Expert advice and recommendations for mitigating critical risks across the WA Government’s signature METRONET Program.

Background

The METRONET Program is the largest ever investment in Perth’s public transport system, with an investment of more than $10 billion across multiple State Budgets, the venture comprised of more than 20 individual projects centred on passenger rail expansion.

Johnstaff's role

Johnstaff was engaged by the METRONET Office to undertake astrategic review of governance, organisation and commercial issues and risksacross the METRONET Program. The objective was to provide recommendations onthe mitigating measures required to manage and safeguard value-for-moneyoutcomes for the State Government.

Addressing the issues

The review involved a detailed assessment of the roles andresponsibilities of the State Government entities responsible for METRONETplanning and delivery (METRONET Office, Office of Major TransportInfrastructure Delivery and Public Transport Authority), focusing on theircollective capability to manage commercial risk.

Johnstaff also carried out detailed desktop analysis ofreporting by the NEWest Alliance, responsible for delivery of theThornlie-Cockburn Link (TCL) and Yanchep Rail Extension (YRE) projects,applying a similar lens of client (‘Owner’) involvement in mitigation ofsignificant cost and time issues and risks.

The findings of this work led to a more specific, exhaustive‘cost and time’ review of the TCL and YRE projects led by Johnstaff. With fullaccess to NEWest Alliance records and personnel, this review examined cost andschedule forecasting trends and underlying causes, both internal and externalto the Alliance.

Following this work, Johnstaff was again engaged, toundertake a detailed review of METRONET program governance and functionalstructure and identify actions to enable improved program control.

Outcomes

Three comprehensive reports were delivered to the Managing Director METRONET, with over 50 recommendations for improving oversight and control of key risks across the METRONET Program.

Recommendations relating to cost and time pressure on the TCL and YRE projects were presented and accepted at all management levels from the Director General Transport to the NEWest Alliance Leadership Team.

Actions to address program governance and organisational structure were also presented to the Director General Transport and accepted at all levels of the METRONET governance framework.