Managing design for the delivery of best value

The overall project process and basic project requirements are outlined and a range of reasons are suggested as to why projects underperform. Some of the difficulties of establishing priorities are discussed in the context of achieving best value rather than simply low cost. The results from some recent research into current design practice in the built environment and how designers are educated and trained are summarised. This brief paper limits discussion to those areas that are considered to have the potential to deliver the greatest returns particularly in combination. They are the role of clients and their advisors, the education and continuing training of professional designers, improving understanding of the design process by all stakeholders, and the application of information and communications technology to establish a project platform for the communication of strategy, objectives and information. These lead to the focus on design as a fundamental driver in delivering best value and hence the importance of managing design. Various concepts and processes are proposed, together with a range of methods and techniques that can be applied depending on the type, scale and nature of the project.