Prof.dr.ir. M.H. Hermans
Professor of Public Commissioning - Department of Management in the Built Environment
"The chair of Public Commissioning focuses on identifying and professionalising the field of 'Commissioning' in the public sector, building knowledge in this area and providing education about the role of the client in the construction process. The chair was initiated by the 'Opdrachtgeversforum in de bouw', a network of twelve (semi-) public clients in the construction industry.
In the coming years we are concerned with:
- Identifying public clients in the built environment (construction, real estate, infrastructure, urban development);
- Organisational structures for public patronage;
- The role and implementation of public values in commissioning;
- Forms of collaboration in construction: typology, impact and implementation;
- Making frameworks and decision models to evaluate and choose between different forms of cooperation.
But in particular, we focus on clients in asset management. There has not only been relatively little attention in the (academic and professional) literature for commissioning work in the existing stock, but additionally dealing with the existing built environment involves special requirements in the procedure of commissioning, both in terms of content and process.
We therefore focus not only on the professionalisation of commissioning with respect to a specific task, but also on the demands that places on public organisations, the necessary organisational structures, processes and competencies.
Connecting science and practice are important to us. Therefore, we actively seek out connections with different 'types' of public clients, but also with various scientific domains such as public and business administration, purchasing & procurement, organisation and change management. "
