Background
The TramCité project is a major urban tramway initiative led by CDPQ Infra under a mandate from the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité Durable (MTMD) to enhance mobility across the Québec City metropolitan region.
The project includes the design, construction, system integration, commissioning, and maintenance of a 19 km double-track tramway network with 29 accessible stations, 7 areas served including underground and 5 multimodal exchange hubs. It features a fleet of 35 modern tram vehicles, advanced signalling systems, hybrid traction power (overhead contact line and onboard energy storage) and supporting infrastructure such as tunnels, bridges, an operations and maintenance centre and a centralized control centre. The TramCité project presents a significant opportunity for Quebec City to accelerate real estate development, enhance productivity and employment, deliver substantial economic benefits, and improve overall mobility through optimised travel flows and reduced transit times for passengers.
Delivered through a collaborative progressive design-build approach, the project emphasizes system integration, interface management, sustainability, resilience to Québec’s climate, and long-term operational performance.
The TramCité project was procured in parts. CDPQ Infra procured the TramCité Systems Integrator using a progressive design-build delivery model alongside a parallel civils contract, procured in the same manner, and won by Kiewit.
This progressive delivery model will enable CDPQ Infra to collaborate with the QCC team through:
- Innovation of design solutions that balance technical requirements with Quebec City’s unique needs
- Design with constructability at the forefront to keep Quebec City moving while the project is being built
- Integration of latest construction costs into design development to align with the project budget
The M&M Effect
M&M delivered the TramCité Collaborative Coaching Program for Québec Connexion Capitale (AtkinsRéalis and Siemens Mobility) team, supporting them across mobilisation, discussion workshop preparation, written submission reviews, and interview readiness. The programme included leadership and teaming workshops, behavioural competency training focused on common purpose, commitment, trust & respect and best decisions for the project, as well as bespoke preparation calls ahead of each client-led discussion workshop. Interview and team simulation preparation included interactive practise exercises for the team simulation, a full-dress rehearsal with mock client participants, individual and peer feedback and game day support.
Across this bid pursuit, M&M focused on enabling the teams to demonstrate authentic collaborative capability within high-pressure bid environments, including:
- Supported the team across mobilisation, discussion workshop preparation, written submission review and interview readiness
- Engaged the client in leadership and teaming workshops, behavioural competency training focused on common purpose, commitment, trust and respect and the best decisions for the project
- Provided bespoke preparation calls ahead of each client-led discussion workshop
- Interview and team simulation preparation including role-play exercises, a full dress-rehearsal with mock client participants, individual and peer feedback as well as game day support.
- Provided kick off and teaming support across partners including project leadership and the bid team.
- Supported the team in empathy mapping the needs of the community, tramway users, clients and stakeholder members
- Conducted 1-2-1 coaching with key leaders and team members
- Reviewed sections of the RfP
- Virtual and in-person interview and team simulation preparation: training to ensure collaboration throughout delivery and instilling behaviour to make a great team.
- Reviewed CV’s of key individuals in the proponent team.
- Virtual and in-person interview training: Dress rehearsal, game day support, collaborative exercises, and support to create content and presentation techniques including project related exercises, roles and expectations.
- Embedded TramCité behavioural principles, values and culture throughout the process to ensure consistency during the team simulation.
In Their Words
I think that this training was a significant personal investment and allowed us to be very confident and very well prepared for D-Day. No detail was overlooked during the training. This is maybe what will allow our team to make the difference compared to the other competitors.
Helped bring the team closer and made everyone more vulnerable, which helped us to be more natural in the team simulation and interview. Helped the group recognize our strengths and weaknesses prior to the interview. Helped and guided the group in the simulations so we could be prepared for being destabilized and be ready for it. Was great preparation for both panel and individual interviews, and has allowed us to understand potential interfaces with the client. I believe we should have targeted the whole simulations more accurately as per the client guidelines, particularly regarding questions, etc.
Very good at keeping the pace, focus, and engagement of everyone throughout the whole time, despite distractions, many questions, and overthinking within the team.
Our Take
Our role was to support the QCC team to demonstrate their collaborative readiness and behavioural capability throughout the procurement of the Systems Integrator project. Through a structured programme of mobilisation support, leadership and teaming workshops, behavioural competency training, and both virtual and in-person preparation, we worked closely with the team to prepare for role-play team simulations and their interview with CDPQ Infra.
Just as importantly, the process created space for the team to align on shared behavioural principles, values, and ways of working. By embedding a focus on common purpose, commitment, trust and respect and making the best decisions for the project, we supported the team in demonstrating authentic collaboration within a high-pressure bid environment.
They were a really great team to work with, bringing a lot of passion both for the work itself and for wanting to win. They stayed genuinely engaged throughout the whole pursuit process, and it was a pleasure supporting them on this pursuit. From early mobilisation through to interview preparation, you could really see their growth, openness, and commitment. This meant they fully leaned into the process and consistently showed strong collaborative behaviours. They worked very well together as a team, and that really came through in the end.
