Sir Michael Latham recommended in his 1994 report 'Constructing the Team' the need for 'serious training, deep culture change led from the top and continuous reinforcement'. He emphasised that 'clients and contractors cannot go to bed on Friday night as an adversarial client or contractor and wake up on Monday morning as a partnering convert'. Latham perceived that progress depends on the need to challenge a 'cynics bestiary' of those 'who do not believe in partnering' as comprising six fundamental types: 'the stick-in-the-mud', 'the jobsworth', 'the one who just doesn't get it', 'the die-hard sceptic', 'the control freak' and 'the young people who don't believe in partnering because they have been fed a poisoned account'. Independent advice and team coaching can help to overcome bias, preconceptions and unhelpful attitudes.
Example: Under a term alliance awarded by Havelok Homes: 'Workshops facilitated by the independent adviser clarified each party's role and flagged up some vital pre-commencement tasks to be added to the agreed timetable. These encouraged a climate of good faith that eliminated mistrust and promoted a 'can-do' attitude.' |
The Construction Leadership Council 2018 report 'Procuring for Value' noted that 'the experience of contractors and quantity surveyors is that new forms of contract are often poorly understood within the supply chain. Representatives of all team members need to develop knowledge, experience, and commitment to collaborative procurement processes, including:
■ An informed commitment to support the agreed alliance processes
■ A full understanding of how and why alliance processes work
■ The capability to make prompt decisions in accordance with the agreed governance system'.
It is tempting to suggest that, if a collaborative team needs independent advice, it is likely to be in trouble. However, the Construction Industry Council Partnering Task Force concluded in their 2000 'Guide to Project Team Partnering' that it is unrealistic to expect project teams to adopt collaborative approaches to procurement without the benefit of professional advice. Their view was that, while the ideal number of advisers to support new project processes is 'zero', the next best number is 'one', namely an independent adviser who can be seen as an ombudsman for the team. They proposed the appointment of an independent adviser accountable to all team members who could 'prepare (on an even-handed basis) the documents that record the team's commitments, procedures and expectations.'
An independent adviser should always offer a positive and constructive approach in his or her advice to team members. In order to maintain impartiality and objectivity, consideration should be given to all team members contributing equally to the cost of the independent adviser's fees.
An independent adviser may encounter obstacles if:
■ Clients and other team members are reluctant to spend money on independent advice
■ Advisers to individual team members reject independent advice because they see it as questioning their own advice
■ Project managers reject independent advice because they see it as questioning their objectivity
■ Team members assume that independent advice is required only for the resolution of disputes.
Collaborative procurement can benefit from ongoing support, advice and team coaching from an independent adviser. Feedback from the use of collaborative contracts, both at project and strategic levels, indicates that an independent adviser to the project team can help to improve performance and can assist in delivering better outcomes, including improved safety and quality.
The appointments of an independent adviser vary considerably, but common themes are the provision of fair, impartial and constructive advice on the interpretation and implementation of procurement systems and contract terms, on the management of risks and on the avoidance or resolution of disputes. In some instances, this role has been extended to include formal or structured team coaching. If the team members themselves create the collaborative rules within which they will operate, it is easier for everyone to abide by those rules.
Tony Lewellyn stated that 'Project team coaching is the application of a series of interventions that enable a project team to develop and implement the collaborative behaviours required to deliver the desired outcomes of the stakeholders, to the performance standards that the team expect of themselves'. Whilst it is not uncommon for individuals to receive personal coaching, the structured and effective coaching of team members together is far less prevalent.
Team coaches can ask constructive yet challenging questions of the team members and help the team hold itself to account for its collective performance. A team coach can be open and candid without being judgmental and can encourage all members of the team to be honest about their concerns and vulnerabilities without being judged.
Although the role of the independent adviser and/or team coach has been proven to be beneficial, it is vital that the person fulfilling that role does not become the de facto leader of the team. The team must be led by its appointed leader(s), as considered in Section 9.1, so as to avoid the risk of losing focus when the independent adviser or the team coach is not present.