Search underway for Green Line CEO and COO

The search is on to fill executive leadership positions for the Green Line Program.

Calgary’s Green Line Board, comprised of 10 professionals with experience managing and executing similar megaprojects, heard Monday that the postings for chief executive officer and chief operating officer have been public since late last week.

According to the listing, the CEO is “to provide oversight and direction to ensure the Green Line Program activities align with board priorities and vision for the program,” “will provide the vision to the team and has ultimate accountability for the program meeting its strategic objectives.”

Possible candidates for COO will likely be generated by the ad for CEO, board member Marcia Nelson said.

She also expected the interview process to begin next month.

“Once we have arrived at a short list, then of course we will be spending some significant time going through the interview process,” Nelson told the board. “And my expectation is that we should be short-listing into an interview process by about mid-April.”

Downtown utility relocation work

The board also got an update on finding a construction manager to relocate underground utility lines to make way for segment two of the Green Line through downtown Calgary.

The request for proposals (RFP) went out to the city’s pre-qualified vendors on Dec. 4, 2020, with Feb. 4 the deadline for responses, Lisa Adamo, commercial director for the Green Line told the board.

“We’re looking for the CM (construction manager) to provide specialist constructability cost and schedule advice and identify construction work packages so they will be providing advice as we move through the design process,” Adamo said of the pre-construction work.

“They will be responsible for acting as the city’s agent when it comes to coordinating work with third-party utilities. And for each construction work package, we’ll be negotiating with the city a price to perform the construction at a guaranteed maximum price.”

Weighting of the evaluation criteria leans toward the technical ability to get the multifaceted work done.

“What we’re really doing here is, in terms of best value, is placing greater emphasis on the team, the resources that are put forward to conduct the work for this project, as well as the approach that they’re using, and the experience that they have and bring to the table in terms of similar projects,” Adamo said.

“When we talk about best value, we’re really talking about an optimal combination of price, technical considerations, quality and sustainability.”

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The company that scores best on the city’s evaluation matrix would get to be the first one the city negotiates with.

“We do anticipate — pending a board decision — to award this contract in April,” Adamo said.

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“Design-related work is underway and, with the CM on board, construction is anticipated to start later this summer.

“We’re moving forward in order to be able to complete this work in advance of the segment to procurement and construction.”

The city started a three-month pause of procurement on Dec. 16, 2020, to allow the provincial government to conduct “due diligence” on the $4.9-billion project expected to create 20,000 jobs.

The province, the city and the federal government have committed funds toward it, with construction originally projected to begin this year.