The development and application of construction award profiling
Michael Keith Campbell, Summer 2005
Brief:
Awards, honors, and recognition, when effectively administered, provide prestige to the bestowing organization, value to the recipient, and reflect positively on the industry. This study examines Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) awards, the means by which awards can be influenced and enhanced, and their potential as a toll to influence industry image. Research was conducted to identify AEC awards and develop a methodology and graphical model that facilitates award profiling and evaluation. Prestige and value emerged as prevalent concepts underlying the industry!s most respected awards. By analyzing four principles, Purpose, Projection, Process, and Practice, via criteria and metrics, a greater understanding of award strength and weakness can be obtained. This mechanism can be used for analyzing awards and identifying best practices. However, the power of the methodology lies in its usefulness as an award self-analysis, continuous improvement, and benchmarking tool. Case studies of the methodology!s application verified that the tool effectively identified strengths and weaknesses in the participating award programs, as well as, in the profiling methodology itself. Through self-assessment, continuous improvement, and benchmarking practices, industry awards will be able to enhance and distinguish their awards both within and beyond the industry. This thesis introduces the methodology, its development, and application. Key Words: Construction awards, award profiling, award evaluation, self-assessment, continuous improvement, award benchmarking.