An evaluation of client-generated risks in construction consultancies

To evaluate client-generated risks, client organisations were first studied and a complexity of factors influencing the decision to build identified. The intriguing issue of whether clients and consultants have the same understanding of the responsibilities of construction clients on proposed projects was examined. Using structured questionnaires targeted at these two groups and employing the relative index ranking technique evidence seems to suggest that while clients and consultants have similar perceptions of what constitute clients' responsibilities in the construction process they attach different importance ranks to them. Partnering and long term relationships will bring them closer. The capacity of construction clients to affect the performance of their project consultants was examined. A 'good' client would exert a positive influence on consultants' project performance; the converse is true. It is prudent for consultants to be aware of project-relevant attributes of their clients and the possible effects on their commercial viability. Client attributes derived from literature and a pilot survey were presented to construction consultancies in a major survey to establish possible effects on project performance. After establishing the relationship between client attributes and consultants' project performance, current client evaluation methods were critically reviewed. While there has been much work on methods for evaluating consultants and contractors by clients, it is a rarity in literature to find previous studies on client evaluation, the little available studies are limited to the evaluation of client financial stability only and done in an adhoc manner. Only recently has the evaluation of clients by consultants started gaining ground. This is due to the increasing vulnerability of consulting and contracting firms, partly to clients' action or inaction and partly due to the unstable economic situation. The thesis then progressed on to presenting a systematised quantitative framework for evaluating construction clients based on 47 organisational attributes grouped under 10 main headings. The model which enables consultants to identify particular areas of strengths and weaknesses and suggest where specific actions are needed during project implementation was tested for applicability on 29 consrtuction projects with definitive outcomes; and was found to be more conservative in identifying project outcomes in all but two outliers. A helpful tool for evaluating client-generated risks to construction consulting firms has been developed.