Selecting a suitable procurement method for a building project

Building procurement has become a fashionable term with industry practitioners and researchers. It determines the overall framework and structure of responsibilities and authorities for participants within the building process. It is a key factor contributing to overall client satisfaction and project success. The selection of the most suitable procurement method consequently is critical for both clients and project participants, and is becoming an important and contemporary issue within the building industry. The problem, nevertheless, lies in the fact that there has been limited empirical research in this field of study. Postal questionnaire surveys of 41 clients and 35 consultants were carried out, and were used to obtain experience of and attitudes to a variety of procurement methods and the criteria used for selection. The findings indicate that a simple set of the criteria generally is adequate and sufficient for procurement path selection, and that there is a reasonable consensus on the appropriate weighting for each path. Moreover, it is shown that, contrary to expectations, similar clients generally do not have similar procurement needs.