SRQ780 Strategic Construction Procurement Assignments
© Deakin University Trimester 1, 2017
ASSIGNMENT 2
A Critical Analysis
60 Marks
PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT 2
The purpose of this assignment is to enable you to:
• Understand the theory and principles of innovative project procurement strategies and impact
on the construction supply chain.
• Examine contemporary international practice in relation to procurement strategies including
relational contracting, strategic project alliance and public-private partnerships within complex
multinational project team environments.
• Apply a strategic procurement strategic analysis and develop a framework for a complex large
case study project.
ASSIGNMENT TASK
Based on your study in Strategic Construction Procurement so far, you are required to submit a critical
analysis report on a large complex construction project case study. The detailed information for the
case study project (Federation Square Project) is provided in the Case Study description below.
There are various procurement methods that may be used for project procurement, including but not
limited to, traditional, design & construct, early contractor involvement (ECI), Alliancing, and Public
Private Partnerships (PPP), etc..
Imagine that you are appointed as the project procurement manager, and you are going to tendering
in this project. Please analyse and explain in detail which procurement method is the most effective for
this project. Furthermore, please provide your explanation about how your recommended
procurement method would improve performance in this case.
Case Study Description
Federation Square Project
Federation Square, located north of the Princes Bridge and bounded by Flinders Street and the Yarra
River, provides Melbourne with a space for cultural and civil celebration. Notoriously expensive and
delayed (to the tune of approximately $345 million and 26 months delayed), the problems of this
project were ultimately fuelled by the administrative and construction chaos associated and
compounded by the project’s inability to develop an adequate brief at the outset of the project. The
story of Federation Square is a prime example of how mega-projects can go drastically awry.
In March 1996, prior to the international design competition, an initial budget of $128 million based on
available funding, was proposed collaboratively by the State Government and The Melbourne
City Council. An additional payment was secured from the Federal Fund on the premise that work
would be completed in time for the Centenary of Federation (May, 2001). This indicative budget was
set for the purpose of the design brief (competition) and was based upon areas for the identified
requirement for standard finishes, rather than actual design concepts. In July 1997, LAB + Bates
Smart were awarded the right to design the project, a decision which proved to be a source of much of
the project’s successes and failings.
From the outset the $128 million financial parameter was seen to be unrealistic. The winning design
was officially estimated in September 1997 to be $267 million, substantially exceeding the original
estimate, thereby placing the project in negative financial territory.
Eager to complete the project by the Centenary of Federation, the decision to fast-track was a political
measure that led to the construction of the $14 million deck substructure (Stage 2) before finalisationSRQ780 Strategic Construction Procurement Assignments
© Deakin University Trimester 1, 2017
of superstructure scope and detailed design work. Despite complex construction and working
conditions, the deck was delivered by Leighton Contractors on time and on budget.
The crux of fast-tracking was exposed as it became more evident that the overall program was
fundamentally driven by the capacity of the design team to produce documentation. The inherent
complexity of the design from the outset should have discouraged the government’s decision to fasttrack. This, coupled with countless design revisions and political intervention, only aggravated an
already sensitive project.
Another outcome of fast-tracking was the appointment of Multiplex in the absence of a competitive
tendering process. Therefore in June 1999, eleven months after works had commenced on site,
Multiplex put forward a claim of $19.1 million to the Government for delays and damages caused by
the absence of a formal contractual agreement.
In November 1997, a pre-qualification process was conducted to access the best potential contractors
to develop the square. In late 1999 Multiplex Constructions entered into a lump sum, fixed fee contract
to construct Federation Square by the then Victorian Government Office of Major Projects acting on
behalf of the State Government. Under this agreement the Architect was to be novated by the
Managing Contractor. The Managing Contractor, Multiplex, was to assume the risk of omissions,
discrepancies and ambiguities in the design and documentation of the works.
However during 2001 the Managing Contractor’s arrangement was altered to a ‘Construction
Management’ arrangement, in consideration of the complexity of the contract including:
Ever-changing and incomplete design and subsequent documentation;
Reluctance by Office of Major Projects to compromise architecture and risk allocation for
design to Multiplex;
Recent disputes over fee arrangements for additional cost incurred due to increased project
scope and delays in the construction project
Ongoing development of the design continuing through the tender period therefore making it
difficult for tenderers to define scope, risk and time required for constructability issues
However, there were many other procurement choices that could have been used to deliver the
project. Based on your study in Strategic Construction Procurement, you are required to submit a
critical analysis report on the Federation Square project. Imagine that you are appointed as the project
procurement manager, and you are to provide advice about the best procurement process that
addresses the above issues. Please analyse, explain and justify in detail which procurement method
is the most effective for this project.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This is an assignment that is to be submitted and marked as an individual. The assignment must be
submitted as a cohesive critical analysis. It requires an executive summary and table of contents.
FORMAT OF ASSIGNMENT
This assignment should be presented as a single pdf document in whatever format you believe is
appropriate. The submission is a critical analysis of approximately 3,000 - 3,500 words exclusive of
diagrams, photos, tables and references.
ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION
Submission of the research report is required on Wednesday, 24 May 2017 by 3.00pm through
CloudDeakin.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
A detailed rubric is provided on the next page.SRQ780 Strategic Construction Procurement Assignments
© Deakin University Trimester 1, 2017
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
HD D C P N Total
An excellent application
of theories and/or
concepts dealt within the
unit to the given case
study.
A very good application
of theories and/or
concepts dealt within the
unit to the given case
study.
A good application of theories
and/or concepts dealt within the
unit to the given case study.
A satisfactory application
of theories and/or
concepts dealt within the
unit to the given case
study.
Inadequate application of
theories and/or concepts
dealt within the unit to the
given case study.
30
An excellent use of
information (including
evidence and examples)
to support the
arguments.
A very good use of
information (including
evidence and examples)
to support the
arguments.
A good use of information
(including evidence and
examples) to support the
arguments.
A satisfactory use of
information (including
evidence and examples)
to support the arguments.
Inadequate use of
information (including
evidence and examples) to
support the arguments.
20
An excellent advice on
the procurement process
that addresses the
issues highlighted in the
case study.
A very good advice on
the procurement process
that addresses the
issues highlighted in the
case study.
A good advice on the
procurement process that
addresses the issues highlighted
in the case study.
A satisfactory advice on
the procurement process
that addresses the issues
highlighted in the case
study.
Inadequate advice on the
procurement process that
addresses the issues
highlighted in the case
study.
30
An excellent structure
and organisation of the
report.
A very good structure
and organisation of the
report.
A good structure and
organisation of the report.
A satisfactory structure
and organisation of the
report.
Inadequate structure and
organisation of the report.
10
Report is well formatted
to workplace standard,
and appropriate to
information, minimal or
no spelling or
grammatical errors.
Correctly referenced.
Report is formatted to
workplace standard and
appropriate to
information. Some
spelling or grammatical
errors. Correctly
referenced.
Report is formatted to workplace
standard, some spelling or
grammatical errors. Referencing
may or may not be correct.
Report is adequately
formatted and contains
errors, and may include
errors in referencing.
Report is not formatted to
workplace standard.
10
Total available marks 100