Safeguarding public values by project-based construction clients: Leads for future research

In an environment with large interdependencies like the construction industry, projectbased public construction organisations are challenged to seek for 'new' ways to safeguard public values and project outcomes. Public bodies increasingly depend on private parties to achieve public values. Hence, due to the character of their tasks, they remain socialpolitically responsible. In order to find leads for future research into safeguarding public values by construction clients, an explorative literature study was conducted. The fields of institutional logics, public organisation science and public value management were used to gain insights in relevant multi-level organisational concepts considering the meaning of public values in the daily practice of public clients. Hybridity was found as characteristic of public-private partnerships. Furthermore, the management of institutional complexity as a central task for public construction clients implies the importance of monitoring ambidexterity and accountability. Future research into the understanding of safeguarding public values at all levels of public construction clients must centralise these concepts in order to contribute to the professionalization of public construction clients.