Type: Infrastructure blog

Exploring Project 13 Principles

Date: 02 October 2019

What are the principles behind Project 13 and how can they be applied?

In the two years since the publication of the original report in 2016, Project 13 has developed from an initiative to a movement. The direction advocated by P13 in Transactions to Enterprises, clearly resonates across a broad swathe of our industry.

This has led many organisations to test their capability and strategy against Project 13. The formal Early Adopters have committed to use the Project 13 approach to deliver all or part of their programme, including Sydney Water as the first international Early Adopter.

Then there are those who have used the maturity matrix to test their current approach, with the resulting gap analysis used to inform capability development plans.

The five Pillars of Project 13, identified as features in the research phase and which operated as workstreams in the development phase, underpin the Project 13 Principles:

P13 Pillars	Principles
Capable Owner	Owner develops Enterprises built on long term b2b relationships The Enterprise is set up to deliver: Clearly articulated customer outcomes Long term asset performance
Governance	Value is defined at outcome level (through baselines, benchmarks or affordability) The Enterprise is rewarded for outcome performance Risk allocation is aligned with capability Commercial arrangements provide the potential for sustainable returns
Organisation	All parts of the Enterprise are aligned with the outcomes to be delivered Suppliers are engaged early in developing solutions The Enterprise integrates capability in high performing, collaborative teams
Integration	The Integrator brings together capabilities that translates solutions into production systems The Integrator enables a platform approach to delivery Strategic suppliers within the ecosystem are organisationally and commercially aligned with the outcomes The Enterprise has a common and committed approach to health, safety and wellbeing
Digital Transformation	The Enterprise digital transformation strategy enables an integrated digital approach to asset management and delivery. The Enterprise effectively integrates engineering and digital technology to deliver intelligent solutions

Project 13 is a new approach to delivering infrastructure, it's not a form of contract or a detailed tick list. The pillars and principles are clear, but their application will clearly vary in line with the required outcomes, organisations and relative starting points.

To develop ever-increasing levels of specific detail would restrict the circumstances under which the principles can be adopted and make the Project 13 framework relevant to fewer organisations.

Moving to this new P13 approach can be managed effectively by using the pillars and principles as the framework for change, provided this doesn't become a selection of those principles that feel achievable and avoidance of those that look more challenging. The principles describe an overall approach and a shift and aren't intended to be a pick list.

The below webinar adds more depth for those who want to get a better understanding of the Project 13 Principles.