EIC webinar explores when to use Collaborative Delivery Models
EIC’s second webinar on Collaborative Delivery Models (CDM), held on 27 October 2026, brought together client, consultant and contractor perspectives on a practical question: when does a collaborative approach add value to an infrastructure project? The discussion focused on project complexity and uncertainty, the conditions needed to make collaboration work, and the experience of two-phase contracting in the Netherlands.
Building on EIC’s Position Paper on CDM, the webinar examined how early contractor involvement can help project teams understand risks, develop designs and consider buildability before fixing the price for execution. Nicholas Gould, Partner at Fenwick Elliott, moderated the session, with contributions from Chris Klunder of Rijkswaterstaat, Jaap de Koning of Witteveen+Bos and Ingrid Pieters of Van Oord. Fenwick Elliott supported the webinar as sponsor and knowledge partner.
Choosing a model to fit the project
Chris Klunder, who coordinates two-phase contracting at Rijkswaterstaat, described how a fixed price agreed before key uncertainties are understood can create an illusion of certainty. In complex projects, technical details, environmental constraints and other risks may still be developing when the contract is awarded. When those issues emerge during construction, they can lead to changes and discussions about scope, risk and cost.
Under a two-phase approach, a contractor is selected through competition and works with the client during an initial design and development phase. The team investigates risks, develops the design and explores solutions before establishing a fixed price for execution. The client and contractor then make a go-or-no-go decision on proceeding to the construction phase.
Klunder stressed that Rijkswaterstaat applies this approach selectively, typically to three to five projects a year. It is most relevant where uncertainty concerns the scope, the solution or delivery method, or the conditions needed to implement the project. The additional time and resources are justified where the risks are difficult for the market to price or manage under a conventional contract.
Assessing readiness and project value
Jaap de Koning set out three areas to consider when choosing a collaborative model: the organisations involved, the project itself and the process. A client needs the capacity, leadership and internal support to take part actively, and must be willing to invest in the development phase. Contractors need to contribute strong people and act as advisers to the project team. Designers and engineers must be able to work inclusively and develop cost-conscious, buildable solutions.
The project case also matters. Early contractor involvement can add value where execution is complex, where objectives such as circularity call for new solutions, or where the project’s scale warrants an integrated approach. De Koning emphasised that the process needs sound cost management, clear governance, controlled planning and explicit ways of working.
His central questions for project teams were: Why use a collaborative model? Are the organisations able to work this way? And is everyone ready to do so?
Collaboration needs to carry through to delivery
From the contractor’s perspective, Ingrid Pieters described how two-phase contracts can give the team more time to understand risks, improve cooperation and test innovations before construction begins. But the model also brings challenges. Clients and contractors need to build trust around costs, agree how design responsibilities and risks are managed, and plan the transition from a flexible development phase to fixed-price execution.
Pieters highlighted practical steps that help: discuss commercial interests as well as risks, invest in the working relationship, define the phase handover early, document decisions and keep considering the cost implications of design choices. The contract can provide a framework, but the behaviour of the parties determines how well it works.
The discussion also addressed competition and the risk of a contractor gaining an information advantage after phase one. Participants noted that competition takes place when the phase-one contractor is selected. Selection should therefore assess the proposed team, its approach to solving project challenges and its ability to contribute through both development and execution.
The webinar’s wider message was that collaborative delivery is not the right choice for every project. Where scope is straightforward and risks are well understood, conventional procurement may remain suitable. Where complexity and uncertainty make early joint problem-solving valuable, a two-phase approach can help teams make better-informed decisions before committing to delivery. In either case, the model needs to match the project and the parties need to be ready to work together.
EIC thanks the speakers, participants and Fenwick Elliott for contributing to the discussion.
Registration Link for Webinar 3
Watch the Webinar recording on our Youtube channel or download the Session's Slides below.