Putting a focus on partnership
By Adam Freill
Construction P3sCanadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships’ P3 2023 annual conference puts a spotlight on collaborative approaches to major construction projects.
Conference panellists discuss the evolution of P3 delivery and the aim to enhance collaboration. (Photo by Adam Freill)
When it comes to working towards a successful P3 project, it often comes down to “Attitude, attitude, attitude,” explained Louise Panneton, president and managing director at P1 Consulting Inc., during a session at this year’s P3-2023 conference, which was held on November 13 and 14 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Panneton joined Infrastructure Ontario’s Angela Clayton, Nathalie Ethier of Library and Archives Canada, Colin Flock of EllisDon Facilities Services and Pomerleau’s Pierre Lafond for a discussion about evolving P3s to enhance collaboration during the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships’ annual event.
During the panel presentation, moderated by Lisa Mitchell, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, Panneton explained that how each partner approaches the project makes a big difference in its potential for a successful outcome. By and large, the panel members agreed that some adjustments to the P3 structure were necessary to moderate the level of risk taken on by any one partner, and communication, transparency and collaboration were brought up as key ways to help evolve the delivery contract structure so that success could be shared by all partners at the table.
“Really, it’s attitude,” she stated. “Let’s see what we can do together, rather than taking hard positions that are strictly ingrained in the agreement, to find the right common-sense approach.”
“It’s the people that build the project,” added Lafond, who explained that the organization and its culture have a major influence on a project. He explained that it is beneficial to “change the culture of confrontation to a culture of collaboration… For us, collaboration is good for large projects, but also for smaller projects.”
In addition to the panel discussions and speakers, the P3 2023 program included awards presentations, networking opportunities and breakout sessions, all focused on public-private partnerships.
