The 2 primary factors impacting construction outcomes in the public sector are,
#1 Owner leadership, commitment, and competence, and
#2 Construction delivery method.
Most of us are aware of the rampant, economic, and environmental waste endemic to public sector facilities repair, renovation, maintenance, and new construction.
Virtually nothing has been done to address the fundamental cause.
All the tools and services required to ensure that over 90% of projects are delivered in a quality manner, on time and on budget, however, major barriers have prevented their adoption.
The “system” is broken. The traditional practice of design, bid, build has proven antagonistic, costly, and unsustainable. Nonetheless it remains the norm. Integrated project delivery and LEAN job order contracting have proven capable of significant gains in productivity and associated cost savings. Both enable cost visibility, transparency, and management, while also developing the capabilities of all involved participants (owners, designers, builders).
Proper implementation and management of these superior project delivery methods requires fundamental change in the working environment. The associated change management process is nontrivial and requires leadership, commitment, and competence on the part of public sector owners. Therin lies the rub. Current real public sector property owners simply don’t have awareness of the issues or how to solve them. Furthermore, there is a pervasive lack of accountability and oversight.
