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Introduction
Traditionally, construction projects have been conducted within a fragmented and adversarial environment, with delays and disputes being common (Norberg-Johnson, 2015). As such, the need to improve collaboration within construction is well documented. The KPMG Global Construction Survey of 2015 identified that 82% of construction professionals expect greater collaboration between clients and contractors (Reconomy, 2017), evidencing the desire for change.
Improved collaboration within construction is rife with benefits. Bresnen and Marshall (2000a) identify project cost and schedule reduction, alongside improved buildability and greater responsiveness to user requirements, as the main benefits of increased collaboration. As identified by Lang (2019), 91% of contractors and clients believe that increased collaboration reduces the overall risk involved in construction projects. Standard forms of contracts such as the suite of New Engineering Contract (NEC) and information technological solutions such as building information modelling are some instances where provisions have been made to capitalise on these benefits. The introduction of the new models of construction procurement (NMCP) by the UK government in 2012 was carried out with a similar view (Ward, 2019).
In this study, the NMCP relates to three new procurement methods: integrated project insurance (IPI), two-stage open book (TSOB) and cost-led procurement (CLP), each of which features collaborative working at heart to deliver value for money. Although much has been made of the potential benefits of the NMCP through trial projects, very little research has been undertaken regarding the views of industry professionals, specifically the concept of collaborative working within the NMCP, principally within an academic context (Ward, 2019). This lack of independent evidence may be a reason why these new models of procurement have not had the level of uptake expected when they were first introduced. According to the National Construction Contracts and Law Report (NBS, 2018), conventional procurement routes such as the traditional (separated) method and design and build procurement still dominate the UK construction industry, with other procurement methods being relatively niche. The NBS (2018) report does not feature the new procurement models specifically, in spite of them having been around for several years since their introduction, suggesting that their wider adoption is still in its infancy. Further investigation of the potential collaborative benefits offered by these models and the perspective of the industry practitioners will...