Current approaches for partnership projects with
Deutsche Bahn AG
By Fritz Gehbauer
4/6/2009
gehbauer@tmb.uni-karlsruhe.de
Complex construction projects are demanding for the entire project team. Often,
construction contracts are incomplete due to project-specific constraints and cannot
account in detail for all unpredictable risks, e.g. the building ground. It is imperative to
avoid negative consequences like missed deadlines, disputes about addenda,
deterioration of quality, as well as inefficient and lacking communication.
In order to optimally handle the project, the customer and the contractor have to
agree on basic principles that can provide quick solutions in case of ambiguities or
conflicts. In this regard, Deutsche Bahn AG offers two partnership approaches.
Together with the construction industry, guidelines for the co-operative project
handling of infrastructure projects are being developed. These guidelines consist of a
preamble and seven main chapters. They are developed in a joint project with the
umbrella association of the German Building and Construction Industry
(Hauptverband der deutschen Bauindustrie, Bundesvereinigung mittelständischer
Bauunternehmer, Zentralverband des Deutschen Baugewerbes), and the leading
sponsor in the area of traffic infrastructure (Deutsche Bahn AG and DB ProjektBau
GmbH, Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und –bau GmbH (DEGES),
Hessisches Landesamt für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen) together with the Chair of
Project Management of Kassel University and the German Federal Ministry of
Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS).
It is the wish of this co-operation that all or individual chapters of these guidelines for
“Co-operative Project Handling” are applied and will thus lead to a true co-operation
among partners. As a result of the joint effort, the following chapters of the guideline
have been enhanced:
-
Improved definition of construction targets
Basic principles for the creation of technical specifications as well as execution
modalities for construction evaluation workshops with customer and
contractors are described in detail. A joint analysis of addenda and conflicts
aims at achieving a continuous improvement process.
-
Process definition for the execution of construction targets
Project-specific process controls for altered or additional services and their
remuneration are to be defined prior to the project.
-
Risk definition and discussion about risk distribution
Risk identification and distribution are complex requirements of the
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construction industry, especially due to project-specific constraints. Here, the
general approach is an open discussion with the objective that the person /
company best able to influence the risk also bears the risk.
Figure 8: Risk identification
Within the scope of internal risk management a risk list will be compiled by the
customer. This list is substantiated by clearly assigned customer or contractor
risks. The remaining joint risks are discussed, verified, and assigned to the
partner who can best influence them. In this regard, payment schemes for
risks will also be defined.

Co-operative recording of project data
Jointly adjusted design drawing lists saved in a joint data pool, uniform
capturing of performance, billing, and quality data, or a joint communication
and information platform can be agreed upon as per project.

Clear-cut guidelines for decisions and competences
It is especially important to clearly define interfaces and decision-making
authorities when many participators are involved in complex projects.

Clear-cut guidelines for the handling and solving of conflicts
In order to appropriately handle conflicts it is important to previously define
possible escalation levels as well as basic principles should arbitration
processes and legal procedures occur for exceptional cases.
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
Project optimization with the help of incentive schemes
It is important to develop fair remuneration models that provide win-win
situations for the co-operative optimization of the project objectives quality,
cost, and deadlines. It is also necessary to discuss bonus models or incentive
schemes for both customer and contractors.
Furthermore, schemes for the organization of construction progress and co-operative
contract awarding models need to be defined with respect to complex projects with
unclear risk development. As a modified version of the GMP contracts Deutsche
Bahn AG has developed an organization and contract awarding model. Following
Anglo-American models, the capping of risk sums (figure 9) that are optimized via
bonus models/incentive schemes also needs to be discussed.
The objective of the above mentioned models is to involve all project participants at
an early stage. Suitable project partners are selected with the help of an ideas
competition that does not only consider the pricing in order to jointly optimize costs,
the meeting of deadlines, and risks. However, these models require project partners
with a strong co-operative attitude.
Figure 9: Capping of risk sums
Both the guidelines and partnership models can only lead to successful projects if the
project partners are prepared to trust each other and to create a win-win situation for
all parties involved.
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