A sustainable procurement approach for selection of construction consultants in property and facilities management

Facilities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 98-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Y.M. Lam
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Factors ◽  
Sustainable Performance ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose Outsourcing architectural and engineering services is a trend for public-sector construction projects. This study aims to examine what tender selection criteria should be considered when assessing the performance outcomes of consultants in relation to sustainable design, construction and management of buildings within the context of property and facilities management of existing building portfolios. Design/methodology/approach Combined qualitative-quantitative methods are adopted to examine the causal relationship between sustainable performance outcomes and influencing factors, using primary data collected from the estate offices of the UK universities, which form a unique public sector. The performance factors identified form the basis of selection criteria. Findings The qualitative multiple-case interviews identify economic, environmental, social and functional sustainability measures as the attributes of performance outcome. The quantitative hierarchical regression analysis generalises that sustainable performance outcomes can be significantly influenced by task and contextual performance factors. Research limitations/implications The scope of the study is limited to university estates. Further research should be conducted on other property and facilities management and construction-related organisations so that the sustainable procurement approach developed by this research can become more robust and applicable to the wider public sector. Practical implications At the tender stage, estate managers should adopt a sustainable procurement approach for selection of construction consultants: focussing on the significant task performance (project staff and execution approach) and contextual performance (collaborative consultant frameworks) influencing factors to optimise the project sustainability outcomes in relation to economic, environmental, social and functional values. Originality/value The sustainable procurement approach developed by this research benefits property and facilities management, as well as construction disciplines within the wider public sector, thus contributing to the government construction policy on promoting sustainability to the built environment.

Prediction of performance outcomes for procurement of public-sector construction consultants for property management

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Lam
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Property Management ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
Performance Influencing Factors

Purpose Public-sector construction clients in the UK and Australia have a clear objective to maximise potential and value for construction and infrastructure projects. Outcome-based performance predictive models, which link influencing factors to individual performance outcomes, were developed for the public-sector property management clients. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Combined qualitative-quantitative methods were used to examine the causal relationships between performance outcomes and input economic and job performance factors. Hypotheses on individual relationships generated by a literature review were refined using the findings from a qualitative multiple-case study of three universities, and then tested by a quantitative hierarchical regression analysis using data from 60 consultancies collected from a questionnaire survey sent to the estate management offices of the universities, which form a unique public sector. Each performance project outcome was regressed against influencing factors. Performance predictive models were established in the form of regression equations. Findings Five performance outcomes are identified: time, cost, quality, innovations and working relationship with the client. These can be significantly predicted by regression models, based on performance influencing factors of project staff, competence of firm, execution approach, size of firm, consultant framework and competition level. Research limitations/implications The performance predictive models developed should be regarded as “conceptual”. Public-sector clients may have different organisation objectives and hence different requirements for performance outcomes, which may further vary according to specific project situations. The models should be adapted to suit individual needs. Adjustments can be made by using the combined qualitative-quantitative methods adopted in this research, thus creating customised models for property management and construction-related clients. Practical implications The client’s professional team should focus on the significant performance influencing factors and take advantage of the performance predictive models to select quality consultants. Construction consultants should address the factors in the tender proposals in order to add value to the project and benefit the client. Originality/value The existing input-based assessment approach applied at the tender stage cannot guarantee the strategic project objectives to be achieved. The performance predictive models are adaptable for property management and construction disciplines within the wider public sector, thus contributing to achievement of the government construction policy.

Facilitating quality project manager selection for Indian business environment using analytical hierarchy process

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1177-1194
Author(s):  
Keshav Kumar Sharma ◽  
Anup Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Hierarchy Process ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Skills ◽  
Manager Selection ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Selection Of

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop criteria for project manager selection based on desired skills of a project manager and facilitate the selection of a suitable candidate from a pool of potential candidates for the implementation of projects in the Indian context.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes three major skills, namely human skill, conceptual and organizational skills; technical skill along with their sub-skills to develop criteria for project manager selection. Based on the responses of project professionals from industry, the study uses analytical hierarchy process to prioritize and identify the relative importance of different skills in the criteria in order to develop a hierarchical structure for project manager selection.FindingsThe study finds that at the first level of project manager selection criteria, conceptual and organizational skills are the most important selection criteria followed by human skills and technical skills. At the second level of project manager selection criteria, planning, delegating authority and understanding methods, processes, and procedures are some of the important sub-selection criteria. The weights indicating the relative importance of major selection criteria and sub-selection criteria can be used to evaluate the relative weight of a given candidate for selection as a project manager.Research limitations/implicationsThe results in this study are derived from specific demographic conditions in India. Future research with larger samples from other countries is needed for generalizations of the proposed criteria.Practical implicationsThe proposed method quantifies the intangible qualitative criteria to select a project manager, which can aid decision-makers in a multi-criteria decision-making environment.Originality/valueThis research paper is focused on the identification of critical skills for the selection of a project manager, which is almost neglected by the researchers.

Influence of selection criteria on clients’ satisfaction with construction consultancy services in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuemeka Patrick Ogbu ◽  
Monday Omogiate Imafidon
Keyword(s):  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Client Satisfaction ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Firm Reputation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Tender Evaluation ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose To receive a satisfactory consultancy service, a construction client must first select suitable consultants. While numerous criteria for the selection of construction consultants have been suggested in the literature, their influence on client satisfaction has hardly been statistically established. This study aimed to reduce the criteria for the selection of construction consultants into a more manageable set of fewer factors and ascertain the influence of the factors on client satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through a purposively administered cross-sectional survey of public sector clients in Nigeria. Analyzes were done using relative importance index, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Findings The results proved that the criteria for the selection of consultants can, in the order of decreasing influence on client satisfaction, be grouped into service delivery approach (SDA), relationship with the client, the caliber of personnel, firm reputation and firm certification. However, SDA is more influential on client satisfaction. All the factors were found to have significant statistical effects on clients’ overall satisfaction with consultancy services. Originality/value The study demonstrates the extent to which construction consultant selection criteria are relevant to client satisfaction. It shows that SDA is the most important predictor of clients’ satisfaction with consultancy services. The results are helpful for grouping consultant selection criteria in future studies, and in guiding clients on the weights to assign to consultant selection criteria during tender evaluation.

Critical performance factors of public sector organizations in concession-based public-private partnership projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akintayo Opawole ◽  
Godwin Onajite Jagboro ◽  
Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu ◽  
Betty Oluwafunso Olojede
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Relative Significance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Factors ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Private Investors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate critical factors that impact public sector organizations’ (PSOs) performance in PPP contracts with a view to improving their capabilities toward efficient project delivery and attracting more private sector investments. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology is a quantitative approach which commenced with an in-depth literature review that provided the basis for identification of the variables that were evaluated through a structured questionnaire. Respondents were professionals from stakeholders’ organizations that had been involved in PPP contracts in the Southwestern region of Nigeria selected using respondent driven sampling technique. These include industrial practitioners from governmental-based organizations (ministries, agencies, corporations/parastatals, etc.), private developers/concessionaires, law firms, and banks, among others. Data collected were analyzed using mean, relative significance index) and factor analysis. Findings The critical performance factors of PSOs in concession contracts clustered under nine components. These were technical, legal, political, finance, market maturity, economic, procurement process, performance guarantee and degree of regulation. PSOs’ capability development measure in countries newly experimenting with concession model is expected to focus on these factors for improved project delivery. Research limitations/implications The study provided implications for capabilities improvement, legislation and policy making with respect to PPP transactions in countries newly experimenting with PPP contracts. This is highly significant to improving the capabilities of PSOs and attraction of more private sector partnership in infrastructure delivery through the concession model. Practical implications The study provided implication for capabilities improvement, legislation and policing with respect to PPP transactions in countries newly experimenting with PPP contracts. This is highly significant to improving the capabilities of PSOs and attraction of more private sector partnership in infrastructure delivery through concession model. Originality/value Previous studies on PPP performance had either focused on the projects or generalized the performance assessment to PSOs and private investors. This study extended the researches on PPP performance by revealing factors specific to the public sector stakeholders.

In-house or outsourcing FM services in the public sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Brandstveit Haugen ◽  
Nora Johanne Klungseth
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Knowledge Triangle ◽  
Public And Private Sector

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of knowledge about facilities management (FM), in particular, the management of FM services in practice, education and research. The paper questions whether we know more about optimal models for in-house or outsourcing FM after 25 years of applied research and development of best practices. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on literature reviews, case studies and personal experiences from practice for over 25 years, concentrating on the public sector. The paper maintains an international focus on the FM development, with particular focus on the development in Norway and the Nordic countries. The knowledge development triangle, and its integration of education, research and practice, is used as an underlying theoretical framework. Findings The knowledge regarding management of FM services in both the public and private sector has been developed over the past two decades. The changes in both sectors is reflected in all the three aspects of the knowledge triangle. While the use of outsourcing increased significantly in popularity during the past 25 years, the Norwegian profile continues to have limited use of outsourcing. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on a qualified selection of doctoral theses, research reports and scientific articles published in the period 1990-2015. The explorations include limited quantitative data. Practical implications The choice for FM in practice, whether fully or partly to produce services with internal resources or to make arrangements with external suppliers, is an important strategic decision regarding the choice of a procurement strategy for the company or the organisation. This decision is not necessarily about outsourcing or in-house but rather the strategic sourcing and management of the needed services. Originality value A total of 25 years of research have shown that a simple solution and answer to the questions about in-house or outsourcing FM services is lacking. To find a good solution, it is necessary to understand the content of FM services with respect to quality and efficiency, and to understand the interaction between FM, the core activities and the users.

A performance outcome framework for appraising construction consultants in the university sector

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Y.M. Lam
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Outcome ◽  
The Public ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Outcome Framework ◽  
The Government ◽  
Research Frameworks ◽  
A Performance

Purpose The UK Government construction strategy has a clear objective to maximise potential and value for construction and infrastructure projects. The purpose of this paper was to develop a performance outcome framework for the public-sector university client to identify the criteria for value against which construction consultants’ performance will be appraised for selection and monitoring purposes in outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach Multiple-case study method was used to examine the performance requirements of construction consultants, using three state universities having similar contexts in terms of organisation objectives and requirements on projects funded by the government. Findings Within the public-sector university environment, five performance outcomes are identified: time, cost, quality, innovations and working relationship with the client. These areas form a conceptual framework for measuring the performance of construction consultants. Research limitations/implications The performance outcome framework developed should be regarded as “conceptual”. University clients may have different organisation objectives and hence requirements for performance outcomes, which may further vary according to specific project situations. The framework should be adapted accordingly. Practical implications University clients and their professional advisors should specify the performance requirements under those five areas in tender documents for selection purposes and subsequently use them as key performance indicators to monitoring the consultant performance. Construction consultants should address these requirements in the tender proposals to add value to the project. Originality value There is a need to investigate what performance outcomes are required by the public-sector construction client. Based on the results of this research, frameworks and guidelines can be further developed for use by other public sectors, thus benefitting the wider public sector as a whole.

Investigating experts’ opinion on outsourcing decision in facilities management practice in public Universities in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOB TAIWO GBADEGESIN ◽  
Theophilus Olugbenga Babatunde
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Outsourcing Decision

Purpose – This paper aims to empirically investigate the factors and the level of influence on facilities management practice and analyze the relationship among the factors. It also examines the level of effectiveness of outsourcing decision. Recent research effort on outsourcing identified some factors that influence outsourcing decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – Copies of instrument titled “Questionnaire on Outsourcing Decision” designed through a review of outsourcing literature, pilot-tested on the professionals, with valid reliability test results, were used to collect data. Collected data were analyzed using percentage, t-test, Pearson correlation and chi-square. Findings – Majority of the respondents reported that outsourcing is an effective decision. Except for functional characteristics, all other factors (strategic, management, technical, economical and quality) are significantly different from the group mean values. While there is a positive and significant relationship among the influencing factors, there is no significant relationship between the years of experience and the perception on the effectiveness of outsourcing decision. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to five selected tertiary institutions. The justification for their selection is attributed to their relative adequate infrastructural facilities, the existing practice of outsourcing and the size of the institutions. The further frontier of knowledge can be extended from here. Practical implications – The findings exposed the policymakers and stakeholders in the public universities to the major factors that affect the effectiveness of outsourcing and the direction for future practical research in the area of facilities management within the tertiary institutions of learning. Originality/value – The thrust of this paper provides check and balance in the adoption of outsourcing approach with tested instrument that ranks the influencing factors in facilities management practice in a developing economy within educational institutions.

Procurement of public sector facilities

Facilities ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 460-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter E.D. Love ◽  
Damien O’Donoghue ◽  
Peter R. Davis ◽  
Jim Smith
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Competitive Tendering ◽  
Lump Sum ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to determine the perceptions of a public sector agency’s representatives who are involved in the selection of procurement methods about the benefits and barriers of implementing early contractor involvement (ECI). There have been widespread calls for the public sector to use of non-traditional delivery methods so as to obtain better “value for money”. ECI is one form of delivery approach that has begun to attract the attention of many Australian State Governments, as it allows a contractor to proactively participate in design development, risk management and the construction programming processes. Design and construction processes can also be integrated which, therefore, overcome the impediments and barriers that have conventionally existed between designers and contractor. Within Western Australia, the use of ECI has been limited and therefore perceptions about its potential application are obtained. Design/methodology/approach – Using questionnaire surveys and follow-up semi-structured interviews, the research sought to determine the perceptions of a public sector agency’s representatives who are involved in the selection of procurement methods about the benefits and barriers of implementing ECI. Findings – It is revealed that a significant proportion of contractors did not have the capability and experience to be involved within an ECI approach. Their preference was the use of a traditional lump-sum method. Where there was limited scope for using competitive tendering, particularly on large complex projects, then ECI could be a preferred option for future projects. Originality/value – To date, there has been limited empirical research that examined the public sectors views on the use of ECI despite the calls for the greater use of integrated procurement methods of this nature. The research indicates that there is a need to develop strategies to better educate public sector clients, designers and contractors about how ECI can contribute to the development of innovative solutions and better value for money.

Sustainable evaluation and selection of potential third-party logistics (3PL) providers

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Raut ◽  
Manoj Kharat ◽  
Sheetal Kamble ◽  
Chandra Shekhar Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Third Party Logistics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to efficiently assist the decision makers in evaluating and selecting the most appropriate third-party logistics (3PL) provider from environmental sustainability perspective using a two-phase model based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and analytic network process (ANP). Design/methodology/approach The study uses an integrated approach of DEA and ANP as an evaluation and selection methodology to select an efficient and requisite 3PL. The integrated model is a sound technique for 3PL evaluation and selection. DEA effectively screens the maximally efficient 3PLs, whereas ANP easily performs the cumbersome process of weighting diverse criteria and ranks various alternatives according to their performance on the basis of these criteria. This study lists the prominent evaluation and selection criteria taking into consideration the environmental sustainability. Finally, a real-life industrial application is presented to demonstrate the proposed method. Findings The current research work is devoted to the emerging research topic of environmental sustainability in logistics industry and supply chain management. The results of study indicate that eco-efficient transportation and 3PLs lead better transportation planning, better inventory and warehouse management, lower inventory cost and sustainable supply chain operations. Also, the applied approach enables the decision makers to better understand the complex relationships of the relevant criteria in the decision-making process. Research limitations/implications This study does not investigate the relationships between environmental performances and differentiation advantage from the perspective of 3PLs. Also, sensitivity analysis is not performed. Practical implications The developed integrated model enables decision analysts to better understand the complete evaluation process of 3PL evaluation and selection considering environmental sustainability perspective. Furthermore, the developed approach provides a more flexible, simple, accurate, effective, and systematic decision support tool for 3PL evaluation and selection. Originality/value The current study is first of its kind to use the integrated approach in evaluation and selection of 3PLs from environmental sustainability perspective considering the inter-dependencies among the evaluation and selection criteria.

Implementing sustainable procurement in the United Arab Emirates public sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bader Khamis Al Nuaimi ◽  
Mehmood Khan ◽  
Mian Ajmal
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Main Factors

Purpose Despite making significant strides in transforming its environmental outlook over the past few years and promoting sustainable procurement (SP) in the public sector, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is still facing serious challenges in moving up the global sustainability ranks. Thus, this study aims to assess and prioritize critical factors, including cost, organization, innovation capability, stakeholder, culture and market-related factors, and their respective sub-factors for the implementation of SP, and come up with recommendations. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the analytical hierarchy process model to prioritize the main factors and sub-factors that can critically affect the implementation of SP in the UAE public sector. Data were collected through a survey of 17 procurement experts working in procurement departments in public organizations in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Findings The results reveal that cost is the highest ranked critical factor, followed by an organization, whereas innovation capability is the lowest ranked of the main factors. The initial cost of green products and their life-cycle cost are the most prioritized of cost factors. An individual’s commitment to change, top management support and organizational commitment are the highest-ranked sub-factors. Social awareness is the most important sub-factor among culture, and the supplier’s capability is the highest ranked sub-factor in the market. Social implications The government should issue a standard practices handbook for SP to be used by public organizations to provide public procurers a clear method for conducting a proper cost–benefit analysis to evaluate and decide on sustainable purchases that fit the economy and society and meet the national sustainability agenda. Furthermore, additional attention needs to be paid to cultural factors such as social and environmental awareness by policymakers to succeed in achieving SP. Finally, top management and government officials must reevaluate their own personal values and commitment to sustainability issues as they participate in forming policies, rules, regulations and training programs designed for procurement managers within government organizations. Originality/value Although considerable research has been conducted on this topic, this study is unique in its presentation of a critical understanding of which factors and sub-factors are likely to significantly affect SP implementation in the UAE, which shall provide the relevant researchers and practitioners with the necessary knowledge to be ready for the changes that may lie ahead.

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