Approach to Road Tunnels Amsterdam chooses strategic cooperation 

The City of Amsterdam is renovating several road tunnels and the traffic control center as part of the Aanpak Wegtunnels Amsterdam (AWA) program. The program thus involves not only civil works on tunnels, but also the associated installations and the traffic control center. The aim of the program is for the tunnels to comply with stricter legislation within the agreed framework, but also for the tunnels, including their operation and control systems, to be set up uniformly and for them to function as a single system together with the traffic control center. 

The program therefore set up an umbrella program organization to monitor the cohesion between the individual tunnel projects and the traffic center. This program organization was faced with the question of how to set up quality assurance for the program. AWA chose to enter into a strategic partnership with one audit partner through a tender; this became Horvat & Partners.

Adding maximum value

We speak with director Maarten van de Voort and lead auditors Matthijs Boon and Rob Theunissen of Horvat & Partners. Maarten kicks off and says that Horvat has won this tender because Horvat understands the question of AWA well; how to offer maximum added value as an auditor in conjunction with other forms of testing already set up by the program itself? Maarten: "We can do this partly because Horvat & Partners already knows the program well. In recent years we have several times been able to successfully respond to questions from the AWA program at short notice. For example, with an assessment of the design of the program organization and with reviews of various cost estimates." 

Matthijs adds: "In addition, the requested type of tests fits well with the core of our services with which we are committed to perfectly running infrastructure projects-and organizations. As a result, we have experience with almost all types of tests relevant to the audit program. Furthermore, we have been given the freedom and responsibility to create our own audit strategy and test plan. This enables us to provide customized services for the program. Because we conduct tests at the same projects for long periods of time, we get to know the program and the projects well. Combined with our experience with system, process and product tests, we arrive at a set of tests that optimally matches the strengths and weaknesses of the program and projects. We make our own suggestions for the type of test, depth, audit questions, etc. We also set up a closed learning cycle in which we evaluate the tests and the test plan and, in consultation with
Adjust AWA as needed."

Content affinity with many of the topics

"Another success factor for the tests is that we have substantive affinity with many of the subjects, for example with regard to tunnel legislation, project management, contract management and systems engineering. And on subjects where we don't think we have sufficient expertise ourselves, we involve additional expertise from our network. A striking example of this is a test on cyber security in the fall," Rob said. 

Reflecting, Maarten says he has not encountered this form of setting up audit services before. "What is unique about this form is that as an audit partner we are really challenged to make a maximum contribution to the program. We advise AWA on which topics of the program we see the greatest risks in and set up our tests accordingly. This means that as an auditor, more than with outsourced SCB tests for example, you have an obligation to achieve results and you really participate in the program."