Starting right: Project start-ups as instruments for collaboration in complex projects
A legal and practical approach to achieving actor goals in complex construction projects
Dilara Paulsen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
E.M. Bruggeman – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.S.J. Koolwijk – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
C. Cottineau – Graduation committee member
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Abstract
Construction projects increasingly rely on legal and managerial instruments to improve collaboration between project actors. In the Dutch construction sector, project start-ups (PSUs) are frequently applied to foster collaborative behavior from the outset of complex projects. Despite their increasing use, there is limited understanding regarding how project start-ups can be practically and legally embedded to support the achievement of actor goals at the individual, team, project, and organizational levels. This thesis addresses the main research question: How can project partners practically and legally design project start-ups to achieve actor goals in complex projects? The study investigates how PSUs are designed in practice, the context in which they are applied, their legal embedding, the goals motivating their use, stakeholders’ perceptions of PSU effectiveness, and potential design improvements. It follows a mixed-methods design based on a case study of three complex infrastructure projects using integrated contracts and partnering arrangements. The data collection included document analysis, semistructured expert interviews, and Qsorting methodology to identify actor priorities and evaluate perceived PSU effectiveness. Subsequently, cross-case synthesis was used to develop practical design recommendations.
The findings demonstrate that PSUs are evolving from informal kick-off workshops into semi-formal collaborative governance instruments. Their effectiveness depends less on singular interventions and more on continuous reinforcements, organizational commitments, balanced actor participation, and adaptation throughout the project lifecycle. The study further identifies three interconnected PSU goal categories: relational & interpersonal goals, interorganizational alignment goals, and project control-related goals, refining the traditional hard-soft project management distinction.
This thesis contributes to project management and collaboration literature by reconceptualizing PSUs as governance mechanisms and by emphasizing the temporal and actor-level dependence of collaboration effectiveness. In addition, the study provides practical guidance and implications for the DPS framework, project owners, managers, facilitators, and legal professionals seeking to enhance the start-up process and to strengthen teamwork processes in complex construction projects.