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Brief Overview

Executive Summary

The report Treating Risks in Complex Projects highlights challenges in complex procurement projects, particularly in military acquisitions, where traditional risk management fails in volatile environments, leading to delays and cost overruns. It critiques outdated Canadian policies lacking clear risk tolerance and calls for a shift from risk aversion to proactive risk treatment through structured collaboration, dynamic monitoring, and AI-driven analysis. The paper emphasizes leadership-driven cultural change, clearer risk delegation, and incentivizing responsible risk-taking to improve project efficiency and accelerate execution while maintaining quality.

About the Author

After retiring from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as a Rear- Admiral, Ian served for a decade (2007-2017) as a Director- General in the Department of National Defence, responsible for aspects of the launch of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), and for guiding DND project managers for three RCN shipbuilding projects and four vehicle projects for the Canadian Army. Since leaving government, he has offered shipbuilding and project management perspectives in many papers and in person. Ian is a Fellow of the International Centre for Complex Project Management, of the World Commercial and Contracting Association and of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He also is a past Associate of Strategic Relationships Solutions Inc.