Jardar Lohne

The need for a project governance body

Purpose – From a project owners perspective, it is obvious that a project shall contribute to achieving the organisations strategic goals. The purpose of this paper is to find out what project owners can do to ensure value creation in their projects, what owners actually do in the few cases in which they are actively involved in ensuring value creation and what is the result of their choice. Design/methodology/approach – The authors have analysed 12 projects in the Norwegian construction industry, using a qualitative approach. A general business framework for understanding projects has been applied in order to identify possible shortcomings and success factors. The authors have used semi-structured in-depth interviews combined with questionnaires for data collection. Findings – The study reveals an absence of project strategy, resulting in projects which only to a small extent achieve strategic goals. This lack of strategic perspective in project management is also recognised by the research literature ...

On the concept of sustainability – assessing the sustainability of large public infrastructure investment projects

Assessing the sustainability of large public investment projects within the general framework of three-pillar thinking is a complex affair. Such ventures involve multiple actors – e.g. planners from various disciplines such as engineers, economists and social scientists, in addition to politicians, users and other people affected – each carrying with them particular agendas and priorities, and corresponding understandings of the concept of sustainability. In this paper, we propose to frame the concept of sustainability assessment within the context of investment projects, in order to enable communication between the multiple actors, to assess different impacts of an investment project against one another in a meaningful way and, ultimately, to enhance the commensurability of investment project alternatives. Our main idea is that there exist different levels according to which the assessment of sustainability ought to refer – operational, tactical and strategic – and that properly addressing these levels can permit the different actors to comprehend one another, and thereby allow for more clarity and positive action.

Governing value creation in construction project: a new model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how the concepts of business models and project governance can enhance value creation in building projects. Design/methodology/approach Based on theory derived from management literature, the authors outline a framework combining a project’s business case and governance functions with the business model of the design team. This was tested in two major projects and evaluated in three expert workshops. Findings The research reveals that the business model of the design team focus on efficiency rather than on the client’s strategic objectives. This entails a need for project governance functions. The framework presented shows promising capability of aligning the project with client strategy. The authors believe there is significant value in transferring these ideas and knowledge across national boundaries. Practical implications The research identifies a gap between business objectives and outcome. The value creation approach in the client organisation diminishes into the way project governance is implemented in some projects. The conceptual framework provides the industry with a new tool for improving its knowledge and practice. Originality/value First governance model derived from strategy theory that combines strategy and governance in one holistic model.

Analysis of assessment methodologies suitable for building performance

Purpose The paper aims to examine assessment tools for strategic performance evaluation of building and Norwegian practice in light of international practise. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes a literature review of literature describing the use of assessment tools suitable for building performance evaluation. In this paper, the authors examine, first, what properties they find most essential when assessing building portfolios. This analysis is outlined in the theoretical framework section. Second, the authors examine what are the propensities of the analytic assessment tools that they perceive as to be found in the forefront of contemporary methodological development for examining building performance. These propensities are presented in the findings chapter. The authors discuss how they measure their applicability and impact of use. Findings The authors found several interesting methods for assessing building performance in general. In particular, the feed forward loop from Steinke, developed from BSC, Soft Landings Framework and the Norwegian multiMap method are recommended. Practical implications This conceptual paper addresses methodological challenges in a comparative way. This comparative approach permits for an identification of respective strengths and weaknesses. It suggests concrete points of reference enabling an increase in the performance of such methodologies. Originality/value The paper is original in its approach of several methodological tools in light of concepts such as viability and adaptability. By doing this, it underlines the necessity to include social and adaptive dimensions of strategic building portfolio assessment tools.

Ethical behaviour in the design phase of AEC projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on studies on the ethics in the design phase in Norwegian construction projects. The ambition is to establish a descriptive picture of ethical challenges practitioners meet in the design phase in order to raise awareness among them. Design/methodology/approach In addition to a literature review and a document study of ethical frameworks within the industry, interviews with key participants were carried out according to a qualitative approach. The study was undertaken in order to address framework conditions for handling ethically challenging situations, challenges of an ethical nature practitioners commonly encounter in the design phase and finally the structural (systemic) reasons for such challenges. Findings This research finds indications of actors manoeuvring in the design phase for own benefit at the expense of other actors. The findings equally indicate that the design phase poses significant challenges in light of tender documents pricing and exploiting cost reimbursement contracts. In some of the projects examined, participants shifted loyalty after novation contracting and they actively tried to steer the decision processes in their own favour. Originality/value There does in fact seem to be perceptions of a room of manoeuvre between what is unlawful and what is ethically sound in this phase.

A global overview of residential building energy consumption in eight climate zones

AbstractThis study provides a global overview and comparison of residential building energy consumption (RBEC) in 8 climate zones in order to provide a visible foundation for policymakers and decision-makers with respect to sustainable future levels of RBEC. A total of 31 countries and 14 provinces/municipalities within these 8 climate zones are furthermore grouped into 20 different regions based on income. Demographic statistics regarding housing and RBEC of these regions are collected for analysis in this study. The results indicate that: 1) RBEC per capita and per m2 in most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries has decreased over the past two decades; 2) in developing countries, such consumption does not follow the same pattern of change; 3) within each climate zone, RBEC per m2 is not significantly different for regions and countries in the same income groups, but there is significant difference in RBEC per capita for different regions and countries, even within the ...

Counterfeit, Fraudulent and Sub-Standard Materials: The Case of Steel in Norway

The international construction industry is subject to several types of crime. Among the least researched is the exposure to counterfeited, fraudulent and substandard (CFS) materials. The study presented in this paper examines the presence of these materials in the Norwegian construction industry and the characteristics of the construction industry that that render it vulnerable. A survey was sent out to different stakeholders within the industry, collecting experiences and knowledge about these types of materials. More than half of the respondents (9 of 17) stated that they pose a threat to the industry to a high or very high degree. To investigate the presence of these steel products, 3 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with key actors. The data shows the occurrence of these materials in the industry. The interviewees all believed that CFS steel products exist in the Norwegian construction industry, and examples were given of the occurrence of it. The interviewees believed that the industry is vulnerable to this threat because it is easily accessible for temporary and dishonest actors, and it has a high degree of trust combined with a certain lack of controls. Further work can result in recommendations for possible countermeasures.

A motherless child - Why do construction projects fail

Abstract A significant share of projects fails with respect to both producing the intended effect and achieving expected business results, in part due to organisational hierarchy and bureaucratic structures. These form obstructions to clients’ demand for higher value. Within the field of real estate and infrastructure, most clients have to organise projects with external project organisations. Problems escalate when external suppliers are involved. This strategy-to-performance gap is attributed to poorly formulated plans, misapplied resources, breakdown in communication and limited accountability for results. In this paper, this challenge is assessed in the construction project perspective, focusing on what may be a missing link between strategic decisions and project outcomes. The challenge is double, i.e., it concerns clearly expressing the intention of projects and establishing organisations adaptive to project strategies. A major challenge for a design team is to balance functional expertise with a clients need for integrated teams focusing on solutions that enable users to create value. A functional organisation providing resources represented by design and engineering expertise is directed by a respective departments goals. On the other side, a project is directed by a clients goals, but affected by functional goals.

Assessing the robustness of raingardens under climate change using SDSM and temporal downscaling

Climate change is expected to lead to higher precipitation amounts and intensities causing an increase of the risk for flooding and combined sewer overflows in urban areas. To cope with these changes, water managers are requesting practical tools that can facilitate adaptive planning. This study was carried out to investigate how recent developments in downscaling techniques can be used to assess the effects of adaptive measures. A combined spatial-temporal downscaling methodology using the Statistical DownScaling Model-Decision Centric (SDSM-DC) and the Generalized Extreme Value distribution was applied to project future precipitation in the city of Bergen, Norway. A raingarden was considered a potential adaptive measure, and its performance was assessed using the RECARGA simulation tool. The benefits and limitations of using the proposed method have been demonstrated and compared to current design practices in Norway. Large differences in the raingardens performance with respect to percentage overflow and lag-time reduction were found for varying projections. This highlights the need for working with a range of possible futures. Further, it was found that Ksat was the determining factor for peak-flow reduction and that different values of Ksat had different benefits. Engineering flexible solutions by combining measures holding different characteristics will induce robust adaptation.

Governing Flat-Roof Constructions: A Case Study

A lean construction process depends on reliable procuring and governing of materials. This paper examines the case of flat roof constructions. It is based on an assumption that current practice might lead to a risk of premature roof failures. Within the case of flat roof constructions, we seek to answer the following research questions:  What are the main threats to the value for the client in the case of flat-roof constructions?  How does the client govern in order to oversee that requirements are met regarding construction materialsand assembling? The research was explorative in nature and limited to the Norwegian context; based on a scoping literature study and seven semi-structured in-depth interviews with experienced industry actors. The findings show that in a short-term perspective, the divergence of stakeholder interest and premature roof failures present a great threat to the value of the building. Poor procuring and handling threatens the construction process. It is a source of disputes between the contractor and the client. Furthermore, it constitutes an obstacle in creating long-term value for the client. Flat-roof constructions are particularly exposed. We propose that clients should implement a more structured approach to overseeing that client requirements are met. To ensure a lean project delivery and maximizing value, mitigating unwanted events related to suppliers and materials are crucial.