The Alliance Model Is Also Suitable for Smaller Projects
Matti Sivunen, Leading Expert, Partner and Doctor of Technology at Boost Brothers, presented his experience of using the alliance model in projects other than major megaprojects at an event organized by the RIL Association’s Technical Group for Construction Client and Project Management on September 3, 2026.
The alliance model is particularly well known for large infrastructure and construction projects. According to Tuomo Lindstedt, a member of RIL’s Technical Group and the event organizer, it is timely to examine how the model could also be applied to projects of other sizes.
“There is already extensive experience of using the alliance model in large projects in Finland. It is interesting to explore how proven practices can be appropriately applied to smaller projects as well,” Lindstedt says.
Based on Sivunen’s experience, the alliance model can also be successfully used in considerably smaller projects. His hands-on experience includes alliance projects such as Tikkurila Church, Kinnari School and the new social and healthcare centre in Järvenpää.
“The alliance model is not just for megaprojects. When the basic prerequisites are met, it can work well in smaller projects too,” Sivunen says.
Three Prerequisites for a Successful Alliance
The key message of Sivunen’s presentation was that there are three prerequisites for using the alliance model: there must be a genuine need for an alliance, the client and the market must share a willingness to deliver the project using the alliance model, and the client must have sufficient capabilities and resources to use the model.
A genuine need may arise, for example, from significant project risks, complexity, the use of new technology or a need for innovation.
The client’s capabilities are particularly important. An alliance requires expertise in areas such as defining the project and its objectives, the commercial model, cost management, collaboration and interaction, risk management, decision-making and leadership.
However, the client does not need to develop all of the required alliance capabilities in-house. Boost Brothers can provide the client with the necessary experts and train and coach the organization in the use of the alliance model. Boost has experience of both large and smaller alliance projects and has also developed a scaled alliance model for smaller projects together with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
“The key is to identify the capabilities the project requires and build the client organization accordingly. The necessary expertise can be brought in from outside while simultaneously strengthening the client organization’s own alliance capabilities,” Sivunen emphasizes.
The Alliance Model Can Be Scaled to Fit the Project
In a smaller project, not everything needs to be done in the same way as in a megaproject. Processes, roles and the organization can be streamlined, but the core principles of an alliance — value for money, shared gain and pain, acting in the best interests of the project, and open-book accounting — should not be compromised.
“The alliance should be designed to match the needs and scale of the project. In a smaller project, the operating model should also be agile,” Sivunen concludes.