Organisational complexity in infrastructure reconstruction - A case study of recovering land drainage functions in Christchurch

This paper examines organisational arrangements in a case study of post-earthquake reconstruction in Christchurch, New Zealand. It explores, through qualitative research, the impact of organisational scope on shaping infrastructure reconstruction decisions and how this relates to project management. The study demonstrates how inter-organisational relationships and the remit of individual organisations had a significant bearing on decision-making in addressing land drainage issues in the Christchurch case. Restoring land drainage proved to be particularly challenging in the reconstruction due to issues related to organisational complexity. The study concludes that early recognition and active exploration of organisational scope provides the opportunity for representatives from the relevant organisations to identify possible means of collaboration and can help to overcome complexities presented by a reconstruction context. However, political agendas and different requirements placed on organisations may ultimately hamper the extent to which the intended collaboration occurs.