- Energy & Resources, Stakeholder Management
A national flagship programme is underway to design and build a prototype fusion power plant by 2040. As the first initiative of its kind globally, it aims to demonstrate net energy production (producing more energy than it consumes), fuel self-sufficiency, and a practical, maintainable plant design for long-term operation.
The programme is being delivered by an Energy Solutions Company. While this delivery body holds responsibility for execution, it is supported by a parent research authority, which acts as the programme’s Fusion Partner, applying its world-leading expertise in fusion energy and supporting technologies.
Strengthening collaboration in complex energy projects
To achieve its ambitious goals, the delivery organisation will need to develop several critical Business-to-Business (B2B) relationships with a range of public and private sector partners — including three key strategic partners across fusion, engineering, and construction.
Recognising the complexity and strategic importance of this partnership, MIGSO-PCUBED (MP) was brought in to support and optimise the working relationship between the Delivery Organisation and their Fusion Partner. With over 20 years of experience enabling collaboration in complex delivery environments, MP’s role was to strengthen the joint ways of working and unlock shared value.
Project leaders across both organisations agreed that the focus of this work was to:
"Enable individual contribution in a collaborative programme to deliver the project, partner & national value"
David Whitmore - Strategic Advisor MIGSO-PCUBED
The RelationSHAPE process
To assess the early relationship between the two organisations, MP applied its 5 phase RelationSHAPE process. This is a structured framework designed to identify and measure hard and soft issues impacting the relationship using a novel technique called semantic differentials.
Phase 1: Capturing impressions
More than 15 one-to-one interviews were conducted with key players from both organisations to develop individual impressions of the relationship. Interviewees ranged from strategic roles, such as the Whole Programme and Controls Director, to more tactical positions, including Senior Research Software Engineers. The insights gathered covered a wide range of characteristics, from technical or process-related aspects such as IP management and resource planning, to behavioural elements such as culture and interpersonal relationships.
Phase 2: Sharing the impressions
Each organisation formed their own group impression of the relationship.
For the Fusion Partner, the top characteristics identified were:
- Resource planning
- Informal relationships
- Fusion Partner capability
In contrast, for the Energy Solutions Company, the top characteristics identified were:
- Systems and processes
- Delivery of resources
- Strategic alignment
This exercise helped surface both common ground and key differences in perspective.
Phase 3: Co-developing metrics
From these discussions, the teams worked together to develop a final shared understanding of the relationship. This resulted in the creation of their ‘RelationSHAPE metric’, which shows the current state of the relationship. More than ten characteristics were identified, the most prominent were:
- Communication & collaboration
- Systems & processes
- Resourcing & capability mapping
Phase 4 & 5: Action plans and monitoring
Three action plan groups were created with participants from both organisations to address the main characteristic gaps. Each group developed a clear set of actions along with tangible measures to assess their progress.
All action plans were signed off by senior leadership, and each action will be tracked on a monthly basis in the board meetings, ensuring sustained accountability and momentum.
De-risking relationships and preparing for long-term success
Although this flagship programme is still in its early stages, it is already redefining how major projects are being delivered nationally. According to our recent research, this is the first project that has formally measured a partnership relationship in this way. Previously, relationships were assessed informally through personal judgement and leadership experience, without data-driven tools.
By implementing a structured relationship measurement process, the Energy Solutions Company now benefits from a tailored metric, specifically designed for its collaboration with its primary research partner.
This metric supports the relationship in several key ways:
- Provide early warning signs of potential relationship breakdowns that could impact delivery
- Data-driven insights to support decisions or adjustments in partner relationships
- Align relationship health with project KPIs
- Allows recalibration when strategic priorities shift over time (e.g. transition from design to construction)
- A culture of transparency and mutual accountability between both organisations
What's next?
There is still a long journey ahead, and the importance of establishing, developing, and measuring Business-to-Business (B2B) relationships cannot be overstated.
In the next three months, another joint workshop will be facilitated between the two organisations to review progress, evaluate action plan metrics, and reassess the framework.
In parallel, the programme will benefit from tailored relationship management training, informed by insights from wider research into major infrastructure projects.
The way large-scale projects are delivered is evolving, and strong relationships are at the core of that transformation.
Thank you for the contributions Juan Sandoval.
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