With the world watching, Laing O'Rourke – as part of the ODA's delivery partner CLM – was tasked with delivering one of the most complex feats of programme management ever undertaken.

A gold medal finish for programme management excellence.

The result was the transformation of 670 acres of contaminated wasteland in Stratford into a world-class venue – delivered over the line on time and to budget. The project set new industry benchmarks for safety, quality and sustainability. We provided programme and logistics management, first-tier delivery of construction and operational services, carrying out extensive decommissioning to deliver the facilities in both Olympic and legacy modes.

The home straight

Coordinating a multitude of stakeholders and contractors, 3,000 supply chain members and over 46,000 people over the project's lifetime required a clear vision and strategic methodology. Failure to meet the ODA's deadline and rigorous construction and infrastructure milestones was not an option.

We championed a collaborative culture and established clear organisational protocols, governance and reporting to offer a fast-track solution that would ensure timely and successful delivery of this politically charged venture.

Committed stakeholder engagement

Excellent diplomatic skills maintained relations with the Park’s neighbours within the five host boroughs as well as with Network Rail, Crossrail, Westfield shopping centre and the major utility companies. We engaged with the community by establishing a 24/7 hotline and holding weekly consultations. We responded to feedback, for example, by using bored piling instead of pile driving to reduce noise. Two logistics centres coordinated four deliveries per minute, further minimising traffic, disruption and
CO2 emissions.

A learning legacy

As part of the legacy, we created a transparent trail of lessons learned. This embedded health and safety, sustainability, and employment and skills targets, and it focused our leadership to identify areas for improvement to achieve excellent results here and elsewhere.