Infrastructure and urban development projects continue to experience problems and tensions when it comes to external stakeholders, even though the importance of collaboration and dialogue between the external stakeholders and project developers is being increasingly stressed. There seems to be a lack of supporting policy and management strategies for better involvement of the public in public projects and confusion and uncertainty from the project developers’ side on how to engage with them in a more constructive way.

This research looks into how the public’s voice can be more adequately incorporated in public projects in the front-end, where the course the project will follow is set, and its values and relationships with stakeholders defined, in order to improve the collaboration between public governing bodies and their citizens. It does so by analysing an example of public projects with unsuccessful public participation that resulted in conflict: the Museumpark case, where the municipality of Rotterdam decided to make changes to the previous large asphalted square in-between Rotterdam’s most known museums by following standard greening designs. The issue was that this square was one of the most popular skating spots in the city with a growing community. Different disciplines that fall under the skating umbrella could be seen in the square, the main ones being skateboarding, longboarding and rollerskating. Besides these, other urban sports and styles were part of the scene, such as freestyle dancers, hoola-hoopers, and so on. Unbeknownst to the community, the redevelopment plans were progressing, and they only found out about the changes that would happen when the decision was finalised. Because the decision-making was done without consulting the skaters, this led to resistance from them, council debates, a delayed project, and growing distrust about the municipality from the community.

The aim of this research is to to understand current issues commonly faced in projects in the public sector in management, communication and stakeholder participation design, and to highlight strategies to improve public engagement in public projects.

The result of the research is a conceptual framework with strategies derived from the prevailing issues found in literature and what went wrong in practice (as seen in the empirical case). Novel participation methods and alternative approaches for external stakeholder engagement in culturally sensitive projects are needed more in practice in order to reduce the risk of problems occurring in projects or resistance. By testing these strategies in practice, a push is made towards a more inclusive participation, better communication between project developers and the public or the governmental body and the public, more inclusion of social values in projects, higher transparency and authenticity, and implementation of innovative ideas that come from the public’s knowledge.

This thesis investigates the role of uniqueness bias in the acceptance of innovation based on standardization within construction programs, using the Programma Bruggen en Kademuren (PBK) as a case study. The research aims to bridge the gap in the literature regarding uniqueness bias and the acceptance of standardized innovation in the construction industry. Initially, a literature review was conducted, leading to the formulation of two hypotheses. These hypotheses were tested through semi-structured interviews, after gaining insights into the innovation acceptance process within the programme. This involved both document reviews and exploratory interviews with individuals involved in the development of innovation in PBK. The findings reveal that PBK fosters innovation through internal development and external innovation partnerships. This information guided the creation of criteria and questions for the semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, revealing factors that influence the acceptance of standardized innovation, categorized into preconditions, barriers, and enablers. Specifically, three preconditions, eight barriers, and two enablers were identified. Upon comparing the interview results with the initial hypotheses, no supporting evidence was found for either hypothesis. The identified factors were then used to develop three intervention plans aimed at enhancing innovation acceptance within a programme. These interventions include establishing a clear baseline direction, creating an Innovation section within the programme forum, and implementing contractual flexibility for innovation integration. Each intervention plan is designed to address identified barriers and enhance enablers, thereby fostering an optimal environment for innovation acceptance in public construction programmes

The Netherlands has encountered significant cost overruns and failures in complex infrastructure projects. To address these challenges, Rijkswaterstaat, the primary authority for soil, road, and waterway management, is shifting from large DBFM (Design, Build, Finance, and Maintain) contracts to simpler, risk-sharing models. This strategic move aims to make projects more predictable and manageable.

Andringa et al. (2022) examined this approach using the Complexity Based Risk Assessment Method (CBRAM), which ties project complexity elements to objectives through risk breakdown structures and registers, establishing causal paths among these components. Their study highlighted the need for broader application of CBRAM to validate its effectiveness.

This research explores how project complexity assessments can improve risk assessment in Dutch infrastructure projects using CBRAM. Through a literature review, case studies, and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, the study applied CBRAM to four project phases: Renovatie Krammersluizen (tender), Selectieve Onttrekking IJmuiden (construction), IJboulevard (evaluation), and Zeetoegang IJmuiden (maintenance). These applications revealed critical complexity-risk relationships and identified key project milestones and risk factors. The findings demonstrated that even with data not initially structured for CBRAM, the method could uncover significant insights into complexity-risk dynamics, enhancing project teams' communication and decision-making capabilities.

Interviewees provided further insights into the practical application and theoretical underpinnings of CBRAM. They appreciated the formalization of risk relationships, which supports strategic planning and resource allocation. The value of multiple complexity assessments, particularly during dynamic phases like tendering, was emphasized. Additionally, the potential for incorporating different perspectives on project complexity, including those of clients, was recognized.

The study recommends integrating the improved CBRAM+ model into the Dutch infrastructure sector's risk management toolkit, as it offers a valuable perspective on risk assessment. CBRAM+ emphasizes recording risk ownership, allocation, mitigating measures, and residual risks, and enhances communication about complexity-risk influences. It is also suggested that CBRAM+ be tested in projects to evaluate its performance and in contexts where clients and contractors collaborate to explore and share risks, such as in new contracting forms like two-phase or Bouwteam.

The Construction Industry holds an important role by contributing around 6% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on data from Market Prospects. Despite this substantial contribution, numerous projects within the industry struggle to attain their objectives effectively. Project uniqueness, coupled with the impact of project complexity, leads to difficulties in project identification and inaccurate selection of control methods. Thus, appropriate project identification, control method selection, and monitoring techniques are vital to anticipating such issues. Earned Value Management (EVM) emerges as an advanced monitoring method to anticipate the issues that include scope, time, and budget as controlled variables within a project. However, there remains a research gap in how to effectively apply EVM to diverse project types to effectively monitor the project. Through this gap, therefore a research question emerges:
“How to adapt Earned Value Management to various levels of projects based on the project complexity?”
To answer this question, the study will first outline significant aspects within EVM and assess the maturity level of organizations implementing EVM. Van Oord is chosen as the study location to gather data on their EVM application. The study then delves into potential adaptations of EVM and its effective application across diverse project types.
The research yields several significant outcomes. Firstly, the core EVM aspects are grouped under Earned Value Analysis, encompassing Planned Value (scope, budget, schedule), Actual Cost, and Earned Value. Project variance analysis, forecast calculations, and corrective action analysis are also recognized as critical components of EVM. The next step is understanding the organization maturity level, where this study reveals that EVM partially implemented in the organization and only in selected projects, following the threshold of EVM Maturity Level standards.
The next step involves the formulation of frameworks. The ABCD EVM Framework is developed based on the modified EVM 10-step model, focusing on elements such as Earned Value Analysis and the ANSI/EIA-748 standard as modified EVM components. One impactful aspect, as per the ANSI/EIA-748 Standard, involves determining the Work Breakdown Structure level, influencing the level of detail in schedule planning, budgeting, and progress tracking. Additionally, other variations include frequency of variance calculation and project forecast estimation. Various other aspects such as changes, responsibilities, reporting, and organizational decisions outlined in the discussion chapter are also differ on each project levels.
Moreover, the EVM framework is generated through TOE complexity analysis. Out of the 47 TOE Elements, 29 elements are being identified as influencing elements for the implementation of Earned Value Management. By adhering to the scalability factor from the ANSI/EIA-748 Standard and considering interview outcomes, several suggestions are formulated for Earned Value Management activities. The objective is to anticipate the high-scoring TOE elements for each project. The EVM aspects influencing this framework mainly concern the Project Measurement Baseline Plan, Budget and Schedule Authorization, the level of detail in the Work Breakdown Structure, and the recording of allocation and management reports.
Conclusively, variation in the adaptability of Earned Value Management are shown in the resulted frameworks for variety of project levels, as well as becoming tools to improve the organization maturity level. For practical application, this study recommends organization to implement EVM using the ABCD project classification or similar project sizing measurement approach while integrating insights from the TOE EVM Framework. This holistic strategy can enhance project monitoring and control across various complexity levels, contributing to the successful and effective outcomes of projects in the construction industry.

Chile is heavily dependent on international trade, making its port infrastructure crucial for its economic development. Projections show that container freight demand is growing rapidly. To cope with the growing demand, an expansion for the port of San Antonio has been proposed. However, current expansion plans have faced opposition due to environmental and social impacts. This research investigates current social issues and the technical feasibility of harnessing natural sediment transport to create a Building with Nature port expansion solution.