Clienting in major projects: beyond outputs, towards outcomes

Abstract

Client organisations commission major projects with the aim of transforming communities, driving economic growth and addressing societal challenges. However, they often struggle to ensure that these investments achieve the transformational outcomes for which they were intended, despite delivering buildings, systems and infrastructure. This persistent disconnect between intention and impact arises from a fundamental misalignment. Client organisations have in many respects mastered the procurement of outputs but remain inadequately equipped to orchestrate the outcomes that justify such substantial public and private investment. Importantly, Clients do not arrive with all the answers. The complexity, interdependencies and uncertainties inherent in major projects mean that solutions must be co-created across delivery ecosystems. The client's role is therefore not to specify every detail or control every decision, but to orchestrate the collaborative processes through which answers emerge from suppliers, users, regulators and technical experts. This orchestrating role recognises that effective clienting is about convening capability, not commanding it. Traditional client capabilities, including the 'Intelligent Client' approach, have focused on technical competency and procurement expertise. However, client organisations remain accountable for project success while often lacking the strategic and relational capabilities needed to shift from delivering outputs to stewarding outcomes. This leaves them responsible for results they lack the tools to influence. Reforms have tended to refine delivery mechanisms, strengthen governance and improve procurement, but these efforts address symptoms rather than causes. The real challenge is to move from buying completed assets to orchestrating collaborative delivery that creates lasting value. Therefore, we present the Major Projects Clienting Framework (MPCF), providing a scaffold for moving beyond incremental improvements and promotes a cultural shift where client organisations orchestrate the delivery ecosystem to achieve successful outcomes.

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ORCID for Nicholas Dacre: orcid.org/0000-0002-9667-9331

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