LCi is a community of learning and practice that advocates for the transformation of the Irish construction sector through collaboration, and the adoption of Lean thinking and practices and continuous improvement by the entire sector to enable and sustain enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and profitability for all stakeholders in the value chain.
Purpose:
To improve the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of the Irish construction sector through Lean thinking and practices, and continuous improvement.
Mission:
To provide resources and support to the Irish construction sector necessary to deliver better project outcomes through collaboration, operational excellence, and capability development.
Vision :
To transform the planning, design and delivery of construction projects by fostering a collaborative culture that drives value, productivity, and sustainability.
Explore Why Lean and Why LCi – watch Videos from LCi Board Members and others detailing their interest in Lean and why their organisations have adopted Lean thinking and practices, as well as how they are benefitting from involvement with the LCi community of learning and practice. Click here to view the LCi Vision for the Irish Construction Sector.
Promote the application of Lean thinking and practices across the Irish construction sector.
Develop a network of members committed to the application of Lean thinking and practices nationally and internationally.
Challenge traditional project thinking and delivery methods, and procurement and contractual processes.
Advance Lean Construction knowledge, know-how, and skills amongst all stakeholders.
Promote the application of Lean thinking and practices across the Irish construction sector.
Develop a network of members committed to the application of Lean thinking and practices nationally and internationally.
Challenge traditional project thinking and delivery methods, and procurement and contractual processes.
LCi is strategically led by a Board of Directors comprising representatives from across the Irish Construction sector, including Clients/Owners, Contractors, Professional Services Providers, and Academics. Click HERE to view Director Profiles.
LCi undertook a strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri) exercise to identify the breakthrough objectives to enable it deliver on its vision and aims. Three breakthrough objectives were developed: Clients; Contractual Processes; Capability Development.
LCi strategy development and deployment is aligned with national strategic objectives and key global reports, including:
WHY: Productivity Imperative
Deliver Enhanced Value from Capital Investments
HOW: Contractual & Procurement Processes
“Lean in Construction” models/templates/language for inclusion in PQQ/SAQ, ITT/RFT, and Contracts. (Emphasising relational-oriented and collaborative approaches to project design and delivery.)
WHAT: Critical Action Areas
Lean Thinking and Practices enabling and sustaining enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and profitability / Procurement Templates / Lean Maturity Assessment Model / Ideal Behaviours / Capability Development
BENEFITS
Positive Delivery Framework & Experience
Successful Project Outcomes
Optimised Lifecycle Asset Performance & Reliability
Organisational & Financial Benefits
Both nationally and globally, the business case for the transformation of the construction sector is evidence-based and widely supported (see National and Global Context & Alignment). The LCi community of learning and practice provides a forum for Clients and Owners along with their design teams to engage with Contractors and their Associated Supply Chain to collectively and collaboratively adopt Lean thinking and practices in the design and delivery of capital projects. Additionally, LCi advocates for sectoral organisations to adopt Lean thinking and practices for their own operational excellence purposes to achieve improvement of internal efficiencies and enhancement of overall productivity, profitability, and competitiveness. This all aligns with and complements progression around digitalisation, technology adoption, and the global prioritisation of sustainability.
LCi envisions the construction sector Ideal State will be founded on:
LCi has initiated several projects on areas deemed “breakthrough” in nature to enable and sustain sectoral transformation. These projects include:
Richard is Director for Programme Management and Project Controls with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. Richard has over 30 years’ programme and project management experience having been responsible for managing the delivery of major capital infrastructure programmes both in the UK and Ireland. He has held a senior position with Dublin City Council, and was Project Director for the construction of University of Ulster’s new university campus in Belfast City and Managing Partner for EC Harris’ Irish consultancy business. Richard is a Chartered Electrical Engineer and a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and a Member of the Association for Project Management. He graduated with an honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from London South Bank University and holds APMP accreditation. Richard is Chair of Lean Construction Ireland (LCi), a community of learning and practice that advocates for the transformation of the Irish construction sector through the adoption of Lean thinking and practices.
Jason is Deputy Managing Director at Ardmac. He is a Chartered Construction Manager with more than 20 years’ industry experience, of which the last 15+ years have been with Ardmac. He has gained extensive experience in multiple sectors of the construction industry, including Pharma, Data Centres, Industrial Construction, as well as Retail and Commercial fit-out. Jason is a highly conscientious Director with an exceptional commitment to enabling teams to manage each element of work to the customer’s satisfaction. He has an excellent record in delivering successful projects efficiently whilst maintaining a firm focus on safety, quality, and budget. Jason has been a leader in the Ardmac Lean Construction Journey, and is a champion of innovation and change, believing that people and continuous improvement of processes are at the centre of enabling operational excellence across the industry. He also deems shared knowledge and collaboration in Lean thinking and practices to be critical to the improvement of productivity in the construction industry.
Angelyn is a partner in the Construction, Projects, and PPP team at Philip Lee. Angelyn has extensive experience advising on major infrastructure projects and complex procurement matters. She has advised on some of the most significant projects in Ireland in recent years, including advising the National Development Finance Agency on the Social Housing PPP Programme, the Third Level Institutes PPP, the Grangegorman DIT Campus PPP, and the Primary Care Centres PPP. Angelyn advises funders, developers, employers, and contractors on all aspects of construction law, specialising principally in non-contentious areas including commercial office, residential, healthcare, and energy projects. She advises on many standard form contracts such as the Public Works Contracts, RIAI, IEI, FIDIC, MF1, NEC, and others, in addition to drafting and negotiating bespoke construction contracts. She is also skilled at advising clients on public procurement processes from inception to appointment. Angelyn is recommended for her work in both construction and projects in the legal directories Chambers Europe and Legal 500.
Joe started his career as an engineer and contract manager in the UK, working with both main contractors and large subcontractors on a variety of projects, including commercial, hospitals, and industrial work, joining Sisk during this time. He returned to Ireland in 1997 and has since concentrated on working in the Life Sciences sector, delivering a variety of construction and project management solutions from large-scale new-build to small but complex retro-fit projects on live campus environments for large multi-national clients. Joe passionately believes that efficient and effective construction can only be delivered if those involved truly understand the building process and are focused on finding better and more efficient details and build sequences. Collaboration, coaching, mutual understanding, and the sharing of resources of all kinds are key tools in the drive for efficiency. Joe’s focus is on relationships and people – this he feels is what really delivers successful projects.
Derek is Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at Waterford Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of Civil Engineering from NUI Galway, and holds an MSc in Civil Engineering and PhD in Energy Management and Engineering from Trinity College Dublin. He regularly leads industry-focused academic research projects, and supervises research at Master and Doctoral levels. He is an advocate of sustainable business development through organisational productivity and performance optimisation, high-performance leadership, sustainability and ESG reporting, low carbon and digital innovations. Derek’s research interests include: construction project delivery, Lean, operational excellence, the circular economy, and transition to a low carbon economy. He is a Member of the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB) and a Member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the PRB; he is a judge for the Irish Construction Excellence Awards, and is a Member of the South East Region Committee of Engineers Ireland.
Responsible for the development and implementation of strategic operational plans to facilitate the growth of Arcadis in the semiconductor construction, facilities and manufacturing sector.
Avril is Director of the Further Education and Training (FET) College of the Future at SOLAS with responsibility for leadership, funding, and governance of over 70 construction projects nationwide. She is former director of the DPER-funded Build Digital and former Director & Dean of the College of Engineering & Built Environment at TU Dublin. She is a Chartered Geomatics Surveyor and holds a PhD in the application of geomatics to architectural historical studies. Avril has worked across multiple EU-funded construction and energy-related projects. She is an active member of SCSI’s Geomatics Profession Group and the RIA Geosciences & Geographical Sciences Committee. Integration of Lean Construction with BIM and digital transformation is an area of special interest.
Trevor McSharry is Head of Department of Civil Engineering and Construction at IT Sligo since 2011, and is passionate about bridging the gap between education and industry through collaboration. He has led the development of Ireland’s largest suite of construction related online part-time educational programmes, which includes industry partners such as Irish Water, the Department of Transport, TII, and the SCSI. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow with Engineers Ireland, certified Project Management Professional with PMI, and holds an MBA with DCU, and a Post Graduate Certificate in BIM and the Digital Environment, including Lean Production. With extensive industrial and academic leadership experience, Trevor’s research interests include project and change management, and Lean and process optimisation. Trevor is currently a doctoral candidate at Maynooth University with a research focus on leading change within the higher educational sector. He has been a director with Lean Construction Ireland since 2018.
Eibhlin O Connor is Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and a member of the senior leadership team with Clúid Housing Association. She is a registered member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, a certified Passive House Designer and BER Assessor. She holds a post graduate diploma in construction law and contract administration from Trinity College, Dublin. Eibhlin completed her masters in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution with King’s College, London in 2018. She is responsible for setting Clúid’s design standards and publication of Clúid’s Design Guide. She manages the procurement of large-scale construction projects within Clúid, the contract administration and overall compliance of Clúid’s construction programme. Eibhlin has extensive design and project management experience, working for over twenty-five years in the construction industry. She sits on the dispute board for large construction projects on behalf of Clúid. Eibhlin is Lean Green Belt certified and is spearheading leaner, smarter and more collaborative ways of working with in Clúid and in the delivery of new homes.
George is the Engineering Services Manager in Asset Delivery at Irish Water. In his role, he has responsibility for design standards, consistency, and quality for delivery of the Capital Investment Plan with planned annual programme in excess of €500m. Prior to taking up this role, he spent 20+ years in the water industry in the UK and in Ireland. He has a degree in Civil Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Development and Transformation. George believes in collaboration across the supply chain, driving lessons learned and the Client setting the culture, mutual understanding to improve, self-development, and people management to build relationships.
Jenna is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and asset management professional with over 15 years’ international experience in the rail industry and asset management. She has worked both as a consultant and for infrastructure owners delivering strategic and tactical initiatives. She started her career in the UK with Network Rail in frontline renewal and maintenance roles before heading to the US to build out their consulting arm. Since returning to Ireland 5 years ago and joining as a Director in EY’s Government and Infrastructure team she has worked across multiple infrastructure sectors including utilities, transport, ports and housing. She is passionate about achieving sustainable and resilient new and existing infrastructure through collaboration and innovation.
Kieran Collins is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Director in KPMG’s Infrastructure Advisory team. He brings a wealth of experience across transport, energy, utilities, and housing sectors, having worked across the entire asset lifecycle—from strategy development and feasibility studies to procurement, delivery, construction, and asset management. Holding an MBA from Smurfit Business School at UCD, Kieran combines technical expertise with strong business acumen to drive innovation, lean principles, and continuous improvement. His focus includes financial and economic analysis, procurement strategies, and guiding investment decisions, with a commitment to sustainable infrastructure aligned with net zero and climate action goals.
Marian is a chartered engineer and certified project manager with extensive experience in major infrastructure projects. She has a strong track record of working in various sectors including electricity, railway, education, healthcare and finance. She has held roles with Anturas Consulting, NTMA (NDFA, NewERA), Railway Procurement Agency, ESB, EirGrid, Accenture and Greenville Procurement. She holds an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering, an MSc in Business and Finance, as well as qualifications in Construction Law & Contract Administration, Arbitration Law, Public Procurement and Accounting and Business. She is a Regional Co-ordinator for the Society of Construction Law in Ireland and an Independent Director of the Pipeline Industries Guild in the UK. She also sits as an Independent Examiner with the Institute of Public Administration on behalf of NUI
Anthony is Head of Project Services in Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). His role in TII is to support management and deilivery of all projects (roads and public transport) from inception to commissioning. Anthony has over 35 years experience in the construction sector working in contracting, consultancy and more recently client side. He has worked on projects in building, civil engineering, roads, heavy and light rail. Anthony is a Chartered Surveyor and member of SCSI and RICS. He holds qualifications in construction technology, quantity surveying and an MBA from TU Dublin. Anthony also has a background in IT which fostered his interest in innovation and digitisation. Throughout his career Anthony has focussed on delivery and efficiency and is a passionate believer in the use of agile and lean methods to improve project delivery and outcomes.
Amy O’Farrell is a solution-focused Project Manager with over a decade of experience in construction procurement and public sector delivery. She currently leads the procurement of large-scale construction projects at Clúid Housing. Amy holds a Master’s in Regional and Urban Planning and a Diploma in Strategic Project Management. She is also Lean Green Belt certified, enabling her to bring efficiency, clarity, and value to every stage of the project lifecycle.
With a foundational background as a Town Planner, Amy offers a commercial and strategic perspective on infrastructure and development. She is adept at managing complex and bespoke procurement projects, ensuring compliance with Public Procurement Regulations. A strong advocate for early contractor engagement, Amy believes that building relationships rooted in mutual respect and trust is critical for managing risk and delivering successful, high-quality projects.
