Publisher's Synopsis
An important key to successful building is the close involvement of the client, or his specially appointed representative, with the project. Increasing attention is now being given to the role of the client and how he can contribute most effectively to the success of the building project. Following the important lessons that came out of its research study "Faster Building for Industry", the Building Economic Development Committee published a booklet "Thinking about Building" which identifies for the client seven steps to success.;The third of these steps is the careful definition of the project requirements - the preparation of the brief. Only the client knows what he wants. The process of preparing and developing a brief, generally with the help of a principal adviser, provides him with the opportunity to set this down in a way which will most usefully assist those who are involved with the project. But more than this, an initial brief can be helpful in selecting advisers, and later developments of the brief can be valuable aids to other steps to success, such as the selection of a procurement path, choosing organizations to be employed and appraising sites.;This booklet provides a framework, in the form of a checklist, to aid briefing and suggests ways in which the early stages of building projects might be set up and carried out to ensure that the outcome of the project will be satisfactory to the client. The ideas presented stem from research studies of the design process and from detailed discussions with practitioners - both clients and consultants, national and international. They are therefore relevant to all members (or potential members) of project teams.;Inexperienced clients should not be deterred by the detailed informaton set down in this booklet. This simply reflects the complexity of the building process and the importance to the overall success of the project of identifying all the relevant facts at the outset. Help can always be obtained from those employed as principal advisers, and further information is available in the form of client guides to the construction industry, details of which are given at the end of this booklet.
