Creating public value: Optimizing cooperation Between public and private Partners in infrastructure Projects

Infrastructure projects - such as the construction of tunnels and bridges or the (re)construction of roads and highways – are always performed to add quality to society. In The Netherlands, these projects are most often financed by the government, from local to national level, and constructed by private contractors. Public and private partners increasingly recognize the importance of cooperation to ensure successful execution of projects. However, the partnership arrangements made at strategic level are still difficult to ensure at tactical level, where the project is controlled. This study focuses on the tactical level and specifically on the perspective of the public project managers. It is investigated what they consider project success and how the project management team operates to control the project processes. The main result of this study is the public Value Chain in which the processes of the combined project organization are captured. Recommendations are made on the primary and secondary processes that binds the partners to each other. The public Value Chain will help collaborating partners to position their specific contribution to the project outcomes more clearly. Practitioners are encouraged to use the public Value Chain to organize their project activities and discuss the contribution of both public and private parent organizations to an efficient process. It can help partners to execute their specific contribution to the value they are creating. This will further optimize collaboration between public and private partners.Integral Design and Managemen

Evaluating the procurement documents of Dutch water boards portfolio: A step towards more reliable public clients

Although a considerable amount of literature has addressed the public procurement in the construction industry, still little is known about procurement in small and repetitive activities. In practice, however, public clients are often involved in repetitive tasks such as maintenance activities. Dutch water boards, regional governmental bodies responsible for providing water management services, are the focus of this study. For this research, three main procurement documents of the water boards were performed using content analysis. The aim is to evaluate these documents and to identify the typology of the repetitive activities and the procurement volume of these tasks from a portfolio perspective of the public client. Most of the contractors/suppliers involved in these activities are local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The findings of the study indicate that insights into the typologies of these repetitive works and their expected volume over time delivers crucial value for the public procurer. Given the amount of repetitive works procured by public clients, creating such an insight to both clients as well as contractors can ultimately increase efficiency and improve investment opportunities.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Design & Construction Managemen

Samenwerking in beheer en onderhoud: De rol van het mkb als partner

Ondanks het grote aantal repetitieve, kleine activiteiten dat wordt uitgevoerd voor publieke opdrachtgevers, ontbreekt het zowel in de praktijk als in de wetenschappelijke literatuur aan inzicht in de succesfactoren van dit type opgaven. Dit beperkt de mogelijkheden tot het doorvoeren van relevante verbeteringen ten aanzien van de samenwerking en de eigen rol van de publieke en private organisaties hierin. Dit onderzoek heeft zich daarom gericht op de samenwerking van waterschappen en marktpartijen specifiek bij kleinschalige repetitieve werkzaamheden. Het onderzoek bestaat uit de analyse van portfolio's van waterschappen en interviews met zowel waterschapsmedewerkers als marktpartijen.Uit de analyse van inkooporders blijkt dat repetitive werkzaamheden kunnen worden onderverdeeld in vijf typen, waarvan werkzaamheden aan watergangen de meest voorkomende zijn. Het inzicht in deze activiteiten en hun financiële omvang is van cruciaal belang voor optimalisatie.Het onderzoek identificeert de elementen in de samenwerking tussen waterschappen en marktpartijen die bijdragen aan efficiëntere uitvoering van repetitive werkzaamheden: inzicht in de markt, bundeling door opdrachtgever(s) in relatie tot ondernemerschap bij de opdrachtnemer(s), communicatie, lerend vermogen, en formele en informele contractmanagement.Dit onderzoek draagt bij aan het optimaliseren van de samenwerking tussen waterschappen en marktpartijen in repetitive werkzaamheden, wat leidt tot efficiëntere en effectievere uitvoering van deze taken in de waterbouwsector.The research is funded by the Unie van Waterschappen (Dutch Water Authorities), six water authorities (Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier, waterschap Noorderzijlvest, waterschap Rivierenland, Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland, waterschap Scheldestromen, waterschap Hollandse Delta) and Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma.Design & Construction Managemen

Exploring the influence of external actors on the cooperation in public–private project organizations for constructing infrastructure

Though different forms of public–private partnerships exist, in the organizational structure of most forms a public and a private project organization can be derived, resulting in two collaborating project organizations. The literature on project management however mostly considers one project organization. The literature on public–private partnerships considers the public part of the organization mostly as ‘the client’. This research focuses on the relationships between public and private organizations: the two collaborating project organizations, the relationship with their parent organizations, and with external actors. Exploratory interviews in three cases uncovered five mechanisms leading to tensions between project partners: ambiguity, conflict of interest, triangular relationships, unclear purpose and organizational context.Integral Design and Managemen