The embedding of the construction client role in Dutch municipalities and its effects on professionalism and organisational learning

Municipalities account for a considerable share in the total production of construction work in the Netherlands. Through their commissioning role, public entities can act as a 'launching customer’  for innovation within the construction sector. New procurement schemes have been and are being installed to improve quality and productivity, reduce risks and enhance sustainability within the industry. The effective application of these schemes requires a professional commissioning organisation, able to consistently adopt and further develop these new schemes. A clear and efficient organizational structure and efficient processes are prerequisite for knowledge management and organisational learning. A qualitative research project investigated the governance structure and embedding of the commissioning role in 18 large and middle-sized Dutch municipalities through structured interviews and additional document analysis. Next to an overview of the substance and nature of the municipal construction activity and its related procurement schemes, the research focussed on mapping the organisational structure, the positioning of commissioning activities within the municipal organisation and the related governance of commissioning activity. The third aspect of the research encompassed the assessment of the municipal representatives regarding their own professionalism. The research elucidates the shattering of the commissioning role over a considerable number of entities within the municipal organisation, with restricted mutual alignment. Furthermore, the assignment of the administrative responsibility for complex multifaceted projects is not clear-cut and can vary from one situation to another; the political responsibility for the built environment is allocated to various alderman and organisational models and governance structures issued by municipalities show substantial variation and hybridity. Although differences exist between large and mid-size municipalities, both types of municipalities can improve the organizational structures and processes related to commissioning professionalism. The research concludes that to improve professionalism regarding commissioning, preconditions for knowledge management and organisational learning should be improved, starting with stimulating the awareness of the relevance of commissioning role.