Tiew, S Y (2025) A construction contract administration (cca) framework for graduate architects' professional development. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(12), pp. 8056-8072. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose – Construction contract administration should be carried out by a person (normally engineer or architect depending on the type of contract) with expert technical knowledge of the construction process, strong leadership quality, highly developed interpersonal skills and an understanding of contractual, legislative and statutory underpinnings. However, due to a shortage of architects, graduate architects have been assigned to perform a partial role. Architectural firms are disappointed with the quality of the graduates and still note that they have to mentor them to be competent for their jobs. This paper aims to develop a construction contract administration (CCA) framework for graduate architects that aids the smooth running of a construction contract. Design/methodology/approach – Seven housing projects in Malaysia have been selected as case studies. Documentation review and semi-structured interviews relevant to selected case studies were conducted to collect data to develop the CCA framework. The draft framework will then be validated through a focus group study. Findings – A total of 5 themes and 11 sub-themes with core tasks were developed in the CCA framework. The themes involved are claims and legal matters management, communication and relationship management, project management, design management and quality assessment and management. Sub-themes are authority matters, building certification, meetings, coordination checklist, letter writing, contract documentation, building material, design brief, building sustainability and workmanship quality standards, contractors' submission and building details. Originality/value – The contribution of this study can be utilized for developing further models in the future that would improve the work performance of graduate architects. The framework assists the university by moving forward to the professional practice stage. In addition, it indirectly enhances the potential of graduate architects to perform efficiently and intensifies the bonding between project stakeholders.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction contract administration framework; graduate architects; performance development; qualitative method |
| Index terms: | certification, focus group, interview, qualitative method, housing project, documentation, quality assessment, project stakeholder, design brief, design management, construction process, methodology, interpersonal skill, workmanship, professional practice, contract documentation, quality standard, professional development, case study, architectural firm, Malaysia, engineer, architect, building material, construction contract, relationship management, building sustainability, project management, work performance, coordination |
| Subjects: | contract type, human factors and perception, operations management, contractual arrangements, research methods, Geography, design process, housing and residential development, building construction, quality assurance, profession, data collection methods, research design and methodology, business, sustainability and energy, technical documentation, building materials, management, contractual condition, project management theory and practice, professional development, sociology, administrative processes |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Design Practice, Human Resources, Contract Administration, Site Management, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Information Management, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Quality Management, Geographical Context, Project Management, Sustainability, Procurement |
| 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