*5.3. Dynamic Environment*

The respondents noted that the management of construction projects is a very dynamic and unpredictable practice that requires a value chain of activities across various sectors. As a result, it is often not realistic to make conclusive procurement decisions from the outset. Rather, clients' decision-making is premised on emerging project demands, as informed by current reality and inputs from other stakeholders. According to R14:

*"Deciding on a procurement route is not a rigid process; it emerges with current reality."*

With technology, climate change, demographics and legislations constantly disrupting the procurement process, clients noted that the peculiarity of their immediate environment, their ability to adapt to possible changes, and the extent of competition in the delivery of similar projects are critical in the selection of procurement routes. In other to ensure that effective procurement choices are made amidst uncertainties, some respondents stated that they encourage collaborative practices with other stakeholders (e.g., construction professionals, contractors, suppliers, etc.) in the form of a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which often result in the adoption of a specific procurement route across various projects. Their experience in delivering previous projects, therefore, impacts their procurement preference, with minimal emphasis on logical assumptions. While narrating his experience, R9 opined that:

*"* ... *our organization works with a dedicated team of professionals with a track record of successful project delivery. Despite the variation in project complexity, our preference for management contracting is borne out of the success we have recorded in previous projects."*

Complementing the outcome of the qualitative study, respondents were assigned the task of selecting suitable procurement routes for different projects by following the logical, stagebased procedure highlighted in Appendix A-Figure A1. For clarification, using a PEPC as an example, responses from the client concerning the procurement of a prison facility are illustrated in the second column of the decision-making chart. The PEPC assigned values of 65, 50, and 88 to indicate their consideration of basic project factors of time, cost, and quality, respectively. The PEPC also acknowledges the complexity involved in prison construction and is willing to pay for the inherent risk, necessary expertise, and the possibility of project variation. The value of 90 provided by the client at the tendering stage suggests that the PEPC is solely responsible for the choices made, and his reluctance to explore competitive bidding was demonstrated in his preference for 40 as the benchmark for competition. Consideration for dispute resolution was subsequently deemed important by the PEPC, with a value of 55 assigned accordingly. The allotted values by the PEPC were converted to "YES" or "NO" and subsequently used to establish a procurement route.

This decision-making chart compliments the subjective nature of CCs and, therefore, forms the basis for a robust decision-making framework for CCs, which is the focus of this study. As shown in Figure 1 below, sample responses of different clients to project objectives were linked to relevant procurement options. For instance, the example illustrated above aligns with a management-oriented procurement option.

**Figure 1.** Decision-Making Framework for Construction Clients.

#### **6. Discussion**

A significant number of CCs rely on their experiences in selecting procurement methods. This is because the multi-dimensional relationship between clients' expectations, project specifications, project deliverables, and procurement routes often complicate the procurement selection process. Although the use of firm, process-based procurement practices have worked in other industries [14], the possible variation in project scope makes it unrealistic to adopt a rigid approach in the construction sector [27]. Scholars have, therefore, consistently emphasized the need to simplify the construction procurement process by aligning clients' subjective attributes to project deliverables and complexities [7,32], thus, providing a mechanism for efficient decisions to be made.

Whereas existing studies have attempted to model construction procurement by focusing primarily on client classification [12,18,42], project type [4], and methodological contributions [48], this study offers a more robust and practical framework that is universally applicable to all client categories and project types, irrespective of the complexity involved. The adopted data collection process also advances the hypothetical techniques previously explored by [17] by making use of qualitative interviews that complement the practicality of the research outcome.

As shown in Figure 1, the output of this study, which is the decision-making framework, is comprised of three distinct sections:


Following the client classification by [21], the subjective nature of CCs, resulting from their cognitive ability, access to relevant information, and the dynamic nature of the built environment was explored in the prioritization of various project deliverables. The objective responses of CCs to structured questions regarding the project factors highlighted in Table 1 and outlined in the decision-making chart were also collated and codded accordingly, as part of the briefing process. The information provided on the decision-making chart was then aligned across the project objectives to arrive at suitable procurement routes for specified projects. Depending on the CCs' response to the basic project objectives of cost, quality, and time, "traditional" or "design and build" procurement options can be recommended for simple projects. However, for specialized projects that require unique expertise, collaborative practices, variation, etc., a more in-depth consideration of project aim and professional advice is essential.

Although clients' responses to the project brief suggest a procurement option, the decision-making chart also acknowledges the significance of professional advice in exploring the variants of the main procurement options. According to [33], expert advice in exploring the optimality of procurement options is vital for overall project success. This is particularly true for inexperienced clients, undertaking a complex construction project for the first time. The decision-making chart, therefore, accommodates informed professional expertise and advice on complex procurement issues relating to contracts, tendering, collaboration, and dispute management. For instance, to encourage collaboration and drive value for money, partnering could be recommended for large government projects. Experts' inputs in guiding CCs also serve as a medium for encouraging best practices across various procurement options. Advancing the view of [17] in their study of modern selection criteria for procurement methods in construction, this paper has been able to leverage CCs' subjective viewpoint in developing a decision-making framework that offers feasible procurement routes for different project types. The study outcome is also useful in comparing procurement preferences across various categories of CCs.
