Criteria in consultant selection: public procurement of architectural and engineering services

Abstract

The competence, commitment and attitudes of design consultants strongly influence the quality and costs of built facilities. However, in the selection of professional services it is often difficult to specify and assess non-price criteria related to both firms and individual consultants. Therefore, clients traditionally rely on long term relations or recommendations from clients or colleagues. Public procurement regulation, however, restricts the use of such informal data. This study looks at existing purchasing practices in this context of conflicting demands. An explorative questionnaire survey distributed to Swedish municipalities investigated which selection criteria and information sources that are used and perceived difficulties and shortcomings related to consultancy procurement. Results show a high focus on price or more easily measured non-price criteria, while criteria related to design and execution of projects were less common. Furthermore, personal information sources are widely used, indicating a conflict between procurement practice and existing regulation. Thus, the survey identifies several areas where practice could be developed to improve design quality in municipal projects. Unexpectedly, municipal officials were generally satisfied with their procurement practice, especially managers, and officials with more procurement experience. Satisfaction also appears to be connected to the existence of a procurement policy and more advanced selection methods.

Paradoxes and management approaches of competing for work in creative professional service firms

“…This suggests that clients choose by taking into account professional service firms' experience, their understanding of the client needs, their organizational capabilities, the 'chemistry', and the costs of the service (e.g. Barksdale, 1994 andSporrong, 2011;West, 1997;Roodhooft & Van den Abbeele, 2006).…”

Criteria for architect selection and satisfaction among first-time private sector clients

“…Architects provide services for both public and private sector clients. In the public sector (which includes government agencies and different tiers of government), there are often well-defined criteria for the selection of service providers, and the process is often managed by persons working in related fields As indicated by researchers such as Sporrong (2011), Mathonsi and Thwala (2012) and Rönn (2014), this can make it easier for architects to position themselves to target public sector projects.…”

Strategic competences for pricing quantity surveying consultancy services

“…The pricing of professional services is therefore linked to the procurement of construction consultancy contract (Sporrong, 2011). Thus it would suffice to assert that construction consultancy services pricing competences are required during consultation process.…”

“…Improving the strategic competences of pricing construction professional services drives competitiveness and profitability of construction professional services providers such as (QS) firms (Meehan et al, 2012;Hjorth and Röström, 2012). Additionally, Sporrong (2011) highlighted the importance of soft competences in managing client-consultant relationship in construction professional services delivery.…”