Use of new models of construction procurement to enhance collaboration in construction projects: the UK construction industry perspective

Purpose: The lack of collaborative working within the UK construction industry is a long-standing issue that has often been highlighted. As a result, the construction industry in the UK is encouraged to use novel procurement methods to create a collaborative working environment. This study aims to explore the collaborative features of the three new models of construction procurement introduced by the UK Government Construction Strategy in 2012.

Design/methodology/approach: Existing research/literature was reviewed to establish the key collaborative features of the new procurement models, and a questionnaire survey was adopted to obtain views of industry practitioners. A Relative Importance Index was used to analyse the collected data.

Findings: The sample of construction practitioners surveyed largely agrees with the effectiveness of collaborative features integrated within the models, with the benefits offered by early contractor involvement being seen as the most effective feature allowing collaboration. Contractual incentives, improved communication procedures and constant reflection and feedback can be used as effective strategies to enable greater collaboration in projects that use these new procurement models.

Research limitations/implications: Findings reported in the paper could help achieve greater collaboration in construction projects executed using the new models of construction procurement.

Originality/value: This study sheds light on the scepticism and/or conviction of industry practitioners regarding the collaborative benefits offered by the new procurement models, which have not yet been subjected to significant academic scrutiny.