ABSTRACT
Introduction Managing the process is critical to successful briefi ng. In this chapter we have selected the key elements that need specifi c attention.
Defi ning the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders gives clarity, not only in decision-making but in who is expected to take what action and when. Briefi ng concerns making and managing decisions at an appropriate time. A well thought out decision-making framework will ease the fl ow of the pro cess, but a poorly considered structure will lead to confusion and costly errors. Briefi ng is a joint effort between the client and construction and design teams, and it involves people from many organisations working together. The value of team work, therefore, cannot be underestimated. For a client, one of the crucial decisions that can affect how well the relationship works is the appointment of the design team. This may be a set of individual fi rms or part of a construction fi rm, or other organisation. Selecting the design team is one element of man aging risk, which itself is an important issue in briefi ng. A structured approach to managing risk, through both identifying what the risks are, and who is best able to manage them, reduces problems during the project. Likewise, a structured approach to managing value reduces problems caused by focusing on the wrong issues in a project. Value management is often seen in a pejorative sense of cost-cutting. In truth, if value management techniques are used well they will contribute to the understanding of how the project meets the needs of the client. Another crucial decision that a client has to make is the procurement strategy for the overall project and selecting the most appropriate approach to the client’s context.
