Process performance indicators in project pre-design stage

Traditionally performance in construction is measured based on the "iron-triangle"- time, cost and quality. In recent years indicators have been developed to include the measurements of other aspects of project performance. The main shortcoming of these however is that most of them are lagging indicators and hence are of little use for controlling the performance during the projects. This paper reviews the existing key performance indicators, their types, use and shortcomings. The paper describes a proposed conceptual framework for developing performance indicators for the pre-design stage, of which the briefing process is an important part. In this framework a process mapping methodology is suggested to identify the main activities that take place in the pre-design phase, the dependencies between them and the stakeholders involved. Initial investigation of the proposed framework has shown that it is a viable model that has already helped in identifying the relevant processes of the pre-design phase and the related indicators.