Effect of level of owner-provided design on contractor's design quality in DB/EPC projects

Although previous studies have suggested that the level of owner-provided design can influence the performance of design-build (DB) projects, few have explicitly and empirically investigated the effect of the level of owner-provided design on the contractor's design quality. This paper fills this gap by empirically investigating the effect of the level of owner-provided design on the design quality of contractors in DB projects. Questionnaires were collected from 243 Chinese project professionals and hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Empirical results reveal that the level of owner-provided design negatively affects design innovation and positively affects design change. The contractor's competence strengthens the effect of owner-provided design level on design innovation. A minimum proportion of owner-provided design can improve design quality. It is also necessary to ensure the clear articulation of requirements in the request for proposal (RFP). The findings contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the level of owner-provided design and the contractor's design quality in DB projects. These findings also give owners insight into the preparation of the RFP with regard to the optimal level of design.