Playing with Complexity electronically available - Minister receives copy

Wednesday 10 March 2010

On March 4 2010 the Dutch Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management formally accepted the PhD Disstertation of mr. Marcel Hertogh (NETLIPSE Programme Manager) and mr. Eddy Westerveld (IPAT Development). The Minister, Mr. Camiel Eurlings, displayed a great interest in the international results as published in the dissertation. The dissertation, titled:

Playing with Complexity; Management and Organisation of Large Infrastructure Projects

  is now electronically available.

 

Both Marcel and Eddy succesfully defended their PhD dissertation recently in a public questioning and obtained their PhD title. The PhD research has played an important role in the start and development of NETLIPSE. It is therefore the opinion of the authors that this dissertation should be electronically available to all members of the European Community.

The following documents can be downloaded:

Playing with Complexity - the complete dissertation

Playing with Complexity - the Summary

 

Abstract

The need for mobility in current society seems to be ever growing. At the same time we notice that the large infrastructure projects set-up to meet this need, often produce disappointing results in terms of costs (increases) and schedule (overruns); as well as stakeholder dissatisfaction. To overcome this conflict, management quality in the delivery of large infrastructure projects needs to improve. In their thesis, six major European projects have been investigated and approaches are set out to deal with the complexity that underlies the problem.

Based on their findings, the authors construct an approach, which in their view offers the best chance of success in the management of these large projects: dynamic management. Dynamic management is based on an intricate balance between control and interaction. In addition, dynamic management embraces 5 X-factors that are keys in the successful management of complexity in LIPs.

 

About the authors

Marcel Hertogh studied at the Delft University of Technology, Civil Engineering and at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Economics (obtaining Master's Degrees at both). He started his career at acontracting firm in 1988, where he worked on projects such as the 'Maeslantkering' storm-surge barrier and two tunnel projects for road traffic.

In 1993 he joined Berenschot Osborne. Currently he is a member of the board of AT Osborne and responsible for one of the two business units: Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Environment. His main field of experience is management and organisation of complex projects. He is the programme director of NETLIPSE and one of the project's initiators.

He has been involved as a senior consultant with several very large infrastructure projects - he was Head of Department, Quality and Organisation of the Betuweroute project for ProRail, and also undertook a due diligence study on the Oosterweel Junction in Antwerp. For the Westerschelde Tunnel he studied the feasibility and opportunties for private financing. He set up the project organisation and project processes of several big water projects, a big transport corridor project and two storm surge barriers.

He is a professional trainer and a frequent speaker at congresses. He is the (co-) author of 8 books about organisation and contracting for big investment projects. He has written more than 30 articles and has been interviewed for magazines and for radio and TV.

 

Eddy Westerveld works as a consultant and project manager in projects for AT Osborne in The Netherlands. Over past years he has been active as project manager, researcher and consultant in large infrastructure and urban renewal projects both in The Netherlands and abroad. Projects he has worked on include: the Westerscheldetunnel, Rijnboog Arnhem, HSL-South and the Amsterdam North South Metro Line. Some of his main fields of interest relate to bridging the gap between science and practice in the management of large infrastructure and to the management of complexity in these projects.

Recently he has been involved as the 'knowledge team coordinator' in NETLIPSE. He is co-author of the book 'Managing large infrastructure projects' which was published in 2008 as a result of NETLIPSE research.

Eddy specializes in project management which is demonstrated by his membership of the committee working on the new ISO guideline on project management, his work as a lead assessor for the IPMA excellence award, and his membership of IPMA in The Netherlands. In addition he is the lead author of the book on the ' Project Excellence Model' which was published in 2002. He is regularly involved in training and classes relating to project management for clients and for students.

 

The Dissertation of Marcel Hertogh & Eddy Westerveld titled can be ordered via the contact form. The price is € 54,50 per item.