IPD in Norway

Abstract

As projects become more complex and uncertain, the challenge of increasing productivity and improving project outcome becomes greater. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) seeks to improve project performance through a high level of collaboration between key participants. Although IPD is a well-known delivery model, only a single project has implemented this approach in the Norwegian construction industry: The Tønsberg Project. The purpose of this study is to identify which theoretical IPD elements are used in this project, document experiences from IPD and provide recommendations for the delivery of future IPD projects in Norway. This article presents research based on a comprehensive literature review and a case study of the first Norwegian IPD project. The case study consists of a document review and 9 semi-structured interviews with key informants. The experiences established through this research indicate that a higher level of collaboration facilitates innovative design and effective execution. The interviewees consider IPD to have potential to improve the performance of future projects but describe change in culture to be crucial for project success. This study presents challenges and benefits experienced in The Tønsberg Project. It provides practitioners with a framework of theoretical IPD elements and first-hand experiences with how these elements can affect project performance.