Management contracting: the client's view

One of the features of the construction industry of the late 1970s and the early 1980s has been the emergence of a diversity of building procurement methods. Among the most popular has been "management contracting" (MC), and this has assumed a prominent place in the battery of procurement methods offered by contractors. The writers (1984) have defined management contracting as the "process whereby a contractor is employed to undertake the co-ordination of specialist sub-contractors to complete a project. The management contractor relies upon a percentage fee or a lump sum to be remunerated for the services offered. The management contractor becomes associated with the client team of professional advisors and in common with other professionals has liability for the provision of a professional service." This paper presents some research findings from the Construction Study Unit at Brunei University. It summarizes the development of and the market for management contracting in the U.K. It then reports the results of interviews with construction clients who are asked to compare management contracting with the traditional method of project procurement.