The procurement process for underground construction contracts, in particular those contacts involving tunnel boring machines (TBMs), is subject to many complex and inter-related variables, including national and local politics, public policy, community involvement and media attention - as well as strict environmental and legal requirements. Other restrictions include the time available to adequately investigate geotechnical conditions and viable technical options to determine the best construction methodologies - including selection of tunnel boring machine characteristics and, those construction means and methods suitable for the specific geotechnical and environmental conditions. The latter are, most often, quite imperfectly understood._x000D_
Getting it right' implies that an optimal configuration - of machine type, characteristics and associated methodologies - can be found and successfully implemented for a particular project. From the beginning' implies that the lack of time issue can be successfully resolved._x000D_
Within an international context this paper highlights a number of issues of concern which relate to tunnel procurement systems and the ways in which certain key processes are managed during planning, design and construction. The authors argue that there is considerable room for improvement in the way tunnelling projects are undertaken and an approach is discussed which has the potential for substantial gains in cost and schedule and reduction of risk. Savings, however, may only be fully realised if the new methods can be fully implemented by all parties involved. This, we believe, will require the rejection of traditional' forms of management and procurement with associated changes in the roles and responsibilities of owner, engineer and contractor. Additionally, risk identification, assessment and mitigation are essential cost and schedule control process which have, to this point, been underutilised by the underground construction industry.