Schiphol Airport, a critical hub for international travel, operates in a highly unpredictable environment, influenced by economic instability, changing regulations, resource shortages, and geopolitical tensions. Despite these challenges, Schiphol remains one of the world’s leading airports, with plans for continued growth, including a six-billion-euro investment in future maintenance and projects. Managing this dynamic landscape requires a resilient approach to project portfolio management (PPM), which has traditionally focused on aligning projects with broader organizational goals. However, increasing uncertainty poses significant challenges. Traditional PPM can be extended through the application of two types of capabilities: Dynamic and Ad-hoc. Dynamic capabilities are structured, formalized capabilities that enable organizations to sense uncertainties, seize opportunities, and reconfigure portfolios to adapt to disruptions. In contrast, ad-hoc capabilities provide flexible, improvised responses grounded in situational judgment to address unforeseen challenges. By integrating these capabilities, a hybrid approach could balance different responses, enhancing resilience in dynamic environments. Therefore, this research explores the hybrid application of dynamic capabilities (DCs) and ad-hoc capabilities (AHCs) to manage disruptions within Schiphol’s project portfolio.

Using Schiphol Airport as a case study, the research investigates when and how dynamic capabilities are complemented by ad-hoc capabilities to manage disruptions. The study aims to answer the main research question: In what context can ad-hoc and dynamic capabilities complement each other to manage disruptions in project portfolios?

This question is addressed through a comprehensive literature review, document analysis, interviews with 11 decision-makers, and an expert judgment session with seven professionals. The research explores how these capabilities are applied in practice and offers recommendations for managing uncertainty in complex environments.

The case study of Schiphol Airport identified 13 disruptions, stemming from different sources of uncertainty, namely single-project (e.g., unexpected weather), organizational complexity (e.g., resource shortages), and environmental (e.g., COVID-19 impacts) disruptions. The analysis revealed 24 capabilities employed to manage these disruptions. Dynamic capabilities included sensing capabilities (e.g., resource monitoring), seizing capabilities (e.g., prioritization, escalation), and reconfiguration capabilities (e.g., workforce adjustments, project postponements). Ad-hoc capabilities comprised situational data gathering and improvised problem-solving, which addressed immediate challenges when structured approaches were insufficient.

The findings illustrate how a hybrid approach integrates ad-hoc and dynamic capabilities to manage both foreseen and unforeseen disruptions through two types of hybrid approaches. Type 1 involves ad-hoc data gathering complementing dynamic sensing and seizing by providing situational insights during critical decision-making. Type 2 involves ad-hoc problem-solving, offering immediate responses to challenges such as resource shortages and severe weather impacts, filling gaps when dynamic capabilities alone are inadequate.

Schiphol Airport’s hybrid approach to managing disruptions also demonstrates the complementary roles of dynamic capabilities (DCs) and ad-hoc capabilities (AHCs) under different conditions:

Impact and Capabilities: AHCs are used for localized disruptions, like security lane shortages or weather-related issues, where quick adjustments are needed without portfolio-wide coordination. In contrast, when disruptions affect broader operations, DCs are essential for coordinated, strategic responses, as seen with the pandemic or security personnel shortages.

Response Time and Capabilities: Delayed responses limit the applicability of DCs, leading to an increased reliance on AHCs. For example, delays in addressing security personnel shortages or weather conditions required Schiphol to use reactive, ad-hoc measures. Timely identification of disruptions is crucial to fully leverage DCs, while delays necessitate improvised solutions.

The expert judgment session reinforced these findings, suggesting the need to integrate lessons from AHCs into structured decision-making at the portfolio level. This integration could strengthen the hybrid approach, offering a more cohesive strategy for managing disruptions across both project and portfolio levels.

The Dutch government aims for a fully circular built environment by 2050, transitioning from a linear to a circular economy. This involves establishing construction hubs, divided into circular hubs (focusing on closed-loop material chains) and non-circular hubs (focusing on efficient transportation). Currently, only a small fraction of construction and demolition waste is reused, making the role of circular construction hubs crucial.

This study investigates how to stimulate the realisation of urban mining hubs in the Netherlands. The primary research question is: How can the realisation of urban mining hubs in the Netherlands be stimulated? Data was collected through a literature review and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the construction sector.

Findings highlight the undefined role of hubs within the urban mining process and the advantages they offer, including resource conservation, financial savings, and employment opportunities within a circular economy. Barriers include insufficient material supply and demand, inventory uncertainties, and inadequate legislation. An actionable framework was developed, consisting of three phases: initiation, optimisation, and expansion, with a focus on innovation, education, and collaboration among stakeholders.

The complexity inherent in large infrastructure projects often results in project delays, cost overruns, and failures. Managing this complexity, particularly in the construction industry, is essential for improving project outcomes. This research aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on project complexity by exploring the interdependencies between elements of complexity in infrastructure projects. Using a case study of the Zuidas-Tunnels project in the Netherlands, this study applies a hybrid fuzzy method to identify the most significant elements contributing to project complexity and analyze their interdependencies.

A literature review and exploratory interviews were conducted to assess existing complexity management strategies. The research utilizes the TOE (Technical, Organizational, Environmental) framework to categorize 47 complexity elements. The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methods were applied to model and analyze these interdependencies between these elements.

The results reveal that understanding the relationships between complexity elements is crucial for effective complexity management. This insight can help project managers develop more targeted strategies to mitigate complexity's impact, thus improving the performance of large-scale infrastructure projects. The study concludes by recommending that such methods be integrated into project management practices for dynamic assessment and management of complexity throughout the project lifecycle.

Infrastructural construction projects in the Netherlands, such as roads, bridges, and tunnels, have become increasingly complex. This complexity introduces various risks, which are further compounded by human biases during risk management processes. This thesis investigates the influence of heuristics and biases on risk assessment in infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on Dura Vermeer, a major Dutch construction firm. The primary research question addressed is: "How do heuristics and biases influence project risk assessment, and what role can serious gaming play in enhancing awareness and management of these cognitive factors?"

The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining literature review, semi-structured interviews with risk and project managers at Dura Vermeer, and a serious game designed to simulate decision-making processes.

The study identifies several common biases, such as the representativeness heuristic, affect heuristic, and optimism bias, which significantly impact risk assessments. The literature review provides a theoretical framework on the impact of heuristics and biases on risk management. Interviews reveal that while risk assessment at Dura Vermeer follows structured methodologies, biases still influence the decision-making processes. The serious game, incorporating real-life scenarios from Dura Vermeer's projects, demonstrates its effectiveness in engaging participants and fostering a collaborative environment where biases can be identified and addressed. The serious game also highlights discrepancies between perceived and actual use of biases, indicating a lack of self-awareness among professionals.

Findings suggest that although biases are acknowledged, there is a preference for objective risk assessment methods. Serious gaming emerges as an effective tool for increasing awareness of biases, thereby improving risk management practices. The study concludes with recommendations for integrating serious gaming into risk management training at Dura Vermeer, emphasizing its potential to enhance team dynamics and decision-making processes. This research contributes to both theoretical and practical understanding of risk management in construction, offering insights into how biases can be managed to improve project performance. The insights gained provide a foundation for further research and practical applications in the construction sector.

A construction project is inherently complex, involving numerous stakeholders, lengthy timelines, and intricate relationships, leading to significant risk potential. The increased complexity of construction projects and the fact that a large percentage of projects are still delivered with significant delays and cost overruns has led to the necessity of applying different methods by the project managers and the teams. Agile project management is an example of that as its implementation in construction projects can help increase flexibility, achieve continuous improvement, help the project stay on track without schedule overruns and achieve an overall improved quality through effective collaboration and constant feedback. Despite agile project management's flexibility and continuous improvement benefits, its integration with risk management remains underexplored in the construction industry.

The objective of this study is to propose a framework that could help improve the risk management project by offering a more proactive approach and at the same time enhance people’s engagement with risks. The goal of this thesis project is to support construction companies in approaching risk management in a way that incorporates agile methods.

Implemented in a project and evaluated through questionnaires and a focus group, the framework showed promise in elevating risk awareness and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. However, incomplete implementation of some elements limited definitive effectiveness assessments. Subsequent expert judgment sessions confirmed the framework's potential in proactive risk identification and management, alongside the initial findings of heightened awareness and collaboration. Recommendations for improvement include clearer risk impact depiction and explicit framework objectives communication. Essential for success are targeted risk training, clear vision articulation, and structured step-by-step implementation supported by project managers and risk coordinators.

In summary, the proposed framework merges agile principles with risk management, aiming to cultivate a proactive risk culture, enhance team communication, and mitigate increase engagement with risks. While showing significant benefits, it also highlights the need for adjustments to fully realize its effectiveness in the construction industry's risk management practices. This study underscores the importance of agile methodologies in enhancing traditional risk management approaches, offering insights for future application and refinement.

Hospitals are part of the vital and vulnerable infrastructure in the Netherlands. Failure of such infrastructure may have severe consequences on a national scale. The Dutch flood risk management approach aims to prepare hospitals for floods through spatial adaptation. However, the current policy does not prescribe concrete guidelines for consistent decision-making and implementation of flood strategies to increase flood preparedness of hospitals. The engagement of stakeholders in this process is also arbitrary.

The main research question is: “How can flood preparedness of hospitals in the Netherlands be assessed and improved?” The main aim of this research is to quantitatively assess the flood preparedness of hospitals to enable comparison between flood strategies and to make recommendations on which stakeholders should be engaged for the implementation of flood strategies and how this can be achieved.

Six different flood preparedness indicators were selected that together describe flood preparedness of hospitals. Based on these indicators, the impact of several flood scenarios on the Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis (RdGG) and Erasmus Medical Centre (EMC) was quantitatively assessed. The costs per flood strategy are highest for “shelter in place with additional measures”, followed by both “shelter in place without additional measures” and “preventive evacuation”. “Accept” is least expensive. The number of fatalities per flood strategy for the RdGG (0,2 to 2,1 fatalities) is much lower than for the EMC (18,8 to 195,3 fatalities). Furthermore, it was determined which stakeholders should be engaged for the implementation of each flood strategy. Experts who have experience with hospital floods were interviewed to obtain their view on how these stakeholders could be engaged.

In conclusion, essential hospital functions can be categorised based on the flood preparedness indicators and flood strategies can be quantitatively compared. For the RdGG and EMC, "shelter in place with additional measures" yield the least amount of fatalities and is therefore the "best" flood strategy. The Executive Board of a hospital, hospital personnel, water boards, municipalities and safety regions should be engaged to realise the implementation of flood strategies. Experts with lived experience recommended to engage stakeholders through legislation or creating awareness.

It is recommended to calibrate the number of fatalities based on historical flood events and to analyse the vulnerability of the regional healthcare system to supplier failure during floods.

Organisational learning has been essential to the success of project-based organisations, especially in the construction sector, where complex infrastructure projects require effective knowledge sharing, retention, and application. However, many organisations have been struggling to fully utilising their accumulated knowledge of the organisational memory, leading to inefficiencies and improvement opportunities have been missed. In this research has been investigated how social learning is activating organisational memory and is being applied within project-based organisations.

To explore this, the research has been structured into three parts. In part 1 the theoretical groundwork has been laid through a literature review on social learning, organisational learning, organisational memory in project-based organisations, and memory activation dynamics. In part 2 practical insights from semi-structured interviews with ten tender experts at Count & Cooper have been gathered. The thematic analysis of these interviews has been revealed how organisational memory, organisational learning, and social learning are interconnected within the dynamic environment of project-based organisations. In part 3 a problem-based learning (PBL) workshop simulating a portion of the tender process has been involved, providing practical observations on how social learning practices are influencing organisational memory use in decision-making.

The findings have been revealing a complex, dynamic flow within organisational memory, showing how it is being accessed and is being activated in non-linear ways through social learning practices. This research has been challenging the view of organisational memory as a static repository, showing it is continually being reshaped within project-based organisations (PBOs). Pattern recognition, emotional triggers, and competing memories have been shaping how organisational memory is being activated and being used. Through social learning, members are engaging with various forms of conscious, automatic, objectified, and collective knowledge, often uncovering overlooked or competing knowledge of the organisational memory. Social learning has been facilitating knowledge retention and application while guiding members through these diverse memory flows, aiding them in navigating and learning from organisational challenges.

The research has been highlighting a shift toward more structured social learning practices to ensure systematic sharing of insights across the organisation. While unstructured practices, such as informal mentorship, have been remaining essential for collaboration, time pressures in PBOs have often been limiting the revisiting of prior knowledge, causing insights to become siloed and leading to organisational forgetting. Yet, this process has also been promoting growth by discarding outdated knowledge, allowing room for innovation. Consequently, organisational memory has been emerging as both a valuable resource and a potential liability, depending on how it is managed and have being used.

In conclusion, this research has been providing insights into how social learning practices are generating and activating organisational memory, allowing organisations to capitalise on it as a resource. Through social learning, members have been using pattern recognition, emotional triggers, and the resolution of competing memories to increase awareness of organisational memory’s facets, ensuring relevant knowledge is being accessed, being applied, and being used for learning. This approach has been supporting decision-making, has been reducing corporate amnesia and has been fostering continuous learning across the organisation, preventing the reinvention of the wheel by drawing on different parts of organisational memory. By fostering environments where social learning is being encouraged where knowledge is being exchanged, validated, and applied by which organisations have been reducing knowledge fragmentation and forgetting, enhancing accessibility, and preventing silos. The findings are suggesting that project-based organisations would be benefitting from a hybrid social learning model combining structured and unstructured approaches.

Governments worldwide are planning car-free policies to increase the livability of cities. However, car-free policies often face opposition from local stakeholders, and policy-makers often lack relevant model indicators to represent all stakeholder interests in their ex-ante car-free policy evaluations. Well-being (Dutch: Brede Welvaart) indicators can be more relevant for the various stakeholder interests in car-free policies by covering aspects in the domains of living environment, accessibility, safety and health. This thesis investigates how relevant well-being indicators can be selected and operationalised for the ex-ante evaluation of car-free policies. A well-being indicator selection process was developed and applied to a case study in the Oude Westen neighbourhood in Rotterdam. This process involved conducting thirteen semi-structured stakeholder interviews. The resulting stakeholder interests were analysed to determine the relevant aspects of well-being and the relevant indicators for these aspects. From the shortlist of relevant indicators, three indicators were selected and operationalised in this thesis. At last, two validation interviews were conducted to validate the results of this case study and the developed indicator selection process.

The most relevant stakeholders - municipality, local residents, and local business owners - were selected to be involved in the well-being indicator selection process in the case study. Based on their interests, the most relevant aspects of well-being were found to be the use of space, accessibility of mobility options, accessibility of activities, traffic safety, and noise pollution. This resulted in the operationalisation of three indicators: the use of space for car parking, the number of mobility options, and the traffic mix safety warning.

While the small sample size does not allow for generalisation of the case study results, the results of this thesis do show that the well-being indicator selection process can yield relevant indicators of well-being and that this process can be applied in practice. The operationalised indicators can be relevant to represent stakeholder interests in car-free policy evaluation and can be applied to other cases as well. However, the relevance of the indicators does depend on the type of policy and the stage of the planning process. Using well-being indicators in policy evaluation can enhance the relatability of the evaluation results for stakeholders and potentially increase stakeholder support for policies.

Innovative projects have a high failure rate, which is costly in terms of wasted raw materials and technical resources if the facility does not operate. In this master's thesis, the applicability of modular design for reusing the equipment is evaluated in an effort to decrease this waste and improve the circular market.
To encourage businesses to employ modular design and reuse the equipment in their projects, multiple suggestions are offered. One of the most important first steps for adopting this method seems to be raising awareness and developing a culture where new ideas are encouraged and accepted.

This Matster thesis explores the topic of Culture in the built enviroment and how raising awareness should be implemented in future EPC Projects. Literature data combined with Interviews produces a recomendation to implement in Future projects.

As the effects of climate change have been negatively impacting the environment, several industries have started to work towards minimizing them. The construction industry is responsible for 40% of the global carbon emissions and many companies are currently working on net-zero and other sustainability goals. As several sustainability practices are implemented in sustainable construction projects, complexity, as well as opportunities, can arise in the front-end phase of projects. The positive impact that complexity can have on projects, as well as the link between complexity and opportunity are overlooked in the literature. The main objective of the study is to fill these two knowledge gaps by developing a framework which illustrates how complexity can generate opportunities. This is achieved by using three main qualitative research methods: literature review, case study analysis, and expert evaluation, in the context of sustainable construction fit-out projects in the private construction sector, with the focus on the front-end phase of projects. The current study shows that complexity in sustainable construction projects is different from general construction projects, due to factors such as the project sustainability scope and goals, sustainability strategies that are implemented, and required team and knowledge. By comparing four projects in the Netherlands, Ireland, and the UK, it is found that the most common elements of complexity in sustainable construction projects are fixed project schedule, project team’s lack of expertise in implementing sustainability, difficulties in implementing sustainable project management, and stakeholders’ lack of understanding of sustainability. The link between complexity and opportunity is illustrated through the connection between complexity and risk, while the way to generate opportunities from complexities is suggested by using management strategies to deal with complexity. The main management strategies found in the study are analysed in terms of the control and interaction allowed in each of them. Some of the strategies are the clear understanding of sustainability requirements, engaging the relevant stakeholders early upfront, and analysing and suggesting different scenarios and methods. Some of the most common opportunities in sustainable construction projects are related to sustainability management, work processes, lifestyle, training and education, costs, and quality. The CMO opportunity-identifying framework is developed, which shows that project members can generate opportunities from complexities in sustainable construction projects by using combinations of management strategies based on control and interaction. A few recommendations for project members in the industry are to be aware of complexity and to actively look for opportunities. Clients are advised to clearly translate sustainability into project requirements and to allow flexibility in the project schedule and budget. Further research can be conducted to test the CMO framework and analyse complexity, opportunities, and management strategies in different types of projects, countries, and by considering other stakeholders.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of the two-phase delivery method, focusing specifically on its potential to address integrated project delivery challenges, and to propose improvements to the use of the delivery model. Using two Rijkswaterstaat-projects as a case study, the research question seeks to enhance the use of the two-phase delivery model in mitigating current procurement issues. The main question of this research is: How can the two-phase delivery model be enhanced to address the prevalent issues in the procurement of construction projects? By evaluating the effects of the two-phase delivery method on (procurement) challenges, recommendations for the improvement of the application at Rijkswaterstaat are given.

In the last decade, the Bouwteam concept has become increasingly popular in the construction industry. A Bouwteam agreement is a bilateral agreement between a client and a main contractor, in which the main contractor is involved at an early stage. An advantage of a Bouwteam collaboration is that risks which occur in the construction phase are mitigated in the design phase. In practice, both the client and the main contractor can employ third parties to transfer parts of their design responsibilities. In the recent Bouwteam models, there is the possibility that a substantial part of the design responsibility is passed on to the main contractor and his third parties. These third parties have an increasing influence on the achievement of project goals, which are usually the design quality, design costs, design planning and client satisfaction. Hence, this research is focused on the implementation of contractual incentives for the designing third parties, who are employed by the main contractor in a Bouwteam. The contractual incentives are used to influence the performance of these third parties, in such a way that Bouwteam goals are achieved.

The construction sector owns a bad reputation in terms of performing on time and within budget. The inherent characteristics of large construction projects of complexity and uncertainty play an essential role in such deviations. While current project management and risk management approaches cannot fully predict, prevent, and enable the successful conquering of disruptions, the resilience-based project management approach seems like a promising solution. However, the resilience concept is still new in the construction industry and few literature works tackled this area with low consensus. Whereas in practice, the concept is still not explicitly used. It is not clear yet what constitutes a resilient construction project and what elements contribute towards resilience. Therefore, this research aims to understand the resilience concept at the level of a construction project, uncover the elements contributing to building resilience and introduce these in one solid framework that aids in building, evaluating and enhancing resilience in construction projects.

Based on an inductive approach this research resulted in a framework, the PRL resilience framework for construction projects, based on theory and practice. To build the framework, related literature work was reviewed, and 16 interviews with professionals experienced in complex construction projects (infrastructure projects) were interviewed. For evaluation, the framework for three study cases and was found acceptable to satisfactory. The framework consists of 87 elements assigned into three dimensions (proactiveness, reactive capacities, and learning), and 15 related project management areas: Client management, stakeholder management, monitoring and control, partners, mother organization, risk management, project manager, project team, schedule management, change management, contract management, project management approach, information management, tender management and design management. The resilience of a construction project can be defined then as the ability of a construction project to overcome disruptive events (preserve its well-functioning and ability to perform to achieve expected targets) fast and without bypassing the current most valuable project objectives thresholds, enabled by proactiveness (Awareness, anticipation, alertness), reactive capacities (absorptive, adaptive, recovery), and learning.

Main future research work related to the resilience of construction projects is suggested as follows: (1) further research towards identifying the weights of each resilience element, (2) link project complexity elements (suggested using TOE framework by Bosch-Rekveldt et al. (2011)), to be used to design and tailor resilience elements from the PRL framework based on project-specific complexity scan, (3) Applying the PRL framework to different types of projects, (4) Investigating the concept of resilience on portfolio level and program levels.

Since the financial crisis of 2007, construction companies in the Netherlands have seen shrinking profit margins, due to for instance project and process success criteria that have been extended beyond economic objectives to include environmental and social requirements, increasing stakeholder requirements, disrupted supply chains due to global shocks, increased material costs and labor shortages. As part of the call for the continued professionalization of internal business processes, aimed at increased transparency and improved accountability, a holistic approach to risk management at the enterprise level has been on the rise to deal with cross-company risk. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is the leading paradigm for holistic company-wide risk management as it aims to bridge the traditional company silos and connect risk management, decision-making, company objectives and control structures.

Designing and developing an ERM system at a construction company requires a customized approach that strikes a balance between top-down and bottom-up information flows and diverse sectional interests while aligning vertical and horizontal risk management (RM) and internal control (IC) structures in order to sculpt an ERM system that is fit-for-purpose. In spite of efforts to the contrary, the academic literature shows however that ERM implementation can often result in decoupling (Arena et al., 2010). When this happens, ERM and RM processes are not integrated into work practices and are perceived as cumbersome tick-the-box exercises, contributing little to core tasks, and are seen as compliance and assurance controls for the benefit of external stakeholders that purport to achieve the “risk management of everything” (Power, 2004) which due to a lack of any real meaningfulness in the minds of practitioners leads in fact to the “risk management of nothing” (Power, 2009).

The integration of existing RM and IC practices into a company wide risk management system is no easy task. External frameworks such as COSO’s Enterprise Risk Management Framework (2004) offer prescriptive, idealized guidance that is difficult to translate to practice. The academic literature shows that contextual factors play a critical role in designing ERM systems and therefore the quality and influence of these factors must be identified and understood in order to shape ERM implementation in a specific setting. This study promotes the argument put forth by multiple authors such as Bresnen et al. (2004), Hsu et al. (2014) and Jack & Kholeif (2007) that the use of domain theory (i.e. theory on ERM and organizational culture) combined with social theory (i.e. theory from the field of sociology and behavioral sciencies) can offer a more complete view of the factors at play in this process. To this end, concepts from Giddens’ Structuration Theory (1984) have been used as sensitizing concepts in the analysis of the data. The central tenet of ST is the ‘duality of structure’ which examines the relationship between the ST idea of ‘structure’ (i.e. organizational structures of meanings, power and norms) and ‘agency’ (i.e. actions of organizational actors). In this study, the examination focuses on how decisions and resulting actions of the board and top management (ST agency) affects company risk culture and the design of formal ERM elements (together ST structures). The outcomes of this feedback loop can be observed in ERM and RM practices at different levels of the company though time. Analyzing ERM implementation in this way offers a view on how ERM and RM practices change or endure and lays bear the mechanisms that contribute to this...

This research casts a discerning lens on Benefit Management within Dutch infrastructure projects, endeavouring to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and their practical real-world application. The aim is to augment value realization and ensure efficient resource utilization to maximize project benefits.
Infrastructure projects, distinguished by their scale and complexity, are integral to societal advancement, providing essential facilities like roads and railways. However, their extended duration, coupled with inherent risks and uncertainty, pose substantial challenges in delivering the promised benefits. Benefit Management emerges as a strategic approach to identify, plan, and realize project benefits, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. Yet, the focus on benefits often wanes as infrastructure projects move from planning to execution, leading to a potential misalignment between project outputs and intended benefits.
The research design unfolds in three methodical parts: Part 1 lays the theoretical foundation through a literature review on Benefit Management, Governance Structures, and Opportunity Management. Part 2 transitions to practical exploration, featuring expert interviews within Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to gauge Benefit Management's real-world application. Thematic analysis of interview data unveils prevailing themes surrounding Benefit Management practice in Dutch capital infrastructure projects. Part 3 proposes solutions based on synthesized findings, validated through an expert workshop, aimed at fostering a conducive environment for adopting Benefit Management practices.
Section 4 takes a deep dive into Benefit Management practice within Rijkswaterstaat's Large Projects and Maintenance department (GPO) highlighted the necessity for a holistic approach spanning the entire project life cycle. Thematic analysis revealed four significant barriers: Limited forecasting capability, Limited flexibility in output, Limited flexibility in process, and Underemphasis on social-cultural benefits.
One of the primary solutions proposed is the adoption of ex-post evaluations. These evaluations are crucial for understanding the long-term impacts of infrastructure projects and ensuring that they continue to deliver value post-completion. Experts consulted during the research underscore the importance of ongoing monitoring and assessment to maximize benefits and minimize disbenefits.
Another significant area of focus is the potential of modular infrastructure. This approach is recognized for its ability to enhance adaptability and sustainability within the infrastructure sector. The study suggests that further research is needed to explore technological innovations that could facilitate modularity, alongside an economic impact assessment to evaluate the cost-benefit aspects of such approaches.
The research also delves into the re-evaluation of contract types, advocating for more flexible arrangements that allow for adaptability and accommodate changes without significant financial implications. This is complemented by the exploration of adjustments in high-level decision-making, particularly in the Tracéwet, to enable more dynamic and responsive decision-making processes.
Furthermore, the study proposes the establishment of an Independent Mobility Authority to streamline decision-making and management within the infrastructure sector. This centralized body would assume responsibility for the comprehensive role of modern infrastructure management, thereby reducing complexities in decision-making and stakeholder negotiations.
In summary, this thesis underscores the need for a holistic approach to benefit management in infrastructure projects. It highlights the necessity of continuous evaluation, adaptable infrastructure designs, flexible contract types, legislative adjustments, and a centralized authority structure. These solutions collectively address the unique challenges of benefit management in infrastructure projects, paving the way for more efficient, sustainable, and beneficial outcomes in the sector.

This research aims to improve the structural safety of wide floor slabs with openings due to embedded non-structural elements. The multidisciplinary design of these slabs has resulted in various safety issues, including errors in the design due to the absence of a calculation method and insufficient integration between designs of different disciplines. The study assesses the influence of non-structural elements on the bearing capacity of the slab, maps possible errors in the integration process, and proposes an integrated design strategy to resolve safety errors.

The structural analysis focuses on four parameters of the openings (shape, size, longitudinal placement, height placement) and their effects on three failure modes (bending moment failure, shear failure, and interface failure). A workflow of calculation methods is formed to calculate the bearing capacity of a slab with an opening and the influence of the openings are calculated with a case study.

The management analysis assesses the integration process by examining the project process used in the building industry and comparing it to a theoretical process. It was found that the integration of the designs is heavily affected by a phase shift between the structural and mechanical disciplines. This phase shift is caused by multiple disrupting events.

Using the influence of the openings and the disrupting events, an integrated design strategy is proposed, which includes design rules and an adjusted design process. The feasibility and effectiveness of this strategy were assessed by an expert panel, who found it to be feasible if applied to all structural elements, but concluded that it could only mitigate the problems caused by the design shift. Other measures, such as changing the DNR and adapting another project delivery model, may be necessary to fully solve the safety issues.

Building upon a conceptual framework of elements that play a role in the management of uncertainties, an empirical study was performed to learn about the uncertainties in the energy transition. For this, interviews were held and an expert panel was organized.

It was found that uncertainty is an unavoidable element of project management. It is a lack of knowledge about something and its probability of occurrence and potential outcome are usually unquantifiable and immeasurable. Uncertainty is a dynamic concept of which the magnitude decreases over time as more information becomes available. Its presence complicates the management of projects as this means choices need to be made without all relevant information. Literature further showed that uncertainty management consists of different core elements: identification, classification and the act of dealing with uncertainties.

The interviews showed that currently uncertainties are not purposely handled. Based on examples and context, it could however be concluded that elements of uncertainty management are subconsciously applied. Unknowingly in the sense that they are often not used to tackle uncertainties specifically, but risks instead. The empirical study also aimed to identify the differences between the conventional energy industry and the energy transition industry. This was done to determine whether these differences would lead to necessary adaptations in the project management approach.

The final conclusion of the research is that first and foremost, the management approach should be complemented with an uncertainty management plan that extends current risk management practices. The management of uncertainties should include an identification and classification procedure before deciding on the way of dealing with uncertainties, accompanied by an appropriate response. As uncertainty develops over time, monitoring of uncertainties should be done on a regular basis throughout the duration of a project. The overall management approach thus requires a flexible attitude so that changes in the management process of a project can be made if deemed suitable or necessary.

Opportunity Management is a well-defined concept in the field of project management. However, at the same time, opportunity management is not practised very well. Under risk management, threats and opportunities are identified and managed. In practise, opportunities are overlooked while threats receive more attention. Numerous barriers to the practical use of opportunity management have been identified by researchers. Eight of the twelve barriers were found to be connected to organisational procedures and competencies. This study looked at competencies and took advice from entrepreneurs in an effort to overcome such barriers. This study aims to shed light on project managers' and entrepreneurs' perspectives on the competencies that could facilitate practising opportunity management and identify solutions to enhance opportunity management.

Project managers' and entrepreneurs' perspectives were compared using the Q-methodology. Q-analysis resulted in low cumulative explained variance (42%). The similarities and differences between the perspectives of project managers and entrepreneurs were examined in light of the Q-analysis findings. Entrepreneurial or shared competencies, such opportunity (s10), creativity (s4), and leadership (s8), received the highest overall ratings. The lowest rated competencies, in comparison, are self-management (s26), governance, structure, and processes (s7), and compliance, standards, and regulations (s2). Business developers entering a project in the conceptualisation phase found resourcefulness (s22), vision (s34) and personal communication (s12) more important. Whereas project managers are involved in the execution phase of a project, they found negotiation (s9), time (s33) and procurement (s16) more critical for opportunity management. Project managers' and business developers' differing perspectives are the result of (1) their involvement in different stages of the project and (2) their different project roles.

The difference in opinion can be overcome by increasing coherence between project managers and business developers. Project managers need to move their focal point to business oriented by fostering opportunities in alignment with the project portfolio, and opportunities in the direction of the project portfolio will help deliver portfolio benefits. According to this research, it is advised to involve the project manager in the project's conceptualization stage, and the business developer must continue to be involved during the project's initial execution stage. It will give both parties the chance to look at one another's work, gather ideas from one another, and develop a market opportunity that is viable enough to take advantage of. To identify opportunities, project managers must consider organisational strategy and portfolio benefits. Project managers should foster an environment where team members who are working in isolation can communicate and exchange ideas with people from different disciplines. Project managers need to educate their team members more about opportunity management, organisational strategy, and portfolio benefits.

Construction projects are filled with uncertainty. Such projects are becoming more complex: Many different interrelated aspects that are subject to change play a role in the delivery of construction work. This makes it interesting to know what exactly is uncertain in these projects, and what can be done to manage uncertainty. The aim of this research is to explore what aspects of complex construction projects are uncertain and what project management teams of public clients do to manage uncertainty before it impacts projects. Four complex construction projects were studied at two large public clients in the Netherlands: Rijksvastgoedbedrijf and Rijkswaterstaat. A total of 17 interviews were carried out across the project teams of these cases. A literature study was conducted to provide a theoretical basis of uncertainty in complex projects and approaches for the management of uncertainty. Uncertainty can be present in eight aspects: Objectives, methods, market, resources, stakeholders, contract, technology and environment. And managing uncertainty can be done in three ways: Learning, representing complexity and selectionism.
The results show a variety of uncertainties present in those projects: all eight aspects were found to involve uncertainty in the cases. What especially appears as a challenge is the state of objects in renovation projects. This was a significant uncertainty that played a role in three renovation cases. Interestingly, project teams know before the start of the project that this is an uncertainty, but still face surprises during the execution phase. In addition, objectives, stakeholders and environment were uncertain in most of the cases. Given this broad spectrum of uncertainties, what do project teams do to prepare for this? Public clients mainly use approaches that represent the complexity of the project. They do this mainly by using organizational structures that focus on collaboration and integration. Organizational structures are utilized to facilitate joint risk management between the contractor and the public client. In addition, other approaches are used to represent complexity. Uncertainties are identified and discussed in a
project development process to develop new project-specific knowledge. Decision-makers are often involved to increase the decision power of the project team or to escalate matters that are beyond influence of the project team. And lastly, project teams often focus on financial reserves and creating cohesion between project parties to prepare for unforeseen situations. learning is the second most used approach to prepare for uncertainty. It is mainly used in the renovation projects that were studied, where experiments at the site, use of mockups off site and pilots are introduced to learn about the interaction between the construction method, the object and the environment.
The findings show that public clients manage a variety of uncertainties through the representation of complexity in the project organization and by learning. Selectionism was not used in the cases, and it is not clear to which extent selectionism is viable in complex construction projects. Based on the literature, it is recommendable for public clients to use integrated project teams to manage complex construction projects.