Construction Professional Service Firm Management: a Longitudinal Study of Strategic Planning in Irish Quantity Surveying Practices

This paper reports on the ongoing investigation of strategic planning in Irish Quantity Surveying practices. The construction industry in Ireland has undergone a period of significant change in the last five years fuelling a shift in focus from tactical to strategic planning in professional service firms operating within the sector. A previous paper identified the type, scope and extent of strategic planning within Quantity Surveying (QS) practices in Ireland in the years up to and during the economic downturn. The current paper expands on the previous research by identifying changes in approach to strategic management within these professional service firms (PSF’s) during the recovery. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managing director of ten QS practices that participated in the earlier research prior to comparisons being made over the time period. A strategic planning process framework is presented identifying key components for consideration by practitioners and the research community.