Why Mega Projects Fail (And How Collaborative Contracting Fixes Them) | Ep. 6 Artwork

Beyond The Plan

If you work in major infrastructure projects - whether in government or the private sector - then this series is for you.

Host, Ali Farhoodi, is joined by seasoned project managers who share their insights on successful project management strategies, and behind the scenes stories on projects like Sydney Metro, Sydney Light Rail and the Lane Cove Tunnel.

Ali is the Director of EDSICO Management, a boutique, independent, Australian-owned consultancy that provides a range of services to Australian Government agencies and the private sector across all aspects of Project Management and Project Services.

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Beyond The Plan

Why Mega Projects Fail (And How Collaborative Contracting Fixes Them) | Ep. 6

October 14, 2025 • Ali Farhoodi • Season 1 • Episode 6

Need help with managing your next big infrastructure project? Get in touch with our team:

https://edsico.com.au/contact-us/

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In this episode, we’re joined by Mark Simister, former British Army officer and global programme director, whose career spans drilling boreholes at Buckingham Palace to leading multi-billion-dollar infrastructure frameworks at Sydney Water.

Mark explains why mega projects so often fail under fragmented, risk-averse contracts, and how collaborative contracting frameworks built on trust, transparency, and shared risk, can turn delivery from conflict to partnership. He shares the inside story behind Sydney Water’s Partnering for Success model, along with the leadership, culture, and incentives that make collaboration stick.

If you want to understand why adversarial approaches are breaking down, what a collaborative framework really looks like in practice, and how to deliver projects that create lasting public value, this episode is full of lessons you won’t want to miss.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Hook/Intro

01:55 Who is Mark Simister and His Background

18:31 Collaborative framework for complex infrastructure delivery

19:46 Case for collaboration

26:00 What is a collaborative framework?

28:57 Key Principles of Collaborative Framework

38:44 Success Enablers

46:29 Building the culture

53:05 Common challenges

59:01 Steps you can take

01:04:59 Key takeaways