Best Practices in Stakeholder Engagement through a Collaborative Procurement System for Infrastructure Projects

Abstract

Infrastructure construction projects engage multiple stakeholders directly and indirectly during the pre-construction stages. Stakeholder engagement is an essential part of the management process, particularly for megaprojects. In large projects, stakeholders have varying information needs and interests, and projects that actively engage with their stakeholders are more likely to succeed. One of the reasons for engaging stakeholders is to promote equity and fairness to both external and internal stakeholders. Individuals and groups who are excluded from the decision-making processes do not have their needs and preferences reflected in the final project. Moreover, engagement of stakeholders maximises the ability to address shared challenges and better manage risks. The collaborative procurement approach has been acknowledged as an approach that can provide a way to manage stakeholder complexity. This research aims to investigate the influence of stakeholders during the engagement process and stakeholders’ effects on project outcomes. This thesis applies a qualitative research methodology based on interviews and observations from two case studies in New Zealand and two case studies in Malaysia. The research draws information from stakeholder engagement reports, project documentation, public engagement reports, transportation agency reports and interviews. The comparative findings show the values of stakeholder engagement obtained during the pre-construction process for large infrastructure projects. The engagement process involves internal preparation and alignment, consulting, monitoring and planning. The engagement process is difficult to manage because it requires public and community consultation. Comparison of these case studies enables lessons to be learnt that could improve stakeholder engagement. The findings provide insight into how the features of a project (project governance and a commercial model) formulate an effective approach (building a culture of care, communicating beyond compliance and responsiveness) to managing multiple stakeholders during the planning and consenting phase. The thesis provides a reference for construction organisations to help them develop best practices for successfully managing stakeholder complexity in future construction infrastructure projects.