The life-cycle of the Sand Engine project, which was constructed in 2010 along the coast of Ter Heijde in the Nether- lands, provides a nice illustration of how objectives influence the steps taken during the project development phases. In April 2008, marked as the end of the initiation phase, an ambition agreement was signed among nine interested stakeholders in which the goals and ambitions of the project were specified. The main- and secondary objective are formulated as:

•   Combining the long-term safety behind the Delfland coast with more space for nature and recreation in this part of the south wing of the ‘Randstad’.

•   Innovation and knowledge development.

Planning and design phase

During the design stage of the Sand Engine a discussion took place on how the intervention should be designed. The most efficient design that met the long-term safety objective would result in an evenly spread out nourishment along the Delfland coast. As the project also had an innovation and knowledge development objective, it was decided that a more concentrated nourishment was preferred as this would have a greater potential for new discoveries. The strategic project objective thus favoured a more uncertain and more expensive solution.

Construction phase

The inclusion of innovation in the project’s strategic objectives in the end was not extended to the construction phase of the project. The design was put on the market in the form of a clearly specified project that focused on lowest cost only (NB: additional points could be scored when for the same budget more hectares would be constructed).

Operation and maintenance phase

It is interesting to see how the original project objectives echo through to the operation and maintenance phase of the project. During the first months of the lifespan of the Sand Engine a gully formed that connected the water body inside the sandy hook with the sea. During ebb and flood large flow velocities occurred which posed a risk to the users of the Sand Engine area. After one particular incident immediate action was taken by the responsible management authority to close off the gully with rock and dig a new channel to guide the flow of water to a less risky location. This solution was met with great skepticism as this was in sharp contrast with the main aim of the Sand Engine to allow nature to take its course. The rocks were removed and the old situation was restored. This makes it clear that also in the operation and maintenance stage it is important to be clear about the overall project objectives and what are considered appropriate interventions when the design behaves differently than previously expected.