GOVERNING COLLABORATION IN MULTI-FIRM ENVIRONMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF THE JOHAN SVERDRUP 1 MEGAPROJECT

Abstract

Megaproject clients seek collaboration with suppliers to improve performance and foster innovative thinking. However, it is difficult to coordinate dozens of main contracts with interdependent activities being performed simultaneously. The aim of this paper is to identify initiatives that clients can take to improve collaborative coordination with the supply chain, beyond more traditional approaches like early engagement and flexible contracts. The findings are based on 24 interviews with managers and engineers involved in Johan Sverdrup 1, an offshore oil and gas megaproject in Norway. Four strategic processes were identified: quality of Front-End Engineering Design; familiarization periods for seamless handover from design to execution; interface management routines and collaborative follow-up.