Governance across the commercial interface on complex engineering projects

The challenge of governance across the commercial interface between project owners and the suppliers of the resources required to execute projects is a paradoxical one. This chapter will chart the evolution of governance from neo-classical contracting to relational contracting over the last 250 years or so as projects have become more complex, and hence uncertain. We then examine some recent attempts to develop relational contracting: the CRINE initiative in the UK North Sea, UK defense acquisition, Heathrow’s T5 project, and the contemporary Project 13 initiative that proposes the enterprise governance of the commercial interface on complex engineering projects. We close with some indications of potential lines of research inquiry and conclusions.