat requires open and collaborative communication, mutual problem-solving and trust, which often leads to innovative solutions to the inevitable challenges that come up, large and small, on every project. Unfortunately, in many cases


partnering has become another task – a series of “sessions” that many on a project team view as something to endure, not to embrace. Some see partnering as a process of “just checking the boxes” to meet contract specification, or worse, something to be called upon urgently to fend off a looming and costly dispute. In some instances, when project leaders opt to utilize partnering only on-demand or “as needed” instead of as a regular


maintenance and enhancement to their commitment to their project goals, these on-call partnering sessions may end up becoming mediation and inter- vention sessions.


Partnering needs a refresh and a


rebalancing, aided by technology. We are seeing this phenomenon with the COVID-19 crisis.


Te other flaw that has emerged


with project partnering is that it can be dismissed as too “touchy-feely,” person- ality and chemistry based, depending on how well key project leaders get along on a specific project. Te ability to sustain or replicate the success of one project to the next depends largely on the attitude of individuals and their ability to work collaboratively and cohesively with the new project team members. Oftentimes, past history, reputation or perceptions play a factor before the project even begins.


Due for a Disruption Through Technology


Finally, partnering is, in my


Sam Hassoun, left, on a California project that employed partnering.


18 May/June 2020


opinion, overdue for a disruption by the use technology, similar to what we have seen in so many other areas of our lives. As currently configured, partnering is too labor- intensive, requiring trained facili- tators, follow-up in-person sessions to maintain the momentum at an offsite location away from the daily disruptions. Tis requires allocation of many hours by attendees away from production.


Tis investment in planning and coordination of key project personnel has contributed to the cancellation or postponing of partnering sessions as team members deal with more urgent matters. Should we replace traditional


partnering with a phone app? Not exactly. What I am suggesting, however, is partnering needs a refresh and a rebalancing, aided by technology. We are seeing this phenomenon with the COVID-19 crisis. Companies and agencies are scrambling to rethink how they perform work with a high degree of emphasis on outcomes over output. Prevention awareness and education, instead of dealing with curing an infection, is one of the lessons we need to apply to partnering, as we battle through this pandemic. Upfront investment in online


training and communication before the project begins will develop skills by all project participants before the actual work starts. Te use of technology tools that are available now can be utilized to prompt project participants to take the various steps needed to keep the project moving and track risks and issues as they arise real-time, before they turn into disputes. In this unprecedented time of our


lives, we need more partnering now than ever before. Tough our in-person communication may be altered tempo- rarily by the current pandemic, more innovative virtual meetings and communication tools are being utilized to maintain our focus on our common goals. We will emerge from this crisis as a society and an industry, stronger and more resourceful than ever before. 


Sam Hassoun is a licensed civil engineer who formerly worked at Bechtel Inc. and the California Department of Transpor- tation (Caltrans). In 2001, he founded Global Leadership Alliance (GLA Corp.), a partnering and management consulting firm based in Sacramento. His company website is www.gla.world.


California Constructor


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