Canada invested $90 billion on infrastructure in 2021, over two thirds of that came from the public sector. With the scale, geographic spread, and mix of investments there will inevitably be issues arising that can lead to claims and disputes that can ultimately end up in court.

Based on research by HKA covering almost 100 Canadian projects, claims bumped up project costs by an average of 22 per cent, and extended timeframes by 9.5 months. KPMG also estimated claims on urban transit projects could amount to between 10-20% of the contract value.

This roundtable provides an overview of how the UK introduced a new process of conflict avoidance spearheaded by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Transport for London. The Conflict Avoidance Process has helped slash the number of issues reaching dispute, cut the direct cost of resolving issues, and reduced contract cost increases markedly.

This session will explore the success of the Conflict Avoidance Process at Transport for London, its use across the infrastructure sector in the UK, its evolution into an industry-wide pledge, and its incorporation within UK government policy.

Participants:

Co-Chairs:

• Barbara Capes, Assistant General Counsel, Kiewit
• Paul Hughes, Senior Director Cost Consulting and Project Management, Altus

Panelists:

• Fergus Harradence, Deputy Director, Infrastructure and Construction, UK Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy
• Susan Barrett, Head of Renewals and Renovations, UK Houses of Parliament
• Martin Burns, Head of ADR Research and Development, RICS
• John Fletcher, Director Alternative Dispute Resolution, RICS