Registration & Breakfast

Opening Remarks & Welcome

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Beyond the Triangle: Delivering Value in an Agile World. (Dr. Blaize Reich, UBC Sauder School of Business and Simon Fraser University) 

As project managers evolve their practices – to shorten the sides of the triangle (as agile does) or expand the triangle (to include benefit realization), projects can become a strategic asset for an organization rather than an operational tool. Blaize will develop these concepts using research on hybrid methodologies and benefits realization, showing how a project manager’s influence can extend well beyond go-live. 

Coffee Break

Breakout Sessions

PPP | P3's The Context and The Theory (Mark Harrison, Manager, Deloitte's Infrastructure Advisory & Project Finance and Tara Rogers, Independent Infrastructure Project Specialist)

Through Partnerships BC, the provincial crown corporation 52 major infrastructure projects with a combined capital value of almost $18 billion are or have been delivered. Public Private Partnerships are complex project models that push the boundaries of traditional project models by seeking to define the scope upfront and ensure that infrastructure maintenance is set up for the long term. There is also the complication of long term project finance and lender interests. This session will provide a context for Public Private Partnerships, outlining what they are and what they are not. It will inform the audience on the mechanics of the model and how it relates to traditional project management. We examine the use of Public Private Partnerships as a procurement and implementation model over the last 15 years in BC. The session will also look at the drivers for each party around the transaction table: the public sector procuring authority, the private sector investor, the construction contractor and the long term service provider. 

HIGH TECH | From Uncertainty to Inspiration: Determining Project Scope and Size for Emerging Technologies (Chris Hobbs, Two Tall Totems, President)

With an explosion of new technologies entering a variety of sectors, project managers must begin to adapt their expectations, understand specific requirements and explore different techniques. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things present a unique opportunity to innovate, however they introduce different demands in terms of project size and scope. The difference between AI, AR, IoT as well as other technologies are important to note when adapting to new and unknown projects. AI challenges our perception of machine learning and problem solving while AR confronts interactive experiences. Further, IoT presents opportunities for connectivity and computer integration into the physical world. Each of these technologies should be approached with a different mindset and tackled through research and collaboration. Scope and size should be tactfully addressed, with key project management principles in mind. In this session, we will be exploring strategies for evaluating project scope and size of emerging technologies including AI, AR and IoT. We will analyze a variety of applications and devices in order to step into the reality of developing new technology using a range of management strategies. Moreover, we will explore how to approach unfamiliar demands and challenges, ultimately turning uncertainty into inspiration. 

NEW FRONTIERS & OLD BATTLES | Project Communications and Stakeholder Risks: Gaps in Both Predictive and Agile Development Approaches (Mehran Jamshidi, EffiCert Academy, Principal)

It’s been repeatedly stated that 80+% of project managers’ time and effort is invested on communications (and Stakeholders) Management, however when it comes to proactively dealing with project risks, some project managers under-estimate, if not totally forget, the critical of Communications and Stakeholders Management. This is true for both predictive/Waterfall and agile/iterative development approaches. The former lacks keeping communications alive, while the latter suffers from a robust overall end-to-end action plan. This results in multiple unknowns/issues happening during the course of a project life cycle which in turn leads the project team into chaos. In this session, you will explore the ways project managers can tackle the risks from communications and stakeholder management at the very beginning stages as well as over the course of project life cycle. 

CONSTRUCTION | Mixed-Use Real Estate: A Case Study in Complex Project Management (Sean Hodgins, Century Group, President)

With an increasing focus in activating transit corridors in the Metro Vancouver region, the complexity and size of mixed-use projects has grown dramatically. So too have the issues and entities that must be responded to in project design and implementation. Proximity to transit and other infrastructure dramatically magnifies approval, design and construction problems as these projects advance. Using a case study of the recently completed 3 Civic Plaza project adjacent to Surrey Central Skytrain station, some of the issues to watch for, stakeholders to consult with and the lessons learned, will be explored. 

Coffee Break

Breakout Sessions

PPP | The Billion Dollar Question…to P3 or Not to P3 (Tom Sparrow, Robin Latondresse, Franca MacInnes & Julie Makranyi, Fraser Health, Royal Columbian Hospital)

Royal Columbian Hospital is undergoing 3-phase $1.35 billion redevelopment, the largest government funded health care capital project in the province’s history. Phase 1 was approved and procured as a Design Build and is now in construction. Phases 2 and 3 were approved as a DBFM-with-private-sector hospital-wide-maintenance. While the project was preparing for Phase 2/3 procurement the shift focused away from P3. Our team undertook an extensive analysis of enhanced DB, enhanced DBF, and DBFM-with-public-sector-hospital-wide-maintenance while still keeping the procurement process and timelines on track. In this session, we share our lessons learned and the findings of an extensive procurement options analysis undertaken by Partnerships BC, Ernst and Young, and Fraser Health, as we answered our billion dollar question, to P3 or not to P3. 

HIGH TECH | Artificial Intelligence That Matches Reality to Plan: A Disruptive Method to Manage Risk and Performance of a Capital Project (Scott Benesh, Co-Founder, COO, Veerum)

We are fighting a cost and schedule overrun epidemic. It is the job of Project Managers to deliver projects successfully; however, in a world where the construction industry wastes $1.6 trillion every year, there is a clear discrepancy between plan and reality. Large scale capital projects have huge budgets and schedules that follow a critical path. These projects also pose a significant amount of risk. Based on a McKinsey & Company study, the world needs $94 trillion invested in infrastructure for the next 20 years. Introducing technology to the lagging construction industry is transforming how projects are planned and delivered. The role of a Project Manager is to turn a plan into reality. Traditionally, Project Managers rely on manual reporting in different formats from many people to make decisions. People report what they think is true; however, this is not always the case. Technology can identify these discrepancies in near-real time and provide Project Managers actionable, truth-based data to support decisions. Using a wide range of sensor technologies, project teams can access a virtual representation of their project called a Digital Twin. This centralized single source of truth shares an up-to-date representation of site conditions and progress reporting. This is accessible on an internet browser or in virtual reality, enabling virtual site visits. By matching the Digital Twin to the project plan, issues that would cause rework are identified before they impact reality. Building and teaching AI as part of the Digital Twin could help automate the decision-making process for Project Managers in the future.. Using these tools, projects are expected to experience cost savings, improved risk management and delivery on schedule. 

NEW FRONTIERS & OLD BATTLES | Leading Global Delivery Teams - Keeping It All Together (Brendon Chin, Global Head of Project and Programme Management (PPM), HSBC Commercial E-Channels)

Managing delivery with a co-located team can certainly be challenging, but managing a successful delivery team across multiple time zones in 7 different countries brings a whole new set of challenges. In this session, we will discuss some of the challenges that are encountered when bringing together a Global team to successfully deliver projects. We will share some of the tools and techniques that we have discovered along the way to overcome barriers to success. Whether it’s a Waterfall, Hybrid or an Agile project, we have found a way to be successful in our delivery. 

CONSTRUCTION | The Challenges and Innovations of Leading Sustainable Building Projects in BC (Rocky Sethi, Adera VP Development)

This session will focus on the evolving landscape of sustainability in the Province, and its impact on buildings in Metro Vancouver. We will discuss how international GHG emissions targets are influencing local building standards. More specifically, we will talk about local sustainability initiatives and how project managers can ensure that they guide their teams toward a design that meets stakeholder requirements. The goal is to generate discussion on how the industry is adapting towards these standards and what we need to do to accommodate this change. 

Networking Lunch & Career Fair

Breakout Sessions

PPP | Panel: The Practicalities of Partnerships (Moderated by Tara Rogers)

Building on the earlier presentation on the fundamentals of public private partnerships, this panel discussion draws on the experience of both public and private sector experts. During this session the panel will explore the practicalities of procuring and delivering important infrastructure assets. The panel will delve into what challenges have been experienced and how the model has adapted to deal with those challenges and what it will look like in the future. 

HIGH TECH | The Interplay between Project Management and Artificial Intelligence: Getting the Best of Both Worlds (Grace Bassey, Dentons LLP)

With the surge in automation and widespread disruptions in the workplace due to technological innovations, some project managers are starting to wonder what the future holds. Clearly, there is a need for more meaningful conversations regarding the relationship between Project Management and fields like Artificial intelligence (AI), which lends its algorithms nicely to automation efforts. One branch of AI that has made significant advancement, and could potentially add value to qualifying aspects of project management is Expert Systems. Expert Systems are computer applications that are particularly useful for bridging the knowledge gap between experts and non-experts in any given domain. These systems house the judgements of experts in knowledge bases, which can be used to assist non-experts during decision-making or when solving problems. Drawing inspiration from knowledge engineering techniques used in Expert Systems, we will walk through an example that illustrates how to create a knowledge base that supports desktop migration projects. We will use this example to highlight the opportunities that this relationship (between project management and AI) presents, as well as some of the immediate steps that the project management community can take to ensure that we get the best of both worlds. 

NEW FRONTIERS & OLD BATTLES | The High Stakes of Managing Projects with Unpredictable Legal Risks: Strategies for Success (Will Westeringh, QC, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Managing Partner BC Region)

A civil litigation lawyer for almost 30 years and Managing Partner of Fasken’s B.C. region for over a decade, William Westeringh, Q.C. has in-depth knowledge and experience in the area of legal project management. Large complex projects present project managers with a myriad of challenges. Matters are often further complicated however when in the course of the project serious legal issues arise. How should a project manager respond when the project is impacted by legal pressures and challenges? What process should the project manager adopt when the stakes are high, negotiations maybe ongoing or multi-party settlement proposals are being discussed, all of which could impact the project’s scope and successful completion. The most effective process maybe dependent upon the stage of the project, the nature and scope of the legal issues in question, or the objectives of the parties involved. Will Westeringh will provide his insight into minimizing the potential risk of common pitfalls, and best practices in project management when important legal issues arise in the course of large complex projects. 

CONSTRUCTION | #ProjectDisruption (Chris Sainsbury, Ross Ryken & Gwendolyn Tian, Global Infrastructure Team, KPMG)

Whether we like it or not, disruptive technology is shifting the traditional landscape of infrastructure capital projects. When unstructured and unexpected, new technology does little more than disrupt and distract. However, a holistic innovation strategy may unlock substantial project schedule and cost savings. An innovation strategy should be premeditated, clear and consistent, rather than an ad-hoc collection of flashy technology. Too often, projects run on a mix of discordant or undeveloped technologies. To avoid this, a project innovation strategy should be developed early on, with expert input and key stakeholder buy-in, to support principles of best practice project management across the entire project lifecycle. 
Examples of potential elements at each stage include: 
- Initiation: Establish project governance that positions technology personnel as key decision makers, rather than back office overhead. With this progressive mindset, the role of technology shifts from fixed overhead to key driver of project success. 
- Planning & Design: Building on BIM 5D throughout the lifecycle, technology such as virtual reality (VR) can be deployed to unlock the design vision, allowing stakeholders to share it, shape it, agree upon it and deliver it. Stakeholders can don a VR headset and view different design options and how they fit into the local landscape. Contractors can do a virtual “walk” through to spot design conflicts before a single pair of boots hits the ground. 
- Delivery: Increased “offsite” construction lends itself to Robotics and Automation for higher quality accelerated construction. Leverage augmented reality to blur the line between human operator and machine, unlocking improvements in safety, precision and efficiency across the most critical construction activities. 
- Operations: Harness big data and AI to optimize investments over the asset lifespan. Asset owners have been slow to introduce advanced-analytics into asset management decisions, yet doing so can unlock increased value. 

Coffee Break

Breakout Sessions

PPP | Practical PM Lessons from P3s (Mark Harrison, Manager, Deloitte's Infrastructure Advisory & Project Finance)

The successful implementation of a Public-Private-Partnership requires careful project co-ordination and project management practices. A P3 project typically requires the project owner to manage a lengthy procurement process to arrive at a successful Project Agreement. A successful Project Agreement will strive to allocate project risks to the party best able to manage them, as a result risk identification and quantification is a critical part of the project planning. This session will draw upon the best practices from the P3 transaction process and explain how to apply them in a general project management setting. A particular focus is placed on advanced risk quantification and decision support, managing desired project outcomes into a performance based contract, and how to apply lessons from advanced procurement practice into all procurements. 

HIGH TECH | High Tech Panel (Moderated by Dr. Eamonn O'Laocha, including guests Nalini Vadivelan, QA Project Owner & Natali Altshuler, VP Head of Development, EA SPORTS Vancouver)

What is the future of projects in a high tech. environment ?
Will A.I. displace the project manager? 
How high tech savvy do you have to be to project manage technical staff in a high tech project environment? How do you earn and maintain respect?
These and other questions will be explored and discussed by a panel of high tech. experts. 
Please join this exciting, highly interactive conversation. 

NEW FRONTIERS & OLD BATTLES | The ABC's of Legal Project Management (Paul Pelletier, Paul Pelletier Consulting & Dave Cohen, Director, Client Service Delivery, McCarthy LLP)

The fictional world of Suits, LA Law, and Boston Legal make legal work look glamorous and exciting. In reality, complex legal files and court cases require meticulous attention to process and detail, and consistent evidentiary and information management. Legal service delivery is driven by precise methodology and painstaking project management techniques. It is fascinating but rarely glamorous - and the mind of the project manager is perfectly suited for this work. Project management has revolutionized legal work and law practice management, providing structure, best practices and case management systems. This presentation will examine the impact and intersection of project management with law practice, and how project management works in the legal profession. Come and experience the ABCs of Legal Project Management! 

CONSTRUCTION | Nurture a Healthy Team, to Ensure a Toxic Free Scene, at the PMO (Ron Lee, Senior Project Manager, Infrastructure Engineering Group, SNC Lavalin)

Don’t we all want to be on projects where you look forward to going to work, solve the day’s problems, enjoy good laughs with colleagues, celebrate events, and then go home with a smile? And repeat over again the next day. Unfortunately for a lot us, we have experienced the total opposite because of shrinking budgets and increasingly aggressive project schedules. We end up dreading going to work, face unsolvable problems, witness once congenial colleagues turn into dysfunctional foes, then go home feeling totally crushed. Our presenter Ron Lee has experienced both of these extremes while working on projects. He looked back on his career and wants to share some of the governance tools and techniques that can be effective on fostering a functional and cohesive project team. 

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION & PANEL

Delivering Innovative Projects Predictably Using SIMPLE: How TransLink Is Transforming Its Project Delivery Capability

(John Schlichter, Founder, OPM Experts LLC & Translink Executive Panelists: Sany Zein, VP of Infrastructure Management, Mark Minson, Director of Engineering Project Delivery, & Yasmin Flynn, Director of TransLink’s Infrastructure PMO )

AI-powered robot microscopes, 3D metal printing, sensing cities, zero carbon natural gas, and driverless trains all have one thing in common: these innovations are being created by networks of projects, temporary endeavors that require learning and produce something new or unique. Organizations deliver their networks of projects by integrating project, program, and portfolio management as a system called 'Organizational Project Management' (OPM), and 'OPM3' describes the process for making that system capable. Schlichter will elaborate the OPM and OPM3 process innovations, and describe the obstacles, challenges, and opportunities that led to the development of the “Strategy Implementation Maturity Protocol for Learning Enterprises” or “SIMPLE.” Three executives from Vancouver’s own TransLink will join John on stage in a mini-panel to discuss the Organizational Project Management maturity assessment they have just completed using SIMPLE. Of the world’s major cities, only Vancouver, London and Paris have integrated their public transit and road network under one central authority with its own stream of revenue. They have over $8.1 billion in assets and 6,700 employees. With SIMPLE, TransLink is on a journey of process innovation that will transform their ability to implement strategies through projects successfully consistently, and predictably in ways that enrich the quality of life, work, and play for Metro Vancouver’s 2.3 million residents. In closing, Schlichter will describe how standards like OPM3 and SIMPLE are poised to be transformed by blockchain and deep learning in ways that promise to change the world.