Process Protocol (P.P) as Coordination Tools between Designer, Consultant and Contractor (Construction Sector in Palestine Case Study)

Construction as a vital sector in Palestinian industry faces many problems related to stockholders in construction project, starting from the owner to the consulting engineer and the contractor. The main objective of this research is to study the current status of the construction industry in Palestine and explore the reasons behind the failures from the perspective of the relationship between the contractor, engineer and the owner. The research focuses on problems resulting from poor coordination, and provides an analysis regarding current construction processes in Palestine. Finally, the research presents a Process Protocol framework that is developed to with the aim of facilitating the coordination in construction projects. This research used a triangulation of different methods. In this research the literature review was focused on identifying the problems in the construction industry in Palestine, and uncovering the details of process protocol approach/methodology. Furthermore the review of legal documentation related to the construction industry is also conducted prior to the development of the Process Protocol Framework. Semi-structured interviews were used as the interview technique, where twenty experts including engineers, contractors, and project managers, were interviewed in a period of three months regarding i.) the major problems related to coordination and ii.) on the role of a process protocol in improving the coordination in construction projects. Six case studies are conducted during to understand the real-life processes and problems related to the coordination in these projects. The analysis of these different sources of data lead to the result that there are problems in the construction sector related to the lack of coordination. this can be categorized in six major problems:"Managerial Information, Construction, legal, Technical, Design and Financial". Additionally, the construction process in Palestine is very simple in content. It is carried out as follows: planning phase "pre-project"; design phase" initial design, development of the design, document preparation, tendering ",then the next phase which is implementation or construction phase, and the final phase which is handing over then operation. These concepts need management skills which WB lacks. The main result the researcher reached is that the Palestinian process protocol which are the modify of construction process in Palestine and depends on the principle of (PP)Process Protocol in UK with an action plan for implementation that is it suitable for government building projects which funded by donor. The study recommends that government should examine and evaluate the regulations related to constructions processes, and form a specialized body that contains engineers, contractor, governmental decision makers, law specialists and college and university teachers in order to take care and adopt all issues related to the construction process, and conduct continuous training and education programs through lectures, training courses, seminars and workshops. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing is also recommended to establish a research and development unit (R&D) and action plan to improve this sector and to overcome the dynamic impact of all problems facing the construction sector that may appear as a result of the lack of coordination in the construction process. Finally, the researcher suggest future framework to adopts and implements the Process protocol, this Framework consists of two strategies: " Short-term planning ” and Long-term planning " and these strategies consist of the following action plan elements: Regulatory and Institutional Framework, Technical Support Infrastructure, Construction Industry Actors, Identifying the Construction Process , Identifying the best practice to have strong coordination and advancing the construction process to achieve goals .