In every successful alliance, the Alliance Charter and its guiding Alliance Principles are more than words on a page — they represent the living heartbeat of the team. They define why we exist, how we work together, and what we collectively commit to achieving. Yet too often, the Charter is treated as a one-off document — discussed at the foundation workshop, printed, put up on the walls, and forgotten.
At BRS, we’ve seen the difference when alliances truly live their Charter and Alliance Principles every day. The shift from paper to practice transforms performance, builds trust, and creates enduring partnerships that deliver extraordinary results that are bigger than the sum of the parts. This connection to the Alliance Charter and Purpose is at the cornerstone of constructive leadership and storytelling which is critical in building high performing teams.
The Purpose of the Alliance Charter
An effective Alliance Charter provides clarity of purpose, values, and behaviours that anchor the alliance culture. It outlines the shared aspirations — the True North — that guide every decision and interaction that happens on the Project or Programme of works.
A strong Charter defines why the alliance exists and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for its people, partners, customers, stakeholders and communities. It clarifies how wellbeing, collaboration, and performance are interconnected, and how everyone contributes to a collective purpose.
The Charter also makes clear what success looks like. This can include a range of areas including:
- A clear understanding of your project and programme objectives;
- A total commitment to health, safety, and wellbeing;
- Delivering public value or value for money and achieving outcomes on time and within budget;
- Building enduring relationships that achieve extraordinary outcomes together; and
- Operating as a high-performance, one-team alliance.
When people connect their daily actions back to these goals, the Charter becomes a compass for behaviour, actions and intent — not just a corporate, home organisation or project statement.
Bringing the Principles to Life
The Alliance Principles are where intent meets action — the behavioural foundation for how we do things around here. Each principle demands conscious, consistent practice by leaders and teams. Further detail can be found on the Alliance Principles and their design in the National Alliancing Guidelines or in the blog written by my colleague Heath Colebatch on Resetting the Fundamentals of Alliancing.
There are 11 key Alliance Principles which have been designed to optimise the shared risk model which is unique to the Alliance model. We all truly win and lose together under the shared risk model hence the importance on focusing on a one team approach focused on solutions.
Some key examples of specific Alliance Principles and what they mean in practice include:
- Be open and honest with each other and treat each other with respect
Raise issues early, with courage and care. Trust is built through transparency — it’s hard to earn and easy to lose. Trust = speed and it starts with this key alliance principle. - Acknowledge that all participants have an equal say
Inclusion strengthens decision-making. Listen deeply to understand others’ drivers, perspectives, and challenges. Collaborate early and engage the right people at the right time. - Agree accountabilities and responsibilities together
Clarity prevents confusion. Alignment creates ownership. The best alliances set clear expectations — deliver on them and revisit them often. - Deliver business results where we all win or lose together
Shared success demands shared commitment. Celebrate wins as a team, and own lessons collectively. This is critical as the alliance model is unique in the commercial framework optimising a focus on solutions that deliver wins together. - Operate with no blame between organisations and teams
Focus on solutions, not fault. Alliances that learn and adapt grow faster than those that protect egos or reputations. Learn the lessons as we work through the project but don’t hold on to the event. Critical for moving forward together as one team.
When lived consistently, these principles create an environment of psychological safety, innovation, and shared accountability — the hallmarks of high-performance alliances.
Leaders Set the Standard
Living the Charter starts at the top. From the Project Alliance Board (PAB), Alliance Leadership Team (ALT) and to senior managers — each must role-model the Alliance principles daily. Their behaviour sends powerful signals about what is valued, tolerated, or ignored. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. It is a term used commonly in regards to safety but it applies to every Alliance Principle and it is critical that leaders role model and advocate these principles through their actions not just their words.
Leaders who walk the talk bring credibility to the Charter. They make it real through their decisions, role modelling, tone, and priorities. They also invest in building culture deliberately — not leaving it to chance. This includes:
- Embedding alliance values and principles in onboarding, induction, get togethers and recognition systems,
- Holding themselves and others accountable to agreed behaviours, and
- Creating space for reflection, feedback, and recalibration.
Creating a Living Charter
So how do you make your Alliance Charter a living, breathing part of your project or programme culture?
- Integrate it into daily conversations — reference it in meetings, decision-making, and issue resolution.
- Use it as a decision filter — ask, “Does this align with our Charter and Principles?”
- Recognise and reward Charter-led behaviour — celebrate people who demonstrate the values and Alliance Principles in action.
- Revisit and refresh regularly — as the alliance evolves, so too should the language and application of the Charter. What was relevant in the IPAA phase could be very different to the PAA phase both at the start and at the end.
- Tell the story — storytelling connects people emotionally to the purpose and legacy of the alliance. This is a critical skillset particularly of all leaders on an Alliance.
Living your Alliance Charter is not about perfection — it’s about practice. Every conversation, meeting, and milestone is an opportunity to reinforce “how we do things around here.”
When an alliance lives its Charter and Principles authentically, it transforms from a contractual arrangement in a Project Alliance Agreement (PAA) into a purpose-driven Alliance. It builds trust, unites diverse organisations, and delivers outcomes that endure long after the project is complete.
As we remind our clients and teams — your Alliance Charter is not the destination; it’s the way you travel together with the Alliance Principles guiding the journey.
