Anatomy of decision making in project planning teams

Abstract The paper examines the extent of involvement of the key parties in project planning, focusing on the anatomy of decision making within the planning team that they constitute. The involvement throughout project life is analysed by planning stages, decision-making phases, and functional plans, a classification evolved in the course of three recent studies of project planning being adopted. An overview of participation in both owner/designer and constructor planning is presented first. Then, specific representative findings of involvement in project definition and design are provided. Finally, attention is given to an investigation of the phase model of decision making used. The methodology and findings of the research demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of differentiating the project-planning process by planning parties, areas, stages, and phases.