This study investigates the effects of the first phase of the Dutch two phase process project delivery method design on the information risk, the client-contractor relationship and risk allocation between client and contractor. The two phase process is a collaborative project delivery method which is used for infrastructure projects with the objective to reduce information risk and stimulate cooperation between client and contractor. As this project delivery method is new, knowledge on the effects of the use of this project delivery method is limited. Using desk and case study research with semi-structured interviews and an organisational behavioural theoretical lens, this exploratory research shows that the first phase of the two phase process project delivery method reduces the information risk, can make good cooperation between client and contractor possible and may help risk allocation between client and contractor. This study recommends public clients to think about the use of a two phase process project delivery method design carefully and incorporate mechanisms to end the first phase.

Background: The construction sector has a 10-year time span to become 50% circular and to reduce carbon emissions by 49% compared to 1990. This time span is even shorter for public clients, as the Dutch government functions as launching customer, and strives make its own tenders circular in 2023, and carbon neutral in 2030. Utilising public procurement to reduce carbon emissions and increase circularity is not yet common. This is because individual clients have limited buyer power to influence the market, insufficient knowledge or funds, and a lack of ability to take the lead in promoting wanted changes in procurement. Existing concepts and tools to tackle this issue, still have a limited effect on the implementation of sustainable public procurement. Therefore, the Dutch government proposed buyer groups as a means to harmonise the market demand of public clients, aimed to tackle the existing problems of sustainable procurement. These pilot buyer groups are a relatively new phenomenon in the public pre-procurement process. Purpose: This study is aimed to create insight into how (semi-) public clients can successfully establish or join a suitable buyer group, and how they can successfully cooperate and harmonise demand within buyer groups. Research question: How can (semi-) public clients successfully implement buyer groups in the pre-procurement process of construction projects, to minimise carbon emissions and maximise circularity? Methodology: A dual-method approach is implemented. Firstly, a literature review is conducted to examine relevant existing knowledge related to buyer groups, focusing on aspects of cooperation, legal relationships and legal restrictions. Secondly, case studies are conducted to capture the experience created by pilot buyer groups, focussed on formation, participants, organisational structure, demand harmonisation processes, impact and legal aspects. These case studies are input for a cross-case analysis, which is subsequently used to formulate best practices for buyer cooperation. Outcomes: This research facilitates public clients with two main outcomes. Firstly, clients wishing to join or establish a suitable buyer cooperation, are supported by an overview of existing literature on this topic. Many different forms of buyer cooperation exist, each with different purposes, considerations and limitations. An overview of these forms is briefly visualised into a decision tree. Secondly, clients already participating in a buyer group are supported with best-practices from case studies. These best-practices provide findings and recommendations regarding buyer group cooperation and the demand harmonisation process. Limitations: This research specifically focussing on buyer groups in the pre-procurement process of Dutch (semi-) public clients, that aim to reduce carbon emissions and increase the circularity of construction projects. This research is thus not directly applicable to clients with different context or different characteristics, or to buyer groups in other industries and sectors. Furthermore, this research excludes substantive considerations on actual procurement processes, the content of contracts, theory on circularity or carbon emission reduction, theory on conducting market consultations, the perspective of suppliers and the process of steering innovation. 

Any industry is focusing on creating an environment that is as safe as possible for everyone that is involved. This is no different for the construction industry. However, the construction industry is placed second in the ranking of most dangerous industries. The Dutch Safety Board, being an independent administrative body, has recommended to integrate a third party into the contractual general terms and conditions such as the UAC for integrated contracts. The objective of this research is to examine whether there is any potential to integrate a third party into the UAC-IC 2005 contract. This potential is being examined using a comparison between the UAC-IC 2005 and FIDIC Yellow Book 1999, a contract in which a third party is already present. In this comparison, the main focus points are the "vital tasks & responsibilities" that are necessary in order to safeguard safety on site, safety of the surrounding area & structural safety. This thesis has found that the three types of safety can be improved if the vital tasks & responsibilities are properly performed. These tasks & responsibilities mainly relate to the management of project specific and safety related risks, and to the safety approach that is a result of this risk management system. From a theoretical point of view, the UAC-IC 2005 and the Dutch Building Decree are able to facilitate these vital tasks & responsibilities. The ON is responsible for most of the vital tasks & responsibilities, and the OG has the possibility to use an external control mechanism to verify this. The practical situation is however different. It is not uncommon that other aspects like time, or money can get more important for the contracting party than proper risk management processes and the corresponding safety approach. Work is not executed as intended, but rather as work-as-actually-done. The OG’s incentives in the UAC-IC can be insufficient for him to effectively perform this external control mechanism. This leads to a possible situation in which no internal nor external control mechanism is present, which is to the detriment of safety. The Engineer, being the party that is responsible for an external independent control mechanism in the Yellow Book’s quality assurance system, does have more incentives to actually make him perform this external independent control mechanism effectively. This incentive has its origin in the uncapped liability which the Engineer can be held liable for. If the Dutch version of the role of the Engineer would be integrated into the UAC-IC, he would be able to improve the three types of safety when he takes over the responsibility for the external control mechanism from the OG under the assumption that this external control mechanism will be performed more effectively. This assumption is valid if the Dutch Engineer would have a comparable liability as in the White Book. Since TNR 2011 would most likely be used in the Dutch construction industry, the liability in TNR 2011 must be increased for Dutch Engineers in order to be comparable to FIDIC’s White Book.

The Dutch construction sector is confronted with a complex and challenging situation. The majority of the infrastructural elements in the Netherlands were built in the 1950s and 60s, which means they are approaching the end of their lifespan. This state, in combination with backlogged maintenance and budget cuts, created a significant and urgent renovation and replacement wave that the sector is now facing. Additionally, other challenges like the tightness of the labour market, increasing material prices, the sector’s substantial emissions of CO2 and nitrogen and it’s limited learning capacity only exacerbate the complexity of the situation. One of the key solutions emerging in this context is the implementation of the contractual portfolio approach (CPA), where multiple works are bundled into one tender. This approach shows potential to efficiently tackle the renovation and replacement task, while at the same time creating a healthier situation in the sector. However, it is a very novel strategy about which both stakeholders and researchers possess limited knowledge. Therefore, this research fills this gap by exploring the implementation of CPA for the civil engineering sector. This exploration is done by analysing what CPA exactly entails, the objectives clients pursue when implementing a CPA and the choice options they have when doing so. Out of this study, a clear definition of CPA emerges, which is: The bundling of a logical set of similar works into one initial tender, with the purpose of reaching certain work-transcending objectives. Next to this, eight main objectives are identified, accompanied by eleven key choice options that clients have at their disposal. These objectives include enhancing standardisation, increasing efficiency and stimulating a learning curve. The choice options, among others, are the selection and award criteria of the initial tender, the composition of the bundling of works and the implementation of performance management. Clients tend to lack a concise list of objectives while at the same time having a shortage of an overarching view on available choice options. Next to this, the links between choice options and objectives bring about certain dilemmas. This happens when a specific choice has a positive effect on one objective, but a negative one on another. As an example, the implementation of performance management provides the client with a certain degree of control over the quality of the portfolio, while at the same time decreasing the contractor’s willingness to invest. Next to these dilemmas, certain situational factors prove to be influential for the effectivity of choice options. For instance, a high complexity of the environment of a work hampers the workflow within a portfolio. Concluding, clients can adopt the contractual portfolio approach as a way to achieve a variety of objectives. From sustainability to efficiency, and from risk reduction to standardisation. To effectively do this, it is important to explicitly define objectives and limit these to the most important ones. Furthermore, it is important to consider all the available choice options and to position the buttons in a way that it aligns to both the portfolio situation and the specific objectives. Then, it is vital to consider the circumstances of the specific case and to carefully weigh the trade-offs associated with certain dilemmas. Ultimately, clients are advised to use the CPA Decision Guideline that is constructed in this research as a tool that supports the decision-making.

The Dutch construction industry faces the recurring issues related to delays and conflicts, resulting in adverse effects on construction projects. Researchers have proposed pain/gain sharing mechanisms as a potential solution to address these issues. However, there is a gap between theoretical suggestions and practical implementation. This empirical study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the practical implementation of pain/gain sharing mechanisms in the Dutch construction industry. The objective is to explore how these mechanisms can provide value to contractors. The literature review reveals that the NEC4 contract ECS4 Option C is commonly used for implementing pain/gain sharing mechanisms. Additionally, secondary option clauses such as Option X6 (bonus for early completion) and Option X20 (key performance indicators) are identified. While these mechanisms have primarily been applied in alliances or client-contractor relationships, they can also be adapted for contractor-subcontractor relationships. Through in-depth analysis of three case studies and eleven semi-structured interviews, it is found that essential conditions for successful pain/gain sharing mechanisms are often missing. Transparency, aligned objectives, consideration of each other's interests, and early involvement of parties are identified as crucial factors for success. To address the identified gaps in the implementation process, a comprehensive framework is developed, which is well-received by industry experts. The framework aids in selecting the most suitable pain/gain sharing mechanism and ensuring all parties understand its benefits and implications. Two options, an escape plan or commitment to the mechanism, are proposed to provide flexibility. The developed framework enhances the understanding and implementation of pain/gain sharing mechanisms in the construction industry. By respecting and guaranteeing agreements, the optimal effectiveness of these mechanisms can be realized. This research contributes to bridging the gap between theoretical suggestions and practical implementation, paving the way for more successful construction projects in the Dutch construction industry.

Context Projects in the construction sector are known for their high complexity. Due to this complexity, disputes in construction are close to inevitable. While these disputes can lead to major project delays and financial costs, they demand for a resolution. Juridical resolution methods like litigation and arbitration have found to be unfavourable in terms of time, money and business relationship costs. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods like mediation are viewed to score better on these points. Problem Unfortunately, still a big amount of escalated disputes in the construction sector are resolved by traditional juridical methods, where the parties fight each other to win. This results in major expenses, time investments and relational damage. Purpose This research aims to gain a better understanding of mediation processes in the construction industry. This could lead to less use of juridical procedures and maybe less escalated disputes in general. This could save disputing parties in the construction sector money, time and business relational damage. Method A grounded theory approach has been used in this research, because no research has yet been conducted on factors that influence the mediation process, nor on the course of its process in practice. Four case studies have been carried out in a qualitative fashion, conducting in-depth interviews with the involved disputing parties and the mediator(s). The resulting transcripts have been analysed on contributing factors, allocating quotations to closed and open coding. Furthermore, the cases have been analysed on their course of the mediation process. Findings A substantial amount of influencing factors have been found to be influencing the mediation process in practice: a few from academic literature and the majority from the case studies, consisting of internal moderators, external moderators, mediator’s interventions and the action of bartering. Therefrom, conclusions have been drawn which have been discussed with a validation panel to value them and add a level of depth. Furthermore, an enhanced framework of the mediation process has been constructed where these factors have been added to. Since this research has a limited scope and is based on the grounded theory approach, a substantial amount of limitations and recommendations for future research have been given.

The current market forces of infrastructural projects in the Dutch construction sector necessitate public clients to divide a large-scale multidisciplinary project into multiple contracts. This causes diverse contractors to have to work simultaneously. Interfaces arise between the contracts, which require a deeper collaboration to align all activities. Coordination becomes a very important factor in such projects. Current attempts to create better coordination focus mainly on clients' contractual and organizational measures. This research aims to map the importance of the human aspect within coordination and help a client organize itself to create a better coordination process. This is done by looking at the contractual and organizational instruments that stimulate coordination. Hereby, the organizational measures are divided into relational, personal, and governance aspects. Through a literature review, the steering mechanisms for good coordination within the contractual, relational, personal, and governance contexts were established. A case study provided the issues of coordination in practice and laid down the basis of possible instruments to help a public client with the coordination process. The main takeaways were the misinterpretation and misalignment of the specifications of agreements, choosing the wrong coordinator, the lack of attention to relations, and the unclear governance from the client’s side. After this, a preliminary framework of the coordination process was reviewed through expert sessions. Together, this created the basis for the final framework of this thesis. The key findings of this research were the need to facilitate coordination and collaboration during the pre-execution through requirements in the contracts and a start-up period with the involved clients and the co-contractors. During the execution phase key findings were the need to facilitate coordination and collaboration by the attention to the human aspect and its process, besides aiming for the best project result. This research contributed to the current literature by showing how the current coordination processes of a public client within the Dutch construction sector lack attention to the human side during projects.

The construction sector is experiencing a fundamental shift towards greater digitization. Building information modeling (BIM), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), the internet of things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital twins are all becoming more prevalent in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Greater digitization introduces additional data flows in construction projects that are collected, analyzed, and exchanged. Furthermore, the construction process, procedures, responsibilities, and obligations of the various stakeholders change. Dealing with the large volumes of data and the changing process necessitates a more robust and efficient data strategy than ever before. Tender documents will comprise, in addition to the standard documentation for physical construction work, several new or revised documents or regulations related to digital construction and data exchange. By understanding and controlling data exchange in projects, project advantages and organization-wide success may be realized. Currently, limited research is done in the field of public procurement and data exchange. Comparative case studies, in particular, have received little attention in this area. Therefore, this thesis addresses the following research question: “How can contracting authorities (re)design the procurement phases to enhance successful data exchange in construction projects?” Through a theoretical study, followed by in-depth interviews and case studies, an attempt was made to gain insight into two important aspects of the tender: (I) the requirements of the product and process concerning data in the demand specification, and (II) the use of selection and award phase. Interviews with experts were conducted to provide external validation. The research demonstrated that more attention should be paid to data exchange within public organizations, with a specific focus on asset management. The great majority of contracting authorities lack the necessary maturity to deal with the growing data in projects. In the procurement process, accurate data exchange is not or hardly prioritized, because public organizations are uncertain and even unaware of what they want and of the possibilities. As a result, a lot of data is lost during the life cycle of a building. For data and information management to become a component of asset management, a contracting authority must first pay attention to the softer, cultural, and organizational factors and define an associated organization-wide vision. By formulating unambiguous process and product requirements following the vision, it will be clear to market parties what the assignment entails and what is expected of them. In doing so, clients need to collaborate more with each other and contractors to achieve a successful data exchange.

In the Netherlands, projects often can be large and complex. This creates problems regarding the responsibilities and the distribution of risks of all parties involved in the project. It is therefore of great importance that the contracts and agreements made are clear and of practical use. In the Netherlands, the UAV-GC 2005 is used to regulate this. However, the UAV-GC 2005 turned out to contain several weak points and that is why in February 2021 a consultation version of the UAV-GC 2020 was presented to improve the UAV-GC. The question according to experts is whether this improvement will solve the problems concerning the distribution of risks and responsibilities. A possible solution to the problems is the NEC 4 ECC contract from the United Kingdom. Therefore, the following research question was asked: “What elements or characteristics of the NEC 4 ECC could be of added value to the UAV-GC 2020 for the Dutch construction market, and could possibly complement and be implemented in the UAV-GC 2020?” During the study it appeared that the structure and clarity in the UAV-GC 2020 can be improved, especially in the division of risks and tasks, which can be better structured. Another improvement that can be made is the communication and provision of information because these are points where communication and provision of information fall short. Finally, the way in which payment is handled in the UAV-GC 2020 can be improved, as payment and costs in the UAV-GC 2020 are currently made and determined in advance and this can be done based on wrong or insufficient information. In the NEC 4 ECC, there are several payment methods and, based on the characteristics of the project, the appropriate payment method can be chosen. This seems to be a great improvement to the UAV-GC 2020, as the way payment is regulated in the NEC 4 ECC will improve cooperation between parties and reduce the likelihood of a dispute arising. With the answers to the sub-questions and the main questions, it is possible to answer the general research question. It can be concluded that there are three important elements of the NEC 4 ECC that could improve the UAV-GC 2020 and thus be of added value. These are the obligation of communication and continuous provision of information, the various options in the NEC 4 ECC and especially the way in which payment is dealt with in the NEC 4 ECC. The way payment is handled in the NEC 4 ECC could help the UAV-GC with a better allocation of risk and responsibility. It also creates a better understanding of the project and better cooperation between the parties if necessary.

As climate change and resource shortages increasingly threaten our planet, the built environment sector is under scrutiny due to its significant contribution to carbon emissions and global raw resource extraction. A transition towards a circular economy, replacing the prevailing "take-make-dispose" model, is crucial. This research explores the concept of Product-Service Systems (PSS) in the built environment, wherein products are provided as services, thereby increasing supplier responsibility and closing the resource loop. This study answers the research question: "How can Product-Service Systems (PSS) be applied in the built environment and expanded to their fullest potential?" It delves into the various characteristics and properties of products within PSS and factors influencing these systems. Furthermore, it analyses the roles of different stakeholders within the circular chain of PSS, current implementation of PSS in the built environment, and future possibilities. Adopting a qualitative research method, the study begins with an extensive literature review to provide an overview of current concepts and existing PSS models. This review forms a basis for identifying critical properties and characteristics necessary for successful PSS implementation. In-depth interviews with experts further provide insights into potential new opportunities for PSS in the built environment. The research highlights the modularity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability of various building products, ranging from windows and doors to smart building technologies. A comprehensive table analysis reveals the potential for PSS implementation and the degree of circularity for these products. This research contributes to the field by presenting new possibilities for expanding PSS in the built environment. It emphasizes the need for pilot projects to better match practice with literature, increase the understanding of individual products, and uncover currently unknown factors. By enhancing our knowledge of PSS, this study propels us one step closer to achieving a circular economy in the built environment.

This research aims to overcome risk aversion by optimizing the allocation of risks in projects procured through an Innovation partnership. The research question answers: How can an Innovation Partnership stimulate innovation in the construction industry by dealing with uncertainties related to product innovation? The relevance of this research lies with the need for innovation in the construction industry to meet future sustainability and circularity goals and to renovate and replace existing infrastructure. However, due to the novelty of innovation, more uncertainty is introduced in a project where innovation is included. To stimulate innovation through an Innovation Partnership, the contractor and the contracting authority should manage the uncertainties related to product innovations following the level of uncertainties of the product innovation in the specific project stages. The level of uncertainty surrounding a product innovation reduces after the R&D phase of the Innovation Partnership. Therefore the contractor and the contracting authority should distinguish a difference between the R&D phase and the execution phase of an Innovation Partnership. It is recommended that when the contracting authority procures a project through an innovation partnership (1) they minimize the number of specifications and state the specification functionally to utilize the innovativeness of the market. (2) Stakeholders should be engaged in the project early on to overcome the resistance of stakeholders that are not ready for innovation. (3) The risks during the R&D phase should be managed by a design alliance. (4) The execution phase can be governed by an UAV-GC for the general project. In addition, an alliance module should be added for the risks related to the product innovation.

Better collaboration in the construction industry might lead to a more efficient construction process and a high reduction of failure costs. A model that tries to support collaboration, is a Bouwteam. In a Bouwteam, the contractor is already involved in the design process and shares his knowledge about the realization costs of the design and its execution. This makes it possible to design more cost-consciously and reduces the chance of adjustments during the execution. Although a Bouwteam offers many advantages, practice shows that collaboration within this model can still be improved. Several researches have been conducted about the collaboration in the Bouwteam phase, where client and contractor work together. However, no research has been done about the phase thereafter, the transition from the Bouwteam phase into the execution phase. Therefore, this research focuses on how client-contractor collaboration can be improved during the transition from the Bouwteam phase into the execution phase in a Bouwteam project.