The Centre for AgriBioscience is a partnership between La Trobe University and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI). It accommodates the co-location of research groups from a number of geographically dispersed Department of Primary Industries sites across Melbourne into a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility. It also provides teaching, training, research and development facilities for under-graduate and post-graduate students from La Trobe University and DPI scientists.

Johnstaff was engaged as Project Manager to prepare a masterplan and schematic design for the project, as well as an output specification that could be produced as part of a Partnerships Victoria PPP procurement model. We subsequently acted as Business Case Manager, providing high level financial analysis and documentation as part of DPI’s Expenditure Review Committee submission.

Johnstaff was then engaged by Major Projects Victoria to manage and coordinate the overall PPP evaluation process for allc onsortia bids. This included preparing and managing all technical RF Pdocuments, establishing the Public Sector Comparator and developing and implementing evaluation criteria.

In this role we engaged with 22 separate science platforms, many of which were still emerging. Our team was required to work closely with a broad range of stakeholders, from research stakeholders working on highly complex science to executive representatives of the Department of Treasury and Finance, Major Projects Victoria and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. This required carefully considering stakeholder communication and engagement processes.