Evaluation of Partnering Intensity on Highway Construction Projects Performance

Abstract

Throughout the literature and current practice in highways construction projects, Partnering has been known as an effective management technique to improve performance project metrics; moreover, for some US transportation agencies (DOT), it has contributed to a change in the business behavior. Some organizations have evolved partnering into different intensity levels and incorporated into alternative contracting methods (ACMs). However, there are scarce studies that validate the improvement on partnered project performance metrics. This paper describes the elements to define the partnering intensity regarding the project characteristics and partnering tools. This study hypothesizes that a higher partnering intensity, the better project outcomes concerning cost, time and claims. The paper bases this assertion on the analysis of cost and time growth and claim cost of 20 partnered highway construction projects located in seven transportation agencies within the United States grouped into two categories: partnering intensity and the type of contracting methods. A higher partnering intensity is applied to complex projects and large collaborative procurement practices. The paper highlights several contributions of partnering intensity to attain a better understanding of organizational matureness to achieve improved partnering management practices.