Introduction

The client best practice guide’s online maturity assessment profile tool, ClientMAP, is freely available through the Institution of Civil Engineers website. ClientMAP has been developed to help clients assess their readiness and ongoing capability to lead construction projects in relation to the best practices identified in this guide.

ClientMAP is a self assessment questionnaire that will help users challenge their own thinking and guide activities within the project to help maximise their effectiveness. Whilst it is based entirely around best practice guidance found in the guide, tools of this type do not replace the personal experience necessary to deliver major projects and nor are they a substitute for seeking sound advice from professionals. However, a ClientMAP assessment will complement these activities by providing a consistent and structured appraisal of capabilities. These can be monitored over time and between projects contributing to increased effectiveness and ultimately to more certainty about project success.

The assessment is divided into three sections, each covering a number of chapters in the guide –

Chapter Assessment tool sections
1. What makes a successful client?
2. Essential stages of a project
3. Developing a delivery strategy
4. Establishing the client team
Setting up for success
5. Procuring the supply team
6. Caring for people and the environment
Integrating the teams
7. Keeping everything on track
8. Taking responsiblity for the end result
Driving for results and outcomes

ClientMAP can be used at any stage in the project’s lifecycle. At the start of a project it can test a client’s intentions and plans, and once underway it can be used to assess the reality of the developing situation in the project and provide guidance on opportunities to improve.

The benefits of using ClientMAP are:

  • rapid and accessible self-assessment of a client’s readiness and ongoing capability to lead projects in relation to best practices, setting the project up for success
  • structured and consistent analysis of client capabilities that can be monitored for improvements over time and between projects, enabling benchmarking against the best
  • ready identification of strengths and opportunities for improvement that can be incorporated into project development plans, driving continuous improvement.

Only registered clients can utilise the tool. To register, please use the link above. If have previously registered, you may sign in to either start or complete your questionnaire.