You know how it usually goes


PPP = Prolonged, Painful, and Pointless.

But not this time.

Somehow, against all odds, cultures, and acronyms…

The New Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia didn’t just avoid disaster — it delivered.

Let me break it down for you:

  • Australia’s most expensive hospital project at the time.
  • $2.3 billion AUD.
  • A maze of private, public, and clinical stakeholders.
  • 800 beds. 40 operating theatres. 100% public access.

The predictions?

“Too complex.”
“Healthcare PPPs always end in tears.”
“Get ready for claims, arbitration, and political carnage.”

But guess what?

They finished it.

And not just finished — they pulled off a clinical-grade, digitally-integrated, energy-efficient mega-hospital that actually works.

The secret sauce?

  1. A private consortium (SA Health Partnership) that didn't play the blame game.
  2. A government team that didn’t change the brief 64 times.
  3. A dispute resolution process that got used before lawyers smelled blood.

Crazy, right?

How couldn’t I have thought about it?

A PPP that respected scope, handled conflict like grown-ups, and even came out functional on the other side.

How could it be possible…

Anyway.

Some still say it was luck.

I say it was proof that PPPs can work… if you don’t staff them with saboteurs.

Do you want some blood?

Take a look to the lessons below?

$799.50

The 15 Top Lessons of a PPP Project Nightmare

Learn about:
The number 1 killer of Projects
Why this was not going to be just "another construction project, mate"... Read more

​

PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day.

PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com

PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below.

Vicente Valencia

Weekly insights on how to perform when it matters | High-stakes decisions. Real situations. No BS. | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇

Read more from Vicente Valencia

Any project in the world has a meeting like this. The most senior person says: “I think this is an excellent opportunity.” Suddenly, everyone discovers they think so too. Extraordinary. Twenty minutes earlier, the project looked like a hostage note. Now it’s “a compelling investment proposition.” The spreadsheet hasn’t changed. The boss has spoken. 1961 During the planning of the Bay of Pigs invasion Presidential adviser Arthur Schlesinger had serious reservations. He put objections in...

The story about King Xerxes is fascinating, and you should know it. Look. Some clients send an angry email when infrastructure fails. Others call their lawyers. King Xerxes had even a more ambitious escalation procedure. He whipped the sea. Yes. Apparently, the King was very ambitious, in general. He had bridges built across the Hellespont so his Persian army could cross into Europe. Until here… All good. The issue is that a storm destroyed the bridges. At the time, they did not have ACONEX...

There is a beautiful moment in every project. The green dashboard. That’s where all bosses and politicians that never came to visit start to get excited. The speeches are ready. Everyone important has found a clean high-vis vest. Even new boots… yes, now that there is no mood. Then somebody makes the unreasonable decision to use the infrastructure. Welcome to Heathrow Terminal 5. 27 March 2008. £4.3 billion. On time. Within budget. The sort of numbers that make a Board presentation...