Hill & Associates
6 chemin du Port-Noir, CH-1207 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel.: + 41 22 840 1021, Fax: +41 22 840 1025
E-Mail: info@hill-a.ch
http://www.hill-a.ch
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Partnering
Avoiding conflicts in large,
complex projects
What is "Partnering"?
Partnering is a process of team building and mutual goal
setting that promotes non-adversarial information exchange, creative problem
solving, and communication and conflict management strategies. Partnering does not create new legal relationships; instead,
it further develops and makes explicit the implied covenant of good faith that
governs a contract.
Partnering is all about:
·
how
team members want the project to be conducted
·
developing
a level of trust that will allow each person and organization to make the
greatest contribution possible to the project
·
developing
and documenting shared goals for the project
·
understanding
and empathizing with one another's interests in such a way that all parties
measure success based upon the ability of the project to meet the greatest
number of those interests
·
working
together to create procedures and action plans to help realize common goals
·
developing
together a procedure for resolving disputes as they come up that is quick,
efficient, and fair
·
evaluating
the partnership's effectiveness based upon mutually agreed measures (metrics)
Partnering is not:
·
a
negotiated change to the contract, tender, or other documents that establish the
legal relationship of the parties
·
a
means of shifting risks or responsibilities
·
group
therapy. On the other hand
Partnering is about helping skilled and experienced professionals to make the
best use of their time, energy, and other resources.
Benefits of Partnering
The Partnering process requires up-front commitment from
all stakeholders. It requires some
staff and management time initially in order to make the operating relations
between the parties transparent and predictable.
Once this has taken place, team members will understand to what extent
they can take responsibility for their activities and for the success of the
project itself. In most cases,
routine problems will be solved at a relatively low level, allowing better and
more timely decisions to be made at higher levels when appropriate.
Some benefits of partnering as described by various
stakeholders:
·
open
and effective communication
·
enhanced
communication with sub-contractors, leading to opportunities for innovation and
cost savings
·
a
more satisfying work environment
·
fewer
cost overruns and delays because of improved scheduling, early problem
resolution, and use of "win-win" approaches
·
lower
administrative cost, because there is less need to execute and document
defensive moves
·
early
identification of technical, process, and other problems or interface
mis-matches
·
more
effective and efficient solutions to problems, including changes in design
specifications
·
reduced
exposure to litigation because most conflicts are settled early
Partnering is based on two key ideas: (1) quality should
be engineered-in at the beginning, not inspected-out at the end; and (2) a
project-specific conflict management system that recognizes the importance of
interest-based approaches, quick and inexpensive rights-based approaches, and
loop-back mechanisms will be less costly and more satisfying than a generic,
legally imposed rights-based approach or a power-based approach that prevails
for want of other mechanisms.
How does Partnering work?
The cornerstone of the Partnering program is a workshop
in which key stakeholders and decision-makers come together with the
facilitation of a neutral who is experienced in the industry and in conflict
systems design. During this
workshop, the parties agree joint goals, individual interests, potential problem
areas, measurement systems, escalation procedures, and formal dispute resolution
processes (for example, mediation, dispute review boards, or arbitration).