Delivering project success in Papua New Guinea

Developing a workplace in a remote location is a difficulty that many multi-site organisations face. The alignment of multiple stakeholders spread across different cities and countries, the navigation of local regulations, blending global objectives with cultural nuances, and ensuring the project is kept on track are just some of the issues you may encounter.

During discussions with international law firm Allens Linklaters, Incorp discovered they were having difficulties trying to find a company that could handle these issues while creating a new workplace for them in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. One of our designers based in Sydney had experience working in the very building in which Allens’ new office would be located.

“When we met in Sydney with the Incorp team to discuss the project, Karen had a lot to bring to the table because of her experience. I went in with an expectation, and they absolutely met it,” said Toula Panopoulos, General Manager of Business Operations with Allens. “From that point on we decided to engage Incorp. To be honest, we normally do panels and I chose not to from that conversation.”

Karen and the Sydney team developed the required architectural documents locally and were able to provide valuable insights into navigating a project in Papua New Guinea.

“Karen was the real voice of reason for us and it was because of her previous experience with Deloitte, not only in the building but on the same floor,” said Toula. “She had real oversight of the constraints, costs, and the restrictions we were going to face that we could never have imagined. She gave us a real clear picture and set an understandable expectation for us.”

Incorp joined forces with an architect in Port Moresby to provide advice regarding PNG specific regulations and approval processes, and the required PNG architectural license required to complete the project. On our behalf, the local architect also inspected the site regularly throughout construction, to ensure the project remained on track. Consultants and a building contractor with experience in delivering quality projects in PNG were also engaged to ensure the project ran smoothly.

Allens and Incorp successfully co-created a new PNG workplace that adhered to Allens’ global guidelines while also incorporating local aesthetics. The whole team at Allens PNG are ecstatic with their new workplace, with extremely positive feedback being received from all levels of staff.

“I’ve had congratulations from all the partners there,” said Toula. “The breakout space became four times the size and has the most beautiful views of PNG near the harbour. I remember the staff walking in on the first day – they said oh my god I cannot believe this is our breakout area. Some of them actually said to me ‘can we sleep here one night’. That to me is phenomenal. Personally, it is very rewarding.”

“Our PNG office has changed for the better. At first, we were just trying to achieve a nice new bright office, but now it is one of our best offices by far,” said Toula.

If you would like to find out more about how Incorp can successfully deliver a people and place solution for you in any corner of the globe, contact us now.