Institute of Commissioning & Assurance

ICxA’s Second Global Knowledge Roundtable brings together international experts to discuss how commissioning, operational readiness, and artificial intelligence can strengthen project delivery and assure operational outcomes.Hosted by Paul Turner with global contributors from the UAE, Brazil, New Zealand, and the United States, this episode explores practical ways to build capability, improve readiness, and support outcome-based project delivery.

In this ICxA Global Knowledge Roundtable, Paul Turner and David Tain are joined by international commissioning and assurance leaders to examine a critical project delivery gap: why “ready to start” is not the same as “ready to operate.” The discussion explores startup, transition to operations, operational readiness, commissioning discipline, and the leadership practices required to move major projects safely and confidently from construction completion into sustainable operation.

Activities and deliverables are strong on their own. But activities do not equal progress, and progress does not equal outcomes. The integration between activities is what determines if projects are successful. Listen to this interview with David Tain and Graham Temke to understand the importance of interfaces that decide your commissioning success.

Most projects don’t fail because of effort, they fall short because capability is never measured.In this episode, we explore how leading organizations benchmark their project delivery capability, uncover hidden gaps, and shift from activity-based progress to outcome-based performance.If you’ve ever wondered why “on track” doesn’t always mean “ready,” this conversation will change how you see your projects.

Projects don’t fail at startup - they fail long before anyone notices. In this episode, Paul Turner, David Tain, and Alan Cajueiro expose the readiness gap no one owns - the space between “complete” and truly operational.They unpack how ICxA Technical Committees are addressing this challenge head-on, and how to leverage this within your organization.If completion is your definition of success, this will challenge it.

Have a look inside the work ICxA is doing for the upcoming release of the first set of global standards defining commissioning, operational readiness, and outcome assurance. Learn how your organization can benefit from the implementation of these standards within your project delivery processes to assure project outcomes.

ICxA is embarking on an ambitious roadmap to transform project delivery and completion. Listen to Paul Turner and Heinz Inabnit discuss the ICxA Advisory Council’s strategic next steps to transform the industry.

Paul Turner and David Tain dive into Operational Readiness, the critical bridge between commissioning and long-term project performance. Learn how systems thinking is reshaping project outcomes for the next decade.

ICxA founder Paul Turner talks with Darren Sangster, ICxA Advisory Council member and veteran project commissioning manager, about what today’s leaders must understand to deliver real outcomes.They explore how commissioning-led leadership and Outcome Assurance™ are reshaping major projects - and why project success starts long before the final phase.

Most capital projects still fail, even when project managers follow PMBOK's guidance. What’s missing? In this episode, we unpack the PMBOK Missing Addendum - a framework that reveals the overlooked governance and commissioning principles behind the 10% of projects that actually succeed.

Operational Readiness is a key pillar of the Outcome Assurance Framework. Operational Readiness is the intended outcome to achieve, and without a structured process to govern outcomes, projects fail. Listen to this presentation by David Tain to learn how to apply Operational Readiness best-practices to your project.

In this episode, we welcome Tony Davies — commissioning leader, author of the Handbook for Commissioning Managers, and newest member of the ICxA Advisory Council. Tony shares stories from his decades of global project experience, explores why commissioning is leadership rather than just “testing at the end,” and explains how outcome assurance can transform project delivery.

Project Outcome Leadership — why successful projects don’t begin with schedules or contracts, but with a clear commitment to outcomes. In this episode, Paul explains how leaders can shift from managing tasks to leading results, and how the ICxA framework provides the blueprint for lasting project success.

For too long, the vital role of project commissioning has been under-recognised, under-supported, under-represented, and under-valued despite holding the keys to the success or failure of the world’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. Become part of the movement to change this.

If project management were all that was required, projects would not fail. Yet 9 out of 10 projects fail to meet cost, schedule, and scope objectives. There's something else missing. What's missing is the overall authority guiding all project groups to the outcome. What's missing is Outcome Assurance with a strong Outcome Authority to protect the project outcome and ensure this is the primary focus by all groups.

It's time for a new approach to capital project delivery - a systems-approach focused on outcomes, not tasks. The commissioning folks have a systems-mindset ingrained on how they work, and are in the bests position to lead projects to successful outcomes. Learn how the ICxA is transforming project delivery with systems thinking for the built environment.

Safety is the most important part of everything we do when commissioning and starting up new facilities. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shaun DeVille, world renowned commissioning safety expert, to understand how he balances the pressure of projects with the requirement to keep everyone safe.

Projects are simple when you break them down - a set of expectations at the beginning and an outcome at the end. The problem is that 9 times out of 10, projects fail to meet expectations - outcomes fall short at the end. What's missing is Outcome Assurance that connects the beginning to the end so outcomes meet expectations. Listen for more if you want Outcome Assurance on your projects.

Projects don’t fail at the end - they fail at the beginning. We believe Commissioning-First Leadership is required in projects more than ever. Projects need leaders that prioritize outcomes. This is the Manifesto of Commissioning-First Leadership.

The role of the Project Commissioner is fundamental for project success - right from the start of projects. Listen to learn how to plan your projects for success.

Projects succeed when they are set up with a systems based approach to completion. This doesn’t always happen, and is a unique quality of successful projects where both construction and commissioning groups work collaboratively together to optimize project completions.

It takes more than technical skills to be successful with commissioning. Early upfront planning requires skills in contracts, digitalization, strategy, project management, leadership, planning, standardization, and data management. Listen to learn more about what it takes to be successful with commissioning.

Commissioning success starts at the beginning of projects, when developing your EPC contracts. Without these 8 commissioning clauses included in contracts, it's very difficult to achieve your intended project outcomes. Listen to this episode to help define your EPC contracts.

AI is impacting all industries, and commissioning is no different. The next few years are going to be transformational, and the construction industry is unprepared. See how the landscape is changing and what you need to do to take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

Commissioning strategy defined at the beginning of projects determines your Commissioning Responsibility Model. Unfortunately, this is often missed in contracts, and projects are in trouble before they even start. Listen to learn the importance of defining commissioning as a strategic element of your project delivery model.

In this episode, we review the last documents of the ICA Global Commissioning Standard for on-site testing, handover, in-service, closeout, safety & risk management, and lessons learned. These critical aspects conclude the commissioning process that started much earlier during FEED. Don't miss this episode to see how to finish your projects successfully.

Your Commissioning Execution Plan defines what success looks like during commissioning for strong project completion. Find out how to prepare your CEP for project success.

Projects require strong leaders - commissioning leaders to lead project teams to success. It's a choice you make in life - if you want to step up and take on the challenge of leading commissioning. If you know that there must be a better way to complete projects, then listen to understand the calling of leadership.

Welcome to part 1 of 5 of our live workshop series to review the ICA Commissioning Standard. In this episode, we review ICA-001 and ICA-002 to help you and your projects succeed with commissioning.

Projects are data-rich environments, and when we can harness this high-quality data, we're able to make high-quality decisions. 3D modelling systems from detailed design engineering are the source of high-quality data, and a well-structured commissioning process is the bridge to connect this data to asset management systems after the project in-service date. I gave a presentation to USPI on the use of 3D Models for commissioning - have a listen to see how you can do the same on your projects.

Get access to the ICA Global Commissioning Standard. This revolutionary standard helps you structure your commissioning processes for success so you can achieve maximum efficiency in completing projects. If you want to achieve commissioning excellence much faster, then listen to this episode to learn how.

Quality data leads to quality decisions on projects. The quality of your data from engineering tools such as 3D modelling software determines success during commissioning. And the commissioning process is the golden thread linking engineering data with asset management systems for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the new facilities.

Do your projects have a commissioning engineering phase? If not, you're missing an important phase of the risk mitigation process for successful completion. Listen to this episode to learn what takes place during commissioning engineering.

Commissioning is a solution to your project success. Projects are complex and require specialized processes to complete on-time and on-budget. Listen to learn how commissioning can help improve your project outcomes.

Get ready for an overhaul of the construction/commissioning industry. AI is revolutionizing all industries, and commissioning is no different. AI Agents are going to help us complete projects much more efficiently, and those that know how to apply this technology are going to be the leaders in the industry. Listen to see how to use AI to help you with commissioning.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a standardized approach to commissioning - each project used the same terminology - followed the same workflows - used the same set of documents? The ICA Global Commissioning Standard is the first international standard for commissioning - which applies to all plant process and energy projects. See how you can get access to the ICA standard.

Projects transition from area-based construction to systems-based completion at approximately 60% to 70% complete construction. For this transition to go smoothly, precise planning for commissioning must take place at the beginning of projects - early enough to let construction groups know how to plan the completion of their work. Listen to see how to make this transition as efficient as possible.

Most projects have built an Excel empire to manage their commissioning. However, this becomes a constraint when optimising efficiency for improved commissioning processes. To achieve commissioning excellence, project teams must implement a CMS software system to manage commissioning efficiently - Excel or your document management system just won't give you the data you need. For a deeper dive into what's required to achieve quality commissioning data on projects, listen to this episode.

When organizations suffer from optimism bias and uniqueness bias, this ends up costing them millions or billions of dollars. Projects are risky, and organizations must take a proactive approach to commissioning to mitigate risk and avoid expensive delays. Don't learn these lessons the hard way - listen to this episode to learn from others and the best-practices requried on projects.

There are 2 major hurdles to get through for commissioning and on-site testing to go smoothly. Cross these 2 hurdles, and you'll be in good shape for your projects. Listen to this episode for a heads up on how to address these issues and avoid costly delays.

The Industrial Commissioning Association is a global network of commissioning professionals, supporting the commissioning community with best-practices for industrial plant process/energy system projects. Learn more about our local chapters, and see if you would like to start your own local chapter as well.

Commissioning requires a wide range of knowledge and experience to be great. And there is one skillset above them all that is required to truly master the art of commissioning. Listen to learn more.

There is limited information available when searching for commissioning of industrial plant process and energy systems, which is strange for such a complex topic like commissioning - there is a need for guidance and best-practices for projects. Member's of the Industrial Commissioning Association receive a monthly newsletter to fill this gap, where they can stay up to date on the latest trends and topics with commissioning in this ever-changing world we live in.

In order to succesfully complete major capital projects, you must have a clear understanding of what success looks like for commissioning, right from the start. This requires projects to be started with the end in mind.

The ICA Global Cx Standard is your strategic guide to complete projects cheaper and more efficiently. Find out how to apply this standard to your projects to meet cost and schedule objectives.

There are lots of bits and pieces of standards to reference for commissioning, but which ones apply to you industrial plant process and energy system projects? In this episode, we discuss the standards available and which one to use on your projects.

One of the biggest challenges with commissioning is getting management buy-in to support early commissioning involvement and a structured approach to completing project commissioning. There is a mindset that commissioning is only at the end of projects, it's only required for large projects, and it costs money rather than saves money. So how do you break these false beliefs with your management, to get them to support commissioning through all stages of projects to save time and money. Listen to see the best approach when planning for the these conversations.

Think of commissioning as piecing together a complex puzzle. A Commissioning Manager's job is to bring all the puzzle pieces together, ensuring no piece is overlooked and the final picture is complete and successful.

There are several commissioning standards that exist - each of the big companies have developed their own internal and proprietary standards for commissioning. But smaller companies that do not have the resources to create their own standard have no best-practices to follow. Or the standards that do exist to not include a comprehensive overview of commissioning best-practices. This has led to a fragmented industry, with everyone having a different approach to commissioning. Listen to learn about the ISA Global Commissioning Standard being created to help standardize the industry.

Experienced commissioning resources are getting harder and harder to find, as our wise commissioning experts are retiring and taking their expertise with them, and as project workloads are increasing. With the construction industry projected to double by 2040, where are project teams going to find commissioning managers to fill leadership roles? Listen to learn the options available.