A focused, well-structured half-day process to build alignment, confirm practical next steps and produce a clear record of outcomes for the Suburban Rail Loop — Stations Alliance North Package.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a proposal for the design and facilitation of a Health, Safety and Rail Safety Alignment Workshop for the Suburban Rail Loop — Stations Alliance North Package.
Based on your brief, we understand this workshop is required under the Project Alliance Agreement prior to commencement of the Works, and is intended to support alignment between Participants and Subcontractors on health, safety and rail safety principles and strategy. We also understand that the workshop outputs must be documented, including agreed deliverables and how the Participants propose to implement them.
We have used the draft agenda provided as a starting point for this proposal. In particular, we have noted the importance of opening with the right safety and values framing, clarifying workshop objectives and success criteria, exploring alignment with the SRLA safety strategy, discussing SAN's ambition beyond compliance, and considering the role of innovation, digital tools and lead indicators in supporting implementation.
Opposite proposes a focused, well-structured half-day process designed to help the group build alignment, confirm practical next steps, and produce a clear record of outcomes that can support implementation.
Opposite combines strategy, facilitation, organisational psychology and human factors to help complex teams make better decisions and turn intent into practical action.
Designing work and systems around how people actually think, feel and behave. We translate engagement and lived experience into clear system level insights.
Building leader and team capability to work well in complex environments. Recommendations are supported by practical tools and behaviours, not just policies.
Co designing solutions with users, testing and iterating quickly. Surveys, interviews and recommendations are usable, intuitive and easy to action.
Applying systems thinking to risk, fatigue, workload and decision making. Work design guidance is grounded in safety and performance science.
This combination is particularly valuable in safety-critical settings, where alignment needs to be both strategically sound and practically usable.
Establishing a shared understanding of how safety principles and strategic priorities will be applied across Participants and Subcontractors before work begins.
In a major alliance environment, safety alignment cannot rely on broad intent alone. Different organisations may bring different practices, assumptions, language and levels of maturity, even when working toward the same outcome.
This workshop is an opportunity to establish a shared understanding of how safety principles and strategic priorities will be applied across Participants and Subcontractors before work begins. Done well, it can help reduce ambiguity, support consistency, and create a practical foundation for implementation.
Just as importantly, the workshop provides a structured way to document agreed outcomes and identify any matters that require further resolution after the session.
Opposite will design and facilitate a half-day alignment workshop that is structured toward practical outcomes rather than open-ended discussion.
Building from the draft agenda provided, we would structure the session to move from safety and values framing, to strategic alignment, and then into practical actions, deliverables and implementation considerations — retaining the intent of the existing agenda while sharpening it toward clear outcomes.
The workshop will aim to:
A clear, end-to-end scope spanning preparation, facilitation and documented outcomes.
A structured path from kick-off and preparation, through facilitation, to a documented record and practical basis for implementation.
We will:
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The session will be designed to support agreement on:
Some items may reasonably require further refinement following the session, particularly where broader consultation, governance input or operational detail is needed. In those cases, Opposite will clearly document:
The workshop will be led by a small senior team with experience in facilitation, organisational psychology, human factors, and alignment in complex operating environments — well suited to a session that needs to balance strategic discussion, practical implementation and clear documentation.
Organisational psychologist and founder of Opposite, with senior roles including Human Factors Manager at John Holland Group and Senior Policy Advisor / Project Manager at VicRoads.
Nick has led multidisciplinary work across transport, infrastructure and other safety-critical environments, focused on making complex systems, tools and conversations more usable, safer and more effective. For this project, Nick would provide senior oversight across workshop design, quality and strategic framing, bringing particular strength in human factors, stakeholder alignment and shaping practical outcomes.
Registered psychologist with a Master of Organisational Psychology and experience across transport, construction, energy, education, healthcare and retail.
At Opposite, Patrick leads projects focused on capability, team development, workplace simplification and translating complex requirements into clear, usable processes. He is well suited to the design and facilitation of this workshop — particularly building alignment around existing principles, surfacing practical actions, and supporting psychologically safe, structured discussion across rail and road contexts.
Organisational psychology consultant with experience across transport, government, healthcare and logistics, focused on leadership development, culture change, psychological safety and team alignment.
Joanna's work has included psychosocial risk management, leadership competency development, training design, health and safety learning content, and wellbeing guidance. For this engagement, she would support workshop preparation, facilitation and post-workshop synthesis, translating discussion into practical outputs such as action planning, team commitments and follow-up priorities.
Opposite has significant experience supporting alignment, strategy and safety-related work in complex operating environments.
More broadly, Opposite has worked across major rail and infrastructure programs including the Level Crossing Removal Project, Metro Tunnel-related work, Regional Rail Revival, Ballarat Line Upgrade, Wyndham Vale Train Stabling Yard, Rail Systems Alliance, and multiple alliance environments across Victoria — including human factors design reviews, Safety in Design contributions, integration planning, specialist studies and facilitated sessions in high-accountability contexts.
Three scalable options, quoted as fixed-price lump sums exclusive of GST. The Standard option provides the most balanced approach.
| Option | Description | Investment (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Half-day workshop facilitation, standard preparation, and a post-workshop summary. | $11,800 |
| StandardRECOMMENDED | Tailored preparation and agenda refinement, half-day workshop facilitation, plus an outcomes summary and implementation action register. | $14,300 |
| Extended | Standard scope plus an additional post-workshop follow-up session or refinement support. | $17,400 |
| Phase | Activity | Effort | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Briefing and scope confirmation | 0.5 day | $1,100 | Included in kickoff |
| Phase 2 | Review of materials and workshop preparation | 1.0 day | $2,200 | Assumes one briefing session and review of core documents |
| Phase 2 | Workshop design and agenda refinement | 1.5 days | $3,300 | Includes facilitation planning and materials |
| Phase 3 | Half-day workshop facilitation | 1.3 days | $3,300 | Includes 2 × facilitator time and standard metropolitan travel |
| Phase 4 | Outcomes summary and implementation action register | 2.0 days | $4,400 | Includes synthesis, summary and next steps |
| Total | Total fixed fee | 6.5 days | $14,300 |
| Add-on | Scope | Cost (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Additional stakeholder interview(s) | Pre-workshop consultation to sharpen issues and decision points. | $256 per hour |
| Follow-up alignment session | Additional facilitated session to resolve outstanding matters. | $3,300 per half day |
| Expanded implementation support | Further refinement of implementation plan or governance material. | Quoted on request |
Opposite is available to support delivery of this workshop in the mid to late August period, subject to confirmation of date, participants and final scope.
Given the importance of preparation in a workshop of this kind, we recommend confirming timing as early as possible so there is adequate time to review materials, refine the session and steer participants toward practical outcomes on the day.