Sir Michael Latham, the renowned reformer of the United Kingdom construction industry, launched a guide for a new system of construction project procurement in Sydney this week.

Called ‘A Guide to Integrated Project Procurement’, the publication outlines a process in which the client, designers, contractors and sub contractors form a team to achieve the project.

It is published by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) for the Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF). RAIA Chief Executive Mr Michael Peck said, “This is a significant change to the adversarial arrangements that currently prevail in the construction industry. Rather than avoiding or attempting to offload the risks associated with a project, these risks are accepted and managed by the whole team.”

According to Mr. Peck, Integrated Project Procurements emanated from the ‘Alliancing’ arrangements established for the construction of North Sea oilrigs.

“An Alliance system has also been used in Australia to achieve the tight cost, time and quality objectives on the National Museum in Canberra,” said Mr. Peck.

The RAIA expects that the take up of integrated project procurement in Australia will result in better designed buildings and infrastructure which are delivered ahead of time and for less than the client’s budgets.