The public construction client of the future: Network-based collaborator in a traditional public administrative system

In the construction industry, public and semi-public clients increasingly depend on private parties to achieve project outcomes by adopting network type of governance approaches. However, social-political responsibilities remain at the public side. Hence, the general challenge for public commissioners is to find a new balance between...

Navigating value systems in urban PPP projects

Today’s societal challenges increasingly ask for collaborations of public, private and societal parties to achieve public goals though public service delivery projects. In these PPPs project managers have to align the interests of the permanent parent organization with the interests of the temporary project organization. Especially in urban area...

When project autonomy turns into isolation: Understanding the influence of project isolation on project-based learning

Successfully sharing knowledge through interactions between projects and the organization is, especially in a situation of changing work processes, an important capability for organizations to learn. The aim of this study is to gain insights into the process of project-based learning, specifically by studying how project-based learning relates...

Rethinking Roles and Responsibilities in the Context of the Public Private Value Shift From a Client Perspective

In today’s construction industry we witness an increase in public private collaboration in the delivery of public goods. New public private structures affect the traditional notion of accountability, bringing along a strong emphasis on performance and outcome. By transferring operational responsibility to the market parties in public private...

Contradictions in Project Based Learning: A Qualitative Study of Three City Development Projects

In complex product system industries such as construction, innovation and explorative intra-project learning are critical aspects for developing and delivering complex and customized products. Some research has, however, demonstrated that it is difficult to utilize learning from development projects in the permanent organisation. Hence, the...

From Agents to Stewards? Experiences from a Dutch Infrastructure Case Study

In the construction industry clients largely depend on contractors to deliver projects. According to agency theory problems of goal conflict and information asymmetry arise in this delegation of work because both the principal and the agent are self- interested. The control-oriented governance mechanisms that agency theorists propose as a means...

The impact of shifting values on the role and responsibilities of the construction client in delivering public goods

In today’s construction industry we witness an increase in public private collaboration in the delivery of public goods. By transferring operational responsibility to private contractors, public construction clients have fewer possibilities to directly influence and steer the outcomes of these processes while remaining socio-political...

Assessing the Maturity of Public Construction Client Organisations

The construction sector is changing, and commissioning organisations have to rethink the way they approach the market. This is especially important for client organisations operating in the public domain, because of their role as change agent in the sector and their social responsibilities. The ‘Public Commissioning Maturity Model’ (PCMM), first...

Safeguarding public values by project-based construction clients: Leads for future research

In an environment with large interdependencies like the construction industry, projectbased public construction organisations are challenged to seek for 'new' ways to safeguard public values and project outcomes. Public bodies increasingly depend on private parties to achieve public values. Hence, due to the character of their tasks, they...

A Public Commissioning Maturity Model for Construction Clients

Being a public organization with construction needs, whether they are housing, building or infrastructure related, implies close co-operation and interaction with the supply chain. Substantial research exists that focuses on project related aspects of commissioning and on the role of the construction client in general. Only limited research has...