Managing stakeholders through alliances: a case study of a megaproject in New Zealand

Delivering a road infrastructure megaproject is complex and requires engagement with multiple stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is an essential part of the management process, particularly in megaprojects, helping to manage what can be complex stakeholder relationships. The alliance procurement approach has been acknowledged as a platform that can provide a collaborative way of managing such stakeholder complexity. This paper uses a road infrastructure alliance case study in New Zealand to investigate the adopted features embedded in an alliance model in managing stakeholders throughout the interim project alliance agreement phase. The research draws information from stakeholder engagement reports, project documentation, newsletter articles, public engagement reports, transportation agency reports and interviews from the case study. The findings provide valuable insights into how the features of a project alliance (i.e. project governance and commercial model) formulate an effective approach (i.e. building a culture of care, communicating beyond compliance and responsiveness) to the management of multiple stakeholders during the planning and consenting phase. The paper provides a point of reference for construction organisations to help develop a best practice through collaborative contracting for successfully managing stakeholder complexity in future construction megaprojects.