Megaproject Delivery Centre

The Megaproject Delivery Centre captures the best international practices to improve the performance of major and megaprojects.

The Megaproject Delivery Centre develops research and executive education to change the way we think about the delivery of major infrastructure projects, not only advancing strategies and metrics to improve project performance, but also emphasising the societal benefits of infrastructure development.

Founded by Dr Juliano Denicol, the centre builds upon the School’s experience and global reputation in researching the management of major and mega infrastructure projects. Our successful track of record goes back to Professor Peter Morris, one of the pioneers of Project Management research. Peter’s work influenced a generation of researchers with several impactful contributions, including his seminal book, The Anatomy of Major Projects.

Located at the heart of London’s megaproject cluster, the centre will act as a convening mechanism, bringing together high-level executives from across borders and sectors to address some of the world’s most pressing infrastructure challenges: global inequality, future of mobility, decarbonisation, and the green recovery from COVID-19.

Research

The centre recently conducted one of the world’s largest systematic reviews on the causes and cures of poor megaproject performance, where over 6,000 papers were analysed in a project commissioned by the Project Management Institute. The ground-breaking research attracted significant media attention and revealed that the academic understanding and exploration of those endeavours is fragmented, and draws upon theoretical lenses that often over-emphasise the causes, rather than the solutions.

Mark Thurston, CEO of HS2 Ltd, commenting on the megaproject performance review:

“HS2 were pleased to contribute to what is an impressive and exhaustive piece of research into the world of megaprojects, covering both the practical and academic arenas. Crucially, it has concluded on key themes that those of us who wrestle with these challenges every day can apply as a useful guide to help drive success, something that both the profession and wider society will benefit from.”

The centre will drive forward an ambitious research agenda, seeking to address several key infrastructure questions to improve the performance of major projects, including but not limited to:

How can governments create the structural conditions to foster private investment in infrastructure through innovative delivery models?
How can managers strategically structure the multi-level governance and relationships between several actors involved in the delivery of major projects (such as sponsors, clients, delivery partners, supply chain)?
What are the key ingredients and capabilities to design the temporary organisations delivering megaprojects?
What are the key management and leadership competencies needed by future infrastructure leaders, given the increasing role of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and automation?
How can client organisations establish procurement systems to decompose the project within and across different phases of the life-cycle?
What are the strategies to manage the interfaces between the complex technical asset being constructed and the organisational structures of firms managing different parts of the project?
How can promoters incentivise the infrastructure supply chain to deliver major and megaprojects more collaborative and aligned to our net zero targets?

Recent projects

The Compendium of Large Infrastructure Projects for the European Commission analyses the procurement procedures in over 80 large infrastructure projects across the European Union from 2008 to 2018. Read more.

The systematic review of the megaproject management literature analyses over 6,000 papers to identify 18 causes of poor performance and 54 solutions. The research received multiple awards, including the prestigious 2022 Research Paper of the Year Award from the Association for Project Management, The Most Cited and The Most Downloaded Paper of the Year Awards from the Project Management Journal. Read more.

The research charts the architecture of megaproject organising, from intra- to inter-organisational design, and ultimately to system-level design. It provides a structure to design, decompose, and integrate the relationships between the main actors of the megaproject organisational system. Read more.

The Megaproject CEO global keynotes invites a stellar group of leaders that are at the forefront of megaproject delivery practices around the world, emphasising the leadership and management of megaprojects.

The IPMA Megaprojects Book Club discusses the key concepts, practices and ideas proposed by globally recognised authors. The core objective is to expose the audience to cutting-edge thinking and create a conversation, a constructive dialogue to reveal reflective critiques after reading the book. Read more.

Project X is a £1.1m ESRC funded research collaboration between government, academia and industry representatives. The project aims to generate unique insights into the performance of major projects and programmes in Government, established by nine universities in collaboration with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), and the Cabinet Office.

Contribution to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s new Project Routemap: Setting up projects for success in two modules: Governance; Organisational Design and Development.

Publications

Stefano, G., Denicol, J., Broyd, T., & Davies, A. (2023). What are the strategies to manage megaproject supply chains? A systematic literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Project Management 41(3), 102457. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2023.102457

Denicol, J. (2022). Why clear managerial recommendations matter in major projects research: Searching for relevance in practice. International Journal of Project Management 40(2), 98–100. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.01.004

Denicol, J., & Davies, A. (2022). The Megaproject-based Firm: Building programme management capabilities to deliver megaprojects. International Journal of Project Management 40(5), 505–516. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.06.002

De Rezende, L. B., Denicol, J., Kimura, H., & Blackwell, P. (2022). The main project complexity factors and their interconnectedness in complex defence projects and programmes. Project Leadership and Society, 100050. doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2022.100050

Muruganandan, K., Davies, A., Denicol, J., & Whyte, J. (2022). The dynamics of systems integration: Balancing stability and change on London’s Crossrail project. International Journal of Project Management 40(6), 608–623. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.03.007

Denicol, J., Davies, A., & Pryke, S. (2021). The organisational architecture of megaprojects. International Journal of Project Management 39(4), 339–350. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2021.02.002

De Rezende, L. B., Blackwell, P., Denicol, J., & Guillaumon, S. (2021). Main competencies to manage complex defence projects. Project Leadership and Society 2, 100014. doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2021.100014

Denicol, J., Davies, A., & Krystallis, I. (2020). What are the causes and cures of poor megaproject performance? A systematic literature review and research agenda. Project Management Journal 51(3), 328–345. doi.org/10.1177/8756972819896113

Denicol, J. (2020). Managing megaproject supply chains: Life after Heathrow terminal 5. In S. Pryke (Ed.), Successful construction supply chain management: Concepts and case studies (2nd ed. pp. 213–235). John Wiley & Sons Ltd. doi.org/10.1002/9781119450535.ch10

Denicol, J. (2020). Reinventing megaproject delivery models: The rise of the capable client - the supply chain architect. Project Management Institute. Published Research. (link)

Denicol, J., Addyman, S, & Morgan, O. (2020). Compendium of large infrastructure projects. European Commission. Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. doi.org/10.2873/863416

People

Dr. Juliano Denicol

Director - Megaproject Delivery Centre

Juliano is the founding Director of the UCL MBA Major Infrastructure Delivery. He is the Global Head of the Megaprojects Special Interest Group (SIG) at the International Project Management Association (IPMA). As Global Head of the IPMA Megaprojects SIG, Juliano coordinates a global platform with more than 70 countries to advance our understanding of megaproject delivery. Before joining UCL, Juliano has worked as a supply chain management consultant at High Speed 2, the largest infrastructure project in Europe, and advisor to the European Commission on public procurement policies.

Juliano’s work on megaprojects has been regarded of high global impact receiving multiple research awards, including the prestigious 2022 Project Management Research Paper of the Year Award from the Association for Project Management (APM). He has received the 2019 Global Young Researcher Award from the IPMA and the 2019 Best Reviewer Award from the Project Organising Special Interest Group of the European Academy of Management (EURAM). Previous research included several iconic UK megaprojects: High Speed 1, Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, London 2012 Olympics, Crossrail, Thames Tideway Tunnel, and High Speed 2.

Members

Professor of Built Environment Foresight

PhD Researcher. Topic: Organisation Design

PhD Researcher. Topic: Supply Chain Management

PhD Researcher. Topic: Procurement

Honorary Professor at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction

In the Media

OECD – Procurement strategy in major infrastructure projects (link)

European Commission – Compendium of large infrastructure projects (link).

UK Government Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Routemap – Setting up projects for success

- Governance module (link).

- Organisation Design and Development module (link).

- Delivery Planning module (link).

Institution of Civil Engineers – A systems approach to infrastructure delivery (link).

Resolution Foundation – Euston, we have a problem. Is Britain ready for an infrastructure revolution? (link).

Stockholm Environment Institute. Bigger is sometimes better: demonstrating hydrogen steelmaking at scale (link).

Department for Transport (DfT) – Written evidence to the UK Parliament. Enquiry. (link).

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – Lessons from major projects and programmes.

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC). Inquiry: The Government’s Management of Major Projects.

Daily Mail – Academics identify 18 reasons why 'megaprojects' so often fail (link).

New Civil Engineer – Study probes why megaprojects underperform (link).

Engineering & Technology – Researchers pinpoint why megaprojects like HS2 often fail (link).

Building – Industry’s fragmentation has jacked up HS2 cost, Oakervee says (link).

Engineering News Record – UK Civil engineers proposes new project delivery approach (link).

KHL International Construction – New research examines why megaprojects fail (link).

Management Today – What HS2 can teach you about project failure (link).

The Boar – The trouble with megaprojects (link).

Inverse – The world’s most jaw-dropping megaprojects fail for these reasons (link).

Modern Diplomacy – Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project: A Critical Review (link).

Tribune (Pakistan) – Why do megaprojects fail? (link).

El Espectador (Colombia) – Se identifican las razones por las que fracasan los megaproyectos en el mundo (link).

Daily Times (Pakistan) – Will BRT Peshawar stand for 100 years? (link).

SciTechDaily – 18 reasons why megaprojects fail and 54 presentative solutions (link).

Science Daily – Reasons why megaprojects fail (link).

My Science – Reasons why megaprojects fail (link).

Science Bulletin – Academics identify 18 reasons why megaprojects fail, 54 solutions (link).

Phys.org – Academics identify 18 reasons why megaprojects fail (link).

UCL News – Reasons why megaprojects fail (link).

Inverse – Coronavirus: what building airports can teach us about how to respond (link).

Medium – Academics identify 18 reasons why megaprojects often fail, 54 solutions (link).

Medium – The causes and cures of poor megaproject performance (link).

In-Sights – Delusion, deception, inertia (link).

In-Sights – BC NDP arming opponents (link).

The horizons tracker – Why megaprojects so often fail (link).

Spokes of the wheel – Megaprojects (link).

The Oakland Group – Why organisations need intelligent forecasting (link).

Alice Technologies – Left Turn at Albuquerque: Why Major Construction Projects Fail (link).

Leadership in Transportation – The mobility ecosystem (link).

Sage Perspectives – Is COVID-19 the Largest Megaproject of Modern History? (link).

New Zealand Infrastructure Commission
2023 Annual Infrastructure Conference. Looking Ahead Infrastructure Symposium: Turning Strategy into Action
Keynote: Megaproject Delivery – Learning from the UK

OECD Global Infrastructure Forum
The Forum is OECD’s flagship conference attended by ministers, Senior Infrastructure and PPP Officials Network, Leading Practitioners of Public Procurement Working Party, and the Task Force on Long-term Investment and Financing.
Presentation: Procurement Strategies for Major Infrastructure Projects

OECD – International Olympic Committee
The OECD and the International Olympic Committee joined by Paris 2024, Milano-Cortina 2026 and LA 2028, are cooperating on a project on the effective delivery of infrastructure and associated services for Olympic Games.
Presentation: What governance for OCOGs? Ensuring an effective institutional set-up for coordination and delivery tasks

OECD’s Expert Forum – Procurement Strategies
The loss of appetite for fixed price contracts in infrastructure procurement Implications and solutions for Public and Private Infrastructure Investment
Presentation: Building client capability to deliver megaprojects

Project Management Institute (PMI)
The Ingredients of Successful Megaproject Management
Presentation to two thousand (2.000) participants, based on a two-year project

Association for Project Management (APM)
Keynote Annual Conference – Delivering Projects Better

Policy Forum for London
Opening Keynote: Next steps for Crossrail 2 and completing Crossrail
Chaired by Lord Berkeley (Deputy Chair, Independent Review of HS2). Participants from: EY, ARUP, AECOM, and Nichols Group

Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA)
Roundtable: Presentation and discussion of trends in Organisation Design, reflecting upon the recent IPA Routemap module Organisation Design and Development

Brazilian Infrastructure Law Commission
Lessons from recent reviews on major and megaprojects (PMI and European Commission)

State Agency for the Regulation of Public Services of Rio Grande do Sul (AGERGS)
The management of megaprojects: Cases and practices from the UK context
Event open to all regulatory agencies in Brazil and attended by senior government officials
The agency is responsible to regulate Sanitation, Electricity, Passenger Transport, Waterways, and Highway concessions

Brazilian Space Agency
Megaproject Performance: Causes, cures and implications to space projects

Institute for Reform of Relations between State and Companies
Impacts of Covid-19 on the Brazilian Infrastructure Market
Panel member with Venilton Tadini, President of the Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industries (ABDIB) and Professor Nuno Gil. This forum receives prominent industrial and political figures, including governors, senators, and past presidents.

Project X Conference – ESRC / Infrastructure and Projects Authority
Roundtable: Organisational capabilities

London School of Economics
Executive MSc in Cities
Megaproject Planning and Delivery

Democracy, Public (Infrastructure) Goods and Value Creation: Quo Vadis?
Roundtable chaired by Professor Nuno Gil with KPMG, Financial Times

Grupo CCR
The largest infrastructure concession company in Brazil and one of the seven most significant in the world
Lessons from UK Megaprojects and Partnership Opportunities

High Speed Two
The largest infrastructure project in Europe
Client models and delivery strategy

ARUP
Managing megaproject supply chains.

AECOM
Megaproject trends and organisational learning

Events

The IPMA-UCL Megaproject CEO will invite a stellar group of leaders that are at the forefront of megaproject delivery practices. The Megaproject CEO builds upon the growing interest on leadership practices and recent research that recommends an emphasis on building and leading collaborations to advance our understanding of megaproject delivery.

The global keynotes bring together 12 CEOs across two years to share some of the most advanced practices that are influencing the delivery of megaprojects around the world. Each keynote features one megaproject and explore how the CEO inspired teams through practices from their successful trajectory in managing complex projects globally.

Megaproject CEO with Mark Thurston

Megaproject CEO with Andy Mitchell

Megaproject CEO with Mark Wild

The IPMA Megaprojects Book Club is a platform to discuss the key concepts, practices and ideas proposed by globally recognised authors. Leading books bring robust arguments and particular views of the world of megaprojects, however, authors are equally very interested and curious about other perspectives that might challenge and expand our knowledge. The platform connects leading authors to our community of megaproject enthusiasts, from project managers and policy-makers to students, and researchers.

Book Club with Professor Andrew Davies

Book Club with Professor Nuno Gil

Book Club with Professors Nathalie Drouin, Shankar Sankaran, Alfons van Marrewijk, and Ralf Muller

Book Club with Professor Bent Flyvbjerg

Partnerships

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OECD’s Infrastructure and Public Procurement Division to advance research on infrastructure delivery, particularly the governance and procurement of major projects.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading Brazilian university to jointly address some of the most pressing problems of our times, such as climate change and access to infrastructure. Brazil has currently one of the world’s most ambitious infrastructure agendas, which will benefit from the UK’s recent experience in major projects and world-leading position in the infrastructure space.

Study with us

MBA in Major Infrastructure Delivery

Strong leadership is essential to the successful delivery of major and mega infrastructure projects. However, leaders are in short supply, and those at the forefront of industry have emphasised the need to train the next generation of major infrastructure leaders.

To tackle this challenge, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction is launching a new MBA in Major Infrastructure Delivery (MBA MID) in 2023.

The programme draws upon key global industry reports — including from the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the OECD — regarding the role of infrastructure to cope with increasing urbanisation and population growth, as well as the key aspects of successful delivery.

The MBA Major Infrastructure Delivery (MID) is supported by and developed in consultation with an External Advisory Group of leading individuals, passionate about pushing Major Infrastructure Delivery forward. Their involvement ensures that the programme is rooted in real-world aims, actions, and successes.

Peter Hansford CBE – Former Chief Construction Adviser, UK Government. Chair, UCL Major Infrastructure Delivery External Advisory Board.

Andy Mitchell CBE– Chief Executive Officer, Thames Tideway Tunnel

John Pelton MBE – Programme Director Jacobs. Currently Programme Partner Director for the East West Rail programme

Julia Prescot – Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Meridiam Infrastructure. Commissioner, UK National Infrastructure Commission

Mark Thurston – Chief Executive Officer, High Speed Two

Martin Buck – Senior Adviser Agilia Infrastructure Partners. Expert Adviser Governance, Crossrail International. Former Commercial Director, Crossrail

Dr Michèle Dix CBE – Board Director Major Projects Association; Non-Executive Director Crossrail International; former Managing Director Crossrail 2 and former Managing Director Crossrail 2, Transport for London.

Nick Smallwood – Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure and Projects Authority

Phil Wilbraham – Former Programme Director, Heathrow Expansion

Sue Kershaw – Managing Director of Transportation, Costain

PhD Researchers

The Megaproject Delivery Centre is open to applications from PhD students researching management topics in major and megaprojects. We support visiting scholars and research fellows to work with us on a short or long-term basis.

If you are interested in applying or future collaborations, get in touch here.

Partner with us

At UCL, we recognise the global infrastructure gap and proactively invest in inclusive initiatives to advance knowledge and develop outstanding people.

Get in touch and partner with us to develop the future leaders that will deliver impactful infrastructure projects based upon rigorous research and renowned international practices.

Together, we can train the next generation of leaders to help to transform the infrastructure landscape globally.

Consultancy

The Megaproject Delivery Centre develops commissioned research and consultancy projects in partnership with industrial partners (e.g. consultancies, contractors), governments, and other organisations.

We strongly believe that partnerships are crucial to delivering impact, amplifying initiatives and scaling innovation. These partnerships address challenging problems drawing upon insights from cutting-edge research.

If you are interested in developing consultancy projects, get in touch here.