Boyd, David

Haugbølle, Kim

    Aalborg UniversitetClients and Users in ConstructionHaugbølle, Kim; Boyd, DavidPublication date:2016Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordLink to publication from Aalborg UniversityCitation for published version (APA):Haugbølle, K., & Boyd, D. (2016). Clients and Users in Construction:  Research Roadmap Summary  (CIBPublication; No. 408, Vol. 2016). Delft, The Netherlands: CIB.General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright ownersand it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.            ? Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research.            ? You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain            ? You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ?Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at vbn@aub.aau.dk providing details, and we will remove access tothe work immediately and investigate your claim.Downloaded from vbn.aau.dk on: April 30, 2017Research Roadmap SummaryClients andUsers in ConstructionPublication 408CIB Roadmap.indd   1 26-05-2016   11:18:572Title Clients and Users in ConstructionSubtitle Research Roadmap SummarySerial title CIB Publication no 408Year 2016Authors Kim Haugbølle, David BoydLanguage EnglishPages 8Keywords Agency, governance, innovation, organisation, procurementPhotos Kim Haugbølle, Maja Skovgaard, ColourboxCover Photo by David BoydISBN 978-9-063630-92-8Publisher CIB General Secretariat PO Box 516, 2600 AM Delft The Netherlands email: secretariat@cibworld.nl www.cibworld.nlCIB Roadmap.indd   2 26-05-2016   11:18:583Research into clients and users is an impor-tant new field of research and development which may provide economic, social and en-vironmental benefits to society, business, government and academia. The CIB Working Commission W118 is leading this develop-ment internationally to set a collective re-search programme within its academic and practice network and supporting funding agencies in formulating their research pro-grammes.The overall aim is to strengthen the activities on the demand side of construction in order to improve building, building production and building use. The impact of this research will create important benefits by considering the client’s role in: • business and society, where the design of buildings facilitates their improved use; • buildings and society, where conservation, sustainability, infrastructure and regener-ation have different meaning in different countries; • business and users, where usability and ad-aptability of buildings can respond to shift-ing demands, and focus on the well-being, of users; and finally, • the construction industry where the clients can influence major changes through en-couraging new production systems, mate-rials use and enhanced design tools. Establishing a rEsEarch agEnda for cliEnts and usErsThese impacts require a broad range of re-search to provide solutions to such client cen-tred problems as: the globalisation of business; regeneration of existing building stock; new user demands for building performance; ener-gy and CO2 reductions; efficient but collabora-tive procurement systems; and enabling inno-vation of production systems and materials.Three main research themes are identified to facilitate this in a robust and comparable manner: • client roles and responsibilities, • client organisation and operation, and • client innovation. These themes are described in this summary. CIB Roadmap.indd   3 26-05-2016   11:19:034cliEnt rolEs and rEsponsibilitiEsRESEARCH THEME 1In research terms, client roles and responsibil-ities are often described as Agency. Research theme 1 explores to what extent clients can act independently to achieve their aim or whether they are always required to act in the way their environment expects them to act. The significance of this for practice is about how clients operate and how they are able to change. Central research objectives within this theme are: Needs and valuesA central challenge is the need for a shift in focus from building as an end in itself to build-ing as a means to achieve objectives related to the activities of the users of a building dur-ing its lifecycle. Consequently, a prerequisite for clients and users is to be knowledgeable about their own values and needs, and to jux-tapose, converge or otherwise position these in relation to other stakeholders. Thus, it is important to fully explore client needs and user values in different domains by mapping the content and scale of clients' and users' value chains in various national and institu-tional contexts. StructuresA second challenge is related to how socio-technical structures shape the roles and re-sponsibilities of clients and users in con-struction. The ability of clients and users to influence the course of events is not only linked to their own will and wishes, but is shaped in part by their structural position, among others their roles and responsibili-ties. Public regulation, policy making, market conditions etc. are among the conditions that shape the practices and behaviour of clients and users. Understanding how clients’ inde-pendent action works under different struc-tural conditions is essential for identifying the space for action available to clients and users. CapabilitiesA third challenge is the question of what ca-pabilities constitute a “client” and a “user”. Understanding both terms and their various configurations under different structural con-ditions are imperative in order to develop the-ories and conceptual frameworks, which can be used to build a coherent model or even the theory of clients and users. Viewed from a management perspective, the problem could be expressed as contingencies, convergence and contradictions in an organisation between the different roles and associated responsibil-ities. This will be essential for identifying the clients’ and users’ core competences and how these can be developed.Research objectives:• To map the content and scale of clients' and users' value chains in various na-tional and institutional contexts.• To analyse how sociotechnical struc-tures shape the roles and responsibili-ties of clients and users in construction.• To develop a coherent model of what constitutes a client and a user under different structural conditions. CIB Roadmap.indd   4 26-05-2016   11:19:055cliEnt organisation and opErationRESEARCH THEME 2In research terms, client organisation and op-eration are often described as Governance. Research theme 2 considers the problem of how client organisations operate internally and interact with the external environment of sup-pliers, policy makers etc. and make decisions.Behaviour and practicesA first challenge to the improved performance of built facilities depends on the behaviour and practices by clients and users. Insights into the differences and similarities of these strat-egies, competences and practices will provide researchers and practitioners with the under-standing of the scope of action, useful inspi-ration on different approaches to solve prob-lems etc.Decision-making and accountabilityA second challenge is to better involve users and stakeholders in decision-making process-es in the construction as well as the operation of built facilities. These methods need to in-clude new types of collaborative arrangements like partnering and public-private partnerships which support a construction industry orient-ed more towards user demands. This requires working with much greater transparency and accountability. Other parts of this challenge consider managing the differences between user needs and organisational objectives. The success of this will deliver more value for money to the clients. Learning processesA third challenge is to enable learning from successful/ failed projects and to investigate why some tools etc. may be more appropri-ate than others. Studies of interactions and changes of processes and mechanisms are relevant because they are instrumental in bringing about sustainability, they identify boundaries, and they manage information and develop briefing tools. This understanding is a prerequisite for developing appropriate guid-ance material for clients and users. For ex-ample how to manage the early phases of the construction project and where keeping many options open has to be balanced by effective formal planning.Research objectives:• To analyse clients’ and users’ strate-gies, competences and practices for procurement, management and use of built facilities in a life-cycle per-spective. • To assess different methods for in-volvement of users and stakeholders in decision-making processes on con-struction and operation.• To understand the mechanisms behind successful/failed projects and why some tools etc. may be more appropri-ate than others. CIB Roadmap.indd   5 26-05-2016   11:19:076Innovation is generally considered to be the key driver of improved wealth and welfare. However, clients face a number of underlying challenges with regard to innovation. Hence, clients need to be able to manage change versus continuity in relation to both client practices and industry practices so that mutual benefits are achieved.Risks and rewardsIn recent years, policy makers in many coun-tries have advocated that construction clients take on a greater responsibility for stimulat-ing innovation through (public) procurement of construction products and services. Stimulating innovation is a dilemma for construction clients as doing things differently potentially offers great rewards in time, cost and quality, but in-evitably increases risks. Thus, for example pub-lic construction clients will often be caught be-tween two different objectives: spending public money in a secure manner and taking on risks for adopting new technologies.Management of innovationA second challenge is related to how and where innovation will take place. While new technolo-gies may offer a range of new opportunities, they also pose threats to clients and users. Clients are placed in a double position as intermediary between users and the construction industry. On one hand, buildings themselves are instru-ments in the hands of clients to change the very business of the client organisation. On the oth-er hand, clients’ setting of requirements shape which technologies the construction industry applies to deliver buildings and services. In both cases, clients need to make conscious choices on how to manage the innovation process.Towards sustainable buildingsA third challenge is how clients and users can support the move towards a sustainable future. Clients play a particular important role with re-gard to procurement of sustainable buildings and refurbishments, while the behaviour of users has an equal importance with regard to the operation of buildings. Providing insights, showcasing best practice and developing new guidelines and simulation methods could be valuable contributions towards a sustainable future of the built environment.RESEARCH THEME 3cliEnt innovationResearch objectives:• To explore how clients and users can act as change agents of the construc-tion industry.• To understand how clients use build-ings as instruments of change within client organisations.• To assess how new technologies like BIM will impact on clients and users.• To develop guidelines on how clients and users can support the move to-wards a sustainable future.CIB Roadmap.indd   6 26-05-2016   11:19:107For more information about the CIB Working Commission W118 on clients and users in con-struction, please contact the coordinators:Senior researcher Kim HaugbølleDanish Building Research InstituteAalborg UniversityEmail: khh@sbi.aau.dk Phone: +45 2143 0872Professor, director David Boyd Centre for Environment and Society ResearchBirmingham City University Email: david.boyd@bcu.ac.uk Phone: +44 0121 331 7451Also, read more in the forthcoming book “Clients and Users in Construction: Agency, Governance and Innovation”, edited by Kim Haugbølle and David Boyd. The book will be published late 2016 by Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.ISBN 978-1-138-78686-8 (hardback)ISBN 978-1-315-64478-3 (eBook)Become a member of CIBJoin CIB to get access to an international expert network and state-of-the-art knowl-edge that cover most relevant technical, economic, organisational, social and other aspects of building and construction. MorE inforMationMembers of CIB Commissions include re-searchers, academics and innovation-ori-ented practitioners from all over the world, representing different types of stakeholders in the planning, design, engineering, con-struction, use, maintenance, management and deconstruction of buildings and the built environment.Go to www.cibworld.nl for more information.CIB Roadmap.indd   7 26-05-2016   11:19:138CIB General SecretariatPO Box 5162600 AM DelftThe NetherlandsE-mail: secretariat@cibworld.nlwww.cibworld.nlCIB Publication 408 | ISBN 978-9-063630-92-8CIB Roadmap.indd   8 26-05-2016   11:19:14

Clients and Users in Construction: Research Roadmap Summary

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