| | JUNE 20219CIOReviewWasif noted that structuring the program's procurement this way provided greater schedule control and took advantage of the design-build delivery method by aligning the risks of these intricate systems with teams who understood how to best realize these packages on-time and within budget. "Design-build procurements always involve a trade off in control," explained Wasif. "The owner exchanges a degree of control, while the contracting and design team assumes more of the risk. For the ICT and BHS packages in particular, this trade made perfect sense for our project."As the project manager, Hill International was responsible for the development of the performance criteria for these specialty packages, with eachpackage outlining the needsand requirements for the Program. According to Wasif, "The benefits of this early procurement enabled tighter control of the project's timeline." Controlling Costs ProactivelyThe projectrequired a high level of coordination among many stakeholders to maintain progress. These stakeholders includedGovernment ministries, authorities, ground handlers, operators, airlines, and duty free, among others, each with their own requirements.To address stakeholder concerns, Hill identified the requirements, challenges, expectations, timelines, and programming of all major stakeholders early in the project process, codified this data, and used it to drive decision-making and keep the project moving."Major infrastructure programs can have delays due to necessarystakeholder-drivenchanges," said Sharif Makki, Hill Director of Operations and Contracts Manager for the project."This happened with the Bahrain project, but early efforts to account for and consider the needs of our stakeholders helped to mitigate these impacts."As is normal with industry projects of this nature, there were marginalcost overruns. This was partly due to Hill's leading ofteamworkshopsin claims avoidance,as well as reviewing and resolving claims submitted by the contractor before they could impact costs. Protecting Against COVID-19 ImpactsThe COVID-19 pandemic presented several challenges, however,Hill worked with the entire team to quickly and effectively address them. On site, this meant ensuring proper PPE was always available and inuse, and that laborers were screenedfor symptoms daily before beginning work. This helped to protect the workforce and minimize the risk of the virus spreading. From a planning and management perspective, Hill coordinated with the MTT, BAC, vendors, and contractors to find workarounds to supplychain bottlenecks and to maximize work during available hours. "Much like the entire aviation industry, we had to adapt quickly to the new normal of COVID-19," said Makki."Our priority was the safety of our people and we enforced social distancing and encouraged team members to meet virtually whenever possible. Then, we needed to make certain we were doing everything we could to help keep the project moving. Hill excels at finding solutions to challenges, and this was no exception. The work our team did to get the project safely back up and running, and to make up as much lost time as possible was remarkable and I expect the lessons learned and best practices the team developed can aid the MTT on other projects going forward."Delivering SuccessTo ensure the safety and wellbeing of passengers and staff at the new facility, BAC is meticulously checked the operational readiness of the Phase 1 facilities. To oversee preparations were implemented as planned and keep the project on track, the National ORAT Steering Committee, which was formed as per Royal Order (10) for 2017, issued by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, met regularly to address key issues.Soon airlines and passengers from around the world will enjoy the capabilities and amenities of the reimagined BIA.Hill International and the entire project team are proud to have overcome the complex challenges, achieved the clients' goals, and left an indelible mark onBahrain.
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