Strategic planning for competitive advantage in construction: The institutions

There have been developments in strategic planning techniques that various sectors of the economy have applied in pursuit of competitive advantage. In most sectors strategic planning applications are taking place at the levcl of parts of an enterprise’s operations, at the general corporate level and at the levcl of the nation. In construction, strategic planning at any level appears to lag behind other sectors: it seems to be applied mainly by large enterprises keen on expansion, diversification and penetration of overseas markets. A previous paper by the authors has shown the implications of the developments in strategic planning concepts for the construction enterprise. This paper shows how strategic planning can be applied by professional institutions and trade associations in the construction sector. After defining a five-level framework to which strategic planning can be applied, the paper outlines the factors underlying change in the construction industry and the nature of that change. It then discusses briefly some of the techniques of strategic planning which can be applied by the institutions and gives detailed examples of strategic planning at the level of professional institutions and trade associations. Through recommendations of further opportunities, the paper then goes on to show how more widespread strategic planning can be followed in the future at the institutional level. It concludes by observing that the new ideas of strategic planning have relevance to and considerable scope for application at the institutional level of the construction sector.