Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned from PPI Planning

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The Poland Provided Infrastructure (PPI) program is an element of the 2020 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the U.S. and Poland. Under EDCA, U.S. forces have legal status in Poland, can access authorized Polish military installations, and can expand infrastructure to accommodate the U.S. military.

“Poland is a very strategic partner for NATO,” said Nathan Kent-Harbor, AICP, chief at the Regional Planning Support Center for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Europe District. “They are basically the linchpin in the Eastern Front security for Europe in NATO. The hope is that through this cooperation and infrastructure improvement program, there will be increased partnership and interoperability between the two nations’ military forces, and a strategic positioning of Poland that supports their role in NATO and in the security of the Eastern flank of Europe.”

While Poland leads the design and construction of PPI projects, USACE is responsible for executing the PPI initiative on the U.S. side. As such, USACE is tasked with ensuring infrastructure designed and built in Poland through the program meets requirements for U.S. forces’ use and operation. However, providing this infrastructure isn’t an easy feat.

Navigating Unknown Territory

The PPI program is one of a kind. As explained by U.S. Air Force Program Analyst Megan Rutell, “Partnership programs come in all varieties, but the PPI program is unlike anything I’ve ever worked on before. It’s really in a league of its own.”

USACE Europe District and U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) contracted the joint venture of Woolpert and Black & Veatch to provide master planning and programming services for PPI. The project team worked with U.S. and Polish stakeholders to deliver a real property vision plan and concept plan for multiple distinct facility types at locations across Poland. The project team also provided two area development plans (ADP), mission requirements analysis, and cost estimates for Łask Air Base and Wroclaw Airport. These deliverables execute the planning portion of the project with the ADPs guiding future PPI development and investments.

The collaborative effort between USACE, USAFE, Woolpert, Black & Veatch, and U.S. and Polish stakeholders resulted in a successful project completion, though not without some unique challenges, solutions, and lessons learned.

Overcoming Challenges

Highly prepared for this initiative, the project team anticipated—and encountered—a variety of obstacles throughout the project. Keeping their eyes on the ultimate goal, the team committed to a posture of flexibility, communication, and willingness to learn, all necessary ingredients to generate solutions for three main challenges.

The U.S. and Poland have different approaches to project execution, from planning to design to construction. Black & Veatch Senior Planner Jeremy Sewall explained, “The U.S. idea of planning and the Polish idea of planning are a little different. We think of planning as a distinct stage in the process, but in Poland, it is part of a continuum.”

Another difference in project execution encompasses design standard variances. Additionally, the countries approach cost estimations quite differently. These contrasting styles often complicate project execution. However, through communication and coordination, the project team and stakeholders arrived at an understanding and generated ways to move forward. To showcase this approach to design standards, Kent-Harbor said, “It was about going through the standards and identifying which ones were absolutes and which ones were flexible when approaching design and construction. As long as communication remains open and folks are willing to cooperate and work together, there are always opportunities for improvement. Working out the best mutual way forward helps both sides to accomplish the goal of delivering infrastructure so that Soldiers and Airmen can complete their mission and training.”

Andrew Etherington, AICP, Woolpert senior associate and planner, explained how the differences in cost estimation were overcome: “The project team produced a more conservative cost estimate than the Polish stakeholders, so we had to balance them. We communicated with the relevant parties to develop cost estimates that the host nation found feasible and liked.”

Overall, the differences in project execution and cost estimation didn’t prevent the completion or success of the project. In fact, effective communication and a desire for alignment prevailed and led to a greater appreciation for each other’s approaches.

“We had some differences, but the most important part was that we had common ground,” said Lt. Col. Tomasz Lechowicz, 12 TOL, Branch Chief, Allied Investment Brand. “The key factor was understanding the processes. Since I had an opportunity to be a part of this project, I learned a lot about the U.S.’s way of thinking and organizing a business. With some differences, like estimating the cost of infrastructure, I liked their attitude. It was structured and organized and went from a general view to the details.”

A Common Thread

For every challenge, Woolpert and Black & Veatch found an appropriate and unique solution—but the common thread in each one was collaboration and cooperation with the host nation. The Polish stakeholders, subcontractors, and subject matter experts were pleasant to work with and had a vested interest in overcoming any barriers to success. They continuously offered assistance and support through ongoing communication.

“We were able to overcome a lot of differences because of good communication throughout the process,” said Ramon Gil Lopez, program manager for Poland USAFE Bases and Forces Division. “Sometimes, we weren’t able to understand decisions or certain positions, so we had to sit down and communicate to understand each other’s points. The outcome was a successful agreement throughout all areas of the process.”

Etherington also believes communication played a significant role in project completion. He praised the host nation for its collaboration and cooperation. “The host nation is a great partner,” Etherington said. “These projects aren’t successful without great host nation partners. They gave us the right information and access to the right folks to get the job done.”

“It is both exciting and an honor to be a part of the PPI program,” said Rick Kaiser, President, Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp. “As a key and critical member of NATO, Poland is an excellent partner across every spectrum. Given the current geo-political concerns in Eastern Europe, it is even more important to execute this program effectively and efficiently. PPI is a truly innovative way to organize, design, and ultimately construct world-class defense infrastructure. I applaud the USACE efforts and truly believe that the Woolpert & Black & Veatch team is the best team to execute their mission.”

Lessons Learned

The project team took home invaluable lessons, including how the nuance of language impacts understanding, the trust-building effect of participating in cultural customs, and using good communication with the host nation to overcome project barriers. Equally important is the lesson that an invitation to another country for a project means every outside team member is a guest of the host nation. Everything the team does, from planning to execution, must be filtered through that perspective.

“When we compare Poland to the way we do business at other OCONUS U.S. bases, a lot of other OCONUS U.S. bases have a U.S. military commander with far-reaching, base-wide, decision-making power. But that’s different in Poland,” Rutell said. “We don’t own the bases in Poland. For all intents and purposes, even in countries where we don’t own the base, a lot of times we run the base. In Poland, we don’t. The bases are Polish, the commanders are Polish, and we are guests. That means on the U.S. side, we have to adjust our approach because some of our processes assume that the U.S. is in charge. We have to make the right decisions for the correct leader on both the U.S. and Polish sides. We want to make sure our processes work with theirs. That was a big lesson learned for us.”

This article first appeared in the Federal Planning Division Spring 2024 Newsletter

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Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned from PPI Planning

Navigating Unknown Territory

Overcoming Challenges

1. Language Barriers

2. Cultural Differences

3. Contrasting Approaches

A Common Thread

Lessons Learned