The effects of procurement procedures on joint risk management

Over the last decade, researchers and practitioners have recognised that the relationships between the client and the contractor play a significant role for successful project implementation. The interest in joint risk management (JRM) has increased as it strengthens collaboration between project actors and contributes to a more effective risk management process. The lack of an iterative and cooperative approach to risk management is a weakness in current procurement practice; although several empirical studies show that the project actors are positive about implementation of JRM. The purpose of this research is to investigate how common the use of JRM is in Sweden and if the occurrence is affected by the chosen procurement procedures. Empirical data was collected through a questionnaire survey of 106 members of the Swedish Construction Clients Forum. The results show limited use of JRM in construction projects. Clients that work on a national/international level use JRM to a greater extent than those on the local/regional market. The analysis also indicates that the use of JRM is positively affected by cooperative procurement procedures. In particular, the most significant relationship is found between collaborative tools and JRM - the higher the use of collaborative tools, the higher the use of JRM.