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Collaborative project delivery in Ontario
Better outcomes start with better collaboration. Whether delivering municipal infrastructure, water and wastewater infrastructure facilities, or complex industrial, commercial, and institutional projects, ASCO helps clients reduce risk, improve decision-making, and achieve better project outcomes through early collaboration.
What is collaborative project delivery?
Collaborative project delivery is an approach that brings the entire project team together from the earliest stages of planning and design. Instead of working independently, owners, consultants, contractors, and key trade partners work as one integrated team, sharing knowledge, solving challenges together, and making better-informed decisions that benefit the project as a whole.
Early collaboration establishes better communication, improves cost and schedule certainty, enhances constructability, and reduces the likelihood of disputes, change orders, and costly delays.
What projects are suited for collaborative delivery?
Collaborative project delivery is particularly well suited for projects where technical complexity, operational requirements, or stakeholder coordination make early planning essential. ASCO has extensive experience supporting collaborative delivery for:
Water and wastewater treatment facilities
Pumping stations and reservoirs
Municipal infrastructure
Industrial facilities
Institutional buildings
Commercial developments
By integrating construction expertise early, we help owners make informed decisions that improve performance, reduce lifecycle costs, and create long-term value.
How does ASCO support collaborative project delivery?
Our team works closely with designers, engineers, operators, and stakeholders to improve constructability, establish realistic budgets, optimize schedules, and identify risks before they become problems. Our decades of collaborative project delivery experience includes:
Progressive Design-Build (PDB)
Design-Build (DB)
Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR)
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)
Optimizing cost, quality, and schedule
Construction management allows for early contractor involvement, leading to stronger cost certainty, improved constructability, and more efficient scheduling. By identifying risks early and addressing them proactively, ASCO helps reduce change orders and keep projects aligned from the start.
Featured construction projects
Every successful project begins with a strong partnership. Whether you're considering Progressive Design-Build, Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery, Construction Manager at Risk or another collaborative approach, ASCO can help you determine the right delivery strategy for your project.
FAQs – collaborative project delivery
What are the benefits of collaborative project delivery?
Collaborative project delivery helps reduce project risk by encouraging early communication, and shared decision-making so problems can be addressed proactively. Bringing hands-on construction expertise into the planning process improves constructability, strengthens cost and schedule certainty, reduces change orders, and creates opportunities for innovation. Owners also benefit from greater transparency and a more coordinated project team working toward common goals.
When should a contractor be involved in a project?
The earlier, the better. Engaging a contractor during the concept, feasibility, or preliminary design stages allows valuable construction expertise to inform key project decisions before the design is finalized. Early involvement helps identify risks and evaluate alternatives. It helps establish realistic budgets and schedules, and improve overall project planning to ultimately reduce unexpected surprises during construction.
Which project delivery methods are considered collaborative?
Collaborative project delivery can take several forms, depending on the project's objectives and procurement strategy. ASCO has experience delivering projects through Progressive Design-Build (PDB), Design-Build (DB), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). While each model differs in structure, they all emphasize early collaboration, shared communication, and coordinated decision-making.
How does ASCO support owners during early project planning?
Our team assists with constructability reviews, budgeting, scheduling, risk identification, procurement strategies, and value engineering to help optimize project outcomes. By collaborating early, we help owners make informed decisions that improve cost certainty, reduce risk, and position projects for long-term success.