In the Netherlands, projects often can be large and complex. This creates problems regarding the responsibilities and the distribution of risks of all parties involved in the project. It is therefore of great importance that the contracts and agreements made are clear and of practical use. In the Netherlands, the UAV-GC 2005 is used to regulate this. However, the UAV-GC 2005 turned out to contain several weak points and that is why in February 2021 a consultation version of the UAV-GC 2020 was presented to improve the UAV-GC. The question according to experts is whether this improvement will solve the problems concerning the distribution of risks and responsibilities. A possible solution to the problems is the NEC 4 ECC contract from the United Kingdom.
Therefore, the following research question was asked:

“What elements or characteristics of the NEC 4 ECC could be of added value to the UAV-GC 2020 for the Dutch construction market, and could possibly complement and be implemented in the UAV-GC 2020?”

During the study it appeared that the structure and clarity in the UAV-GC 2020 can be improved, especially in the division of risks and tasks, which can be better structured. Another improvement that can be made is the communication and provision of information because these are points where communication and provision of information fall short. Finally, the way in which payment is handled in the UAV-GC 2020 can be improved, as payment and costs in the UAV-GC 2020 are currently made and determined in advance and this can be done based on wrong or insufficient information. In the NEC 4 ECC, there are several payment methods and, based on the characteristics of the project, the appropriate payment method can be chosen. This seems to be a great improvement to the UAV-GC 2020, as the way payment is regulated in the NEC 4 ECC will improve cooperation between parties and reduce the likelihood of a dispute arising.

With the answers to the sub-questions and the main questions, it is possible to answer the general research question. It can be concluded that there are three important elements of the NEC 4 ECC that could improve the UAV-GC 2020 and thus be of added value. These are the obligation of communication and continuous provision of information, the various options in the NEC 4 ECC and especially the way in which payment is dealt with in the NEC 4 ECC. The way payment is handled in the NEC 4 ECC could help the UAV-GC with a better allocation of risk and responsibility. It also creates a better understanding of the project and better cooperation between the parties if necessary.

Organizations in the construction industry are focusing more and more on sustainability. There exist various drivers and barriers (D&B) that can enhance or hinder sustainability in organizations. Research has so far mainly been focused on the primary activities within an organization. Hence, this study focused on the supporting activities (SA). This study researched what the defining moments are in the enhancement of sustainability in the SA of an engineering consultant organization. This qualitative research used the method process research, comprising a case study wherein processes of enhancing sustainability within one organization were mapped. Data for 8 cases was collected through semi-structured interviews and case documentation, within the playing field of the most important D&B. Case data was analyzed through the streams model of decision-making theory, existing of the problem, solution and participant stream. Furthermore, windows of opportunities (WOO) and tipping points (TP) were identified in the processes. The results include different patterns and striking observations. Most problem streams include CO2 emissions. The WOO involved raised awareness or multiple events making the problem more pressing. There were no significant TP identified throughout the cases. It was observed that awareness and intrinsic motivation form the most important drivers. The most important barriers are costs; the lack of support from employees or partners; and the lack of intrinsic motivation in the form of a lack of vision and priority. There were four most striking observations regarding the processes in the case study. The first observation is the intrinsic motivation of individuals playing a big role in the enhancement of sustainability. The second observation involves that the organization seems to hook onto trends and external events. The organization is only picking low hanging fruit, by making use of changes that are already planned or taking place, forming the third observation. The fourth observation comprises that there is a lack of clear goals, vision and priority regarding sustainability within the SA. It is therefore recommended to create a supportive and open environment for individuals that are motivated to enhance sustainability; to make use of external events, trends and of changes that are already lined up, but to not let these external occurrences determine the path towards sustainability; and to develop clear goals and a strategy for sustainability in the SA, for a more integral approach.

This thesis ‘Towards sustainable projects´ will focus on the integration of sustainability aspects in projects in the engineering industry. This research uses the following definition for ‘sustainability’: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland, 1987). This means that in this research ‘sustainability’ is about aspects which ensure that a population’s present and future needs can be met. These are in essence relevant variables within the three ‘topics’ within sustainability: environmental, economic and societal aspects. The integration of sustainability within engineering projects is still limited. Regulation and tools give guidance on integrating sustainability aspects, for example BREEAM and the Sustainable Development Goals, however, these seems to be more of an exception rather than a rule. Even though projects are part of a bigger system, they can influence the part they are involved in. As Robert Swan quotes (2012): "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” The role of project managers is to steer their projects. Project manager are the connecting link between the client and the engineers, and from this position they can influence both parties to incorporate sustainability in their projects. It is unclear what influences the incorporation of sustainability in projects, so the following main research question needs to be answered: What influences the integration of sustainability in engineering projects? In order to answer this main research question, three research steps were taken. Firstly, the most relevant sustainability aspects within projects were collected from Sustainable Impact Assessments (SIAs) from literature. Thirty aspects were selected as most important for sustainable projects as these were mentioned most in all SIAs. The thirty aspects consist of: eleven aspects about the environment, for example minimising CO2 emissions or minimise the amount of waste; eleven aspects about society, for example development of human capital or respecting human rights; and eight aspects about economy, for example procurement and business agility. Secondly, a group of 20 Dutch project managers of Royal HaskoningDHV with various types of projects within the engineering industry ranked the thirty sustainability aspects based how difficult it was to integrate the sustainability aspects in their project. It was determined that the aspects about people were most easy to integrate, meaning ‘health & safety’, ‘ethical behaviour’, ‘fair and safe labour’ and ‘human rights’. On the other hand, the most difficult aspects to integrate were the aspects about planet, meaning ‘transport’, ‘CO2 emissions, ‘harmful emissions’ and ‘material efficiency’. Thirdly, the participants were asked to give motivations for ranking the five most easy and most difficult sustainability aspects to integrate in projects, as they have during the second step. It was expected that project characteristics as the type of project, the type of client and the project size would influence the ease of integrating sustainability aspects in projects. Results show that the integration is influenced more by the personal motivation of the client, the project manager or the company strategy and vision, rather than by the project’s characteristics. This is shown in the interviews and because there is no direct link between the sustainability aspects and the project’s characteristics. In order to answer the main research question, the most influencing reasons can be divided into five groups: process, product, supplier, client and society.

Project scope is the work that must be accomplished to produce a deliverable with specified features and functions. The deliverable can be a product, service or other result (Kerzner & Saladis, 2010). A project scope with clearly defined goals and objectives has been verified as a dimension for project success by some researchers. Furthermore, projects often seem to grow naturally as the project progresses from inception through design development to construction (Jennifer S. Shane, 2009). Observations from literature and practice show that poor scope management and control is the leading cause of project failure. O. Hussain, (2012) states that scope creep is one of the leading causes of project failure globally according to the 2010 Global Survey...