Early Contractor Involvement (ECI)
Delivering better project outcomes through early collaboration, planning, and expertise.
Engaging Degnan during the feasibility stage and prior to the design starting provides the greatest opportunity to influence project outcomes. This ensures:
- Ensure client objectives are met and all stakeholders are listened to.
- Alignment between design, cost, program and quality
- Realistic, risk-adjusted budgets before project approval
- Identification of innovative and efficient construction solutions
- Proactive risk management from the outset
By understanding clients objectives and addressing challenges early, ECI reduces the likelihood of redesign, delays, and cost escalation during delivery.
Degnan works collaboratively with clients, designers, and all stakeholders to shape projects from the earliest stages. Our approach focuses on:
- Early engagement to inform project feasibility and direction
- Integrated planning across cost, programme, risk, and quality with end user in mind
- Ensure practical, buildable and cost effective outcomes in the early stages of design.
- Coordination with all stakeholders and approval authorities
We lead structured workshops and engagement sessions with clients, designers, key stakeholders, and approvals authorities to ensure decisions are made early, with the right input, reducing uncertainty and improving overall delivery outcomes.
Degnan’s ECI model is developed based on the client’s needs. It provides a clear pathway from early planning through to construction, ensuring alignment across scope, cost, programme and quality.
This two phase approach allows the client to decide if they want to proceed with the Delivery Phase or pause and wait till the timing is right for the business.
Once Phase One is complete there is no obligation to proceed to Phase Two.
Phase One: Development Phase or Business Case Approval
- Feasibility studies and cost planning
- Scope definition and concept design development and/or through to fully designed.
- Program development and approvals planning
- Stakeholder and user group engagement
- Risk identification and mitigation and fully costed.
This phase ensures the project is clearly defined, costed, and de-risked prior to delivery.
Phase Two: Execution or Delivery Phase
- Depending on the clients requirements and if the Phase One is accepted by the client then delivery of the construction works can begin under a separate contract.
- Pricing established through lump sum or open book approaches
- Agreed allocation of project risks
- Proven experience in complex infrastructure environments with maintaining clients critical business operations
- Strong focus on cost certainty and risk management
- Practical, construction-led input into design development
- Integrated, multi-disciplinary teams from day one
- Structured collaboration that drives informed decision-making
- Open, Transparent and Collaborative approach
- At all times the client can pause the ECI phase or cancel depending on the client’s needs and requirements.
- The client owns all the information developed during the ECI phase.
Degnan brings a broad range of expertise to ECI engagements.
Technical Capability
- Civil, rail, energy, building infrastructure construction
- Design, Engineering and constructability input
- Innovative, modular and high-performance solutions
Project Planning & Management
- Cost and programme certainty
- Risk identification, mitigation and resolution
- Sustainability and environmental planning
- Stakeholder engagement and coordination
Sectors
- Transport and rail
- Waste and recycling
- Energy and utilities
- Water
Tailored to your requirements, your ECI team brings integrated expertise from planning through to delivery. The team typically includes:
- Degnan General Manager – provides leadership and ensures close engagement with you throughout the project
- Design Manager – aligns design intent with practical construction solutions
- Construction Manager – delivers buildability and methodology expertise
- Planning & Risk Specialist – manages programme, risk, and early mitigation strategies
- Estimating Manager – ensures accurate cost estimates throughout the development of the scope and deliverables.
This collaborative approach ensures all aspects of your project are considered early, aligned, and optimised to achieve the best possible outcomes.
The optimal time to engage is during the company’s ‘Business case or feasibility stage prior to early concept design (0–30%). This is where the greatest value can be realised in shaping project outcomes, cost, time and quality to meet the clients goals.
ISO 9001 – Quality Management
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
ISO 45001 – Occupational Health & Safety
Federal Safety Commissioner (FSC) Accreditation – rail safety compliance and project assurance
TAO Registration – accredited rail infrastructure works
Industry-recognised safety and project delivery performance
Active participation in key industry bodies
Maintaining involvement from ECI through to construction ensures:
- Project knowledge is retained
- Design intent is preserved
- Delivery is efficient and aligned with agreed outcomes
To learn more about Degnan’s Early Contractor Involvement capabilities or to discuss your project, contact our team.
