The development of a performance measurement framework for FE/HE co-location construction projects
Abstract
Project success is understood differently by project participants because it is multifaceted,
requiring many performance measures to determine success. Previous studies
have underrepresented the business context of projects and their role in contributing to
the success of the instigating organisation. This issue becomes particularly significant
when two or more further and higher education (FE/HE) organisations co-locate their
educational operations on a shared site and seek diverse goals from a single project. The
relationship between construction project success and long-term educational success
created the need for a comprehensive performance measurement framework that defines
the contribution of the construction project in supporting FE/HE collaborating
institutions through providing a learning environment that enhances the shared
educational activities.
This study explores the success of constructing a co-located further and higher
education (FE/HE) campus when a project definition that continues beyond construction
project completion and commissioning, and which encompasses the client’s views of
expected business benefits, is adopted. The research developed a measurement
framework capable of measuring the performance of FE/HE co-location construction
projects, in light of this broader definition.
The methodology used to achieve the research aim, influenced by the pragmatic views
of the researcher, combined several methods. A focus group identified success criteria
for constructing FE/HE co-location campuses. A questionnaire survey elicited the
relationships between success criteria from representatives of the directors, senior
administrators, and estates managers of further and higher education providers
throughout Scotland. Finally, a Delphi survey validated the performance measurement
framework by capturing the views of experts in FE/HE co-location.
The thesis contributes a comprehensive performance measurement framework
structured around two distinctive performance perspectives (performance drivers and
performance results) which incorporates multiple project success dimensions and
measures. The framework provides a structured way of aggregating performance
measures to characterise the representation of thematic performance dimensions.