Yu, T W (2007) A value management framework for systematic identification and precise representation of client requirements in the briefing process. PhD thesis, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Abstract
The briefing process is a procedure by which client requirements are identified, clarified and articulated during the early design process of a construction project. The briefing process is critical to the successful delivery of construction projects and many limitations inhibit its effectiveness. The importance of effective briefing has been emphasised in many research studies during the past two decades. Although many initiatives have been taken to investigate and improve the briefing process, current briefing practice is still considered "inadequate". This inadequacy is largely attributed to the lack of a comprehensive framework for identifying and clarifying the requirements of clients. This research project aims to investigate whether a practical framework utilising the Value Management (VM) approach can lead to a systematic identification and clarification of client requirements, and the precise and explicit representation of these requirements in the briefing process. This approach is facilitated workshop based to improve communication amongst stakeholders. The research objectives include the identification of problems and difficulties faced by clients and designers in the briefing process; evaluation of current practices in identifying and clarifying client requirements for building projects, analysis of existing approaches to represent functional requirements at the briefing stage and the development of a new framework using VM to systematically identify/clarify client requirements and explicitly represent these requirements. The choice and adequacy of a research approach embodies a variety of assumptions regarding the nature of knowledge and the methods through which that knowledge can be obtained, as well as a set of root assumptions about the nature of the phenomena to be investigated. In this study, the qualitative approach was adopted supported by quantitative approaches. The research objectives were achieved by the literature review, questionnaire survey, focus group meetings, experimental study and desktop case studies. The VM framework for briefing, which contains answers to the questions What, Why, When, Who, Where and How, has been successfully developed in this study. It was incorporated into two briefing guides entitled "A How-To Guide to Value Briefing" and "A Concise Guide to Value Briefing", published in January 2006. The VM framework embraces thirteen briefing variables, 'Projects', 'Stakeholder Management', 'Teams and Team Dynamics', 'Client Representation', 'Change Management', 'Knowledge Management', 'Risk and Conflict Management', 'Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Post-Project Evaluation', 'Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators', 'Types of Business and Organisational Theory', 'Decision Making', 'Communication', and 'Culture and Ethics'. A two stage briefing process, which encompasses Strategic Briefing and Project Briefing Study, is recommended. It was found that the most important critical success factor of briefing was open and effective communication as agreed by the respondents of a questionnaire survey conducted in Hong Kong, the UK and the USA. This supports the contention that VM is a solution to enhance the briefing performance in that it can improve communication of clients and stakeholders.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Shen, G Q P |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Hong Kong; UK; briefing; case studies; change management; client; communication; conflict management; critical success factor; culture; decision making; ethics; focus group; key performance indicators; knowledge management; occupancy; organisational theory; post-occupancy evaluation; project briefing; project evaluation; questionnaire survey; stakeholder; value management |
| Index terms: | knowledge management, briefing, critical success factor, project briefing, stakeholder management, questionnaire, decision-making, construction project, survey, experiment, change management, literature review, design process, focus group, organizational theory, conflict management, project evaluation, value management, effectiveness, client requirements, team dynamics, designer, qualitative approach, post-occupancy evaluation, ethics, key performance indicator, case study, workshop, Hong Kong |
| Subjects: | construction type, scope management, ethical practice, research methods, Geography, production management, profession, data collection methods, business, control systems, value management, design methods, data analysis and analytics, participation process, evaluation methods, project delivery, management, performance management, professional development, conflict resolution, decision analysis |
| Topics: | Value Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, Geographical Context, Project Management, Organizational Design, Design Practice, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Construction Technology, Information Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here