Canada is entering a defining era of major project development that have significant implications for the nation's economic future, as the country works to establish new trade partnerships, develop its resources, reinforce self-reliance and drive economic growth, says KPMG Canada’s Zach Parston, National Infrastructure, Capital Projects, and Sustainability Leader.
“Canada is about to undertake a wave of nation-building projects. Yet, major projects are inherently complex, often involving multiple contractors, evolving regulatory requirements, supply chain pressures and billions in capital,” he says. “With the pressure mounting to build now and build fast, it’s essential that these complex projects are well organized and managed, with the right governance frameworks and, controls, clear accountability and execution plans. There can be no margin for error if Canada is to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade and provide the world with reliable, stable energy and mineral supplies, particularly at a time of intensifying geopolitical strife. It’s not business as usual.”
KPMG Canada, a leader in major project advisory, recently established The Major Projects Delivery Office (MPDO), which will act as a centralized hub and enable the firm to quickly customize teams to meet the specific requirements of each project. The MPDO provides clients with a multi-disciplinary major projects team with experience across the full project lifecycle, from early planning and business case development through design, procurement and construction. The firm has more than 280 infrastructure and major project professionals in Canada with deep real-world experience across infrastructure and industrial asset classes and disciplines with the ability to draw from its global member firm network of 5,000 infrastructure and capital project practitioners.
“Our newly formed MPDO ensures that we meet the emerging needs of our clients and help them to set-up projects to succeed. Our capabilities include governance, financing, risk management, project controls, contract strategy and management, strategic regulatory management and Indigenous engagement,” says Mr. Parston. “In major projects, the seeds of success or failure are planted during planning and establishment. When projects are poorly structured, governance is weak, experienced practitioners are absent, or key parties are misaligned, the project is already off course. Unfortunately, it is only when cost overruns and schedule delays emerge during construction that those early missteps reveal their significant consequences.”
KPMG’s MPDO provides support across the full project lifecycle:
- Executive program establishment and delivery
We help build and deliver major projects with clear purpose, defined accountability, aligned governance, and active executive sponsorship from day one. - Staff augmentation
We deploy experienced major project professionals across governance, commercial, risk, controls, and delivery to strengthen internal capability and accelerate momentum. - Strategic delivery advisory
We provide executive and board-level advisory support with structured oversight to protect business value and strengthen delivery confidence.
The MPDO teams work with organizations to:
- Establish effective project organization and governance structures with clear accountabilities and decision-making processes
- Build realistic budget and schedules, supported by strong cost and schedule controls
- Strengthen procurement strategies and contract oversight to manage commercial risk
- Provide clear reporting and insights for executives, boards and investors
- Stabilize or recover projects that are off track, including turnaround strategies and control resets
KPMG has advised on several large infrastructure and industrial programs across Canada over the last 10 years, including in the power and utility, ports and terminals, pipeline, oil and gas, mining, data centre, transportation and social infrastructure sectors.
More information about KPMG’s Major Projects Delivery Office is available here:
