Over the years the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence model (EFQM) has become a popular performance management tool and representation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in Europe. Although the model has been tested and supported by many questionnaire surveys, EFQM has never been validated on real self-assessment scores obtained from companies. Therefore this study validates the model on scores from 34 construction companies in South Eastern Europe. The analysis shows that: a) there is an enabler excellence construct that is obtained by each enabler criteria; b) there is a result excellence construct that is obtained by each result criteria; and c) the EFQM model is most suitable for Contractor type organizations. Furthermore, we have found that the EFQM weights do not entirely correspond with the construction industry. Therefore we present new weights for the better use in the construction. Although this study proves EFQM to be a good representation of TQM in the construction industry, further improvements are needed. This is especially evident within investor and consultant type organization, where the criteria of Policy and Strategy, Leadership and Processes, People results and Client results showed certain limitations.

Purpose: Building information modelling (BIM) literature reveals a growing interest in the development of a competency-based approach to manage the long-term goals of BIM implementation in infrastructure projects. One long-term goal is mitigation of environmental impacts (EIs). It is proposed that by integrating environmental systems within the BIM model, the technology can act as an early warning indicator to assist stakeholders identify and evaluate EIs before they become critical to delivery. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of BIM in identifying EIs on infrastructure projects and investigate the correlation between stakeholder competency and evaluation of EIs. Design/methodology/approach: In all, 71 informants that have relevant experience in infrastructure projects were investigated using a two-stage methodology comprising a questionnaire to determine the BIM indicators used to identify EIs and the stakeholder competencies required to assess and evaluate EIs and Behavioural Event Interviews (BEIs) to validate the competencies identified. Findings: The findings showed that risk assessments are the most critical early warning indicator in identifying EIs specifically when implemented within the cost management process. The key stakeholder competencies required to successfully evaluate EIs were identified as project organisation and building equitable relationships. BEIs showed these stakeholders to also have high levels of behavioural and contextual awareness. This suggests that, contrary to perceived perception, successful management of EIs is more dependent on collaborative working than the acquisition of technical skills. Findings also indicated that Croatian BIM stakeholders are less experienced than UK BIM stakeholders in project implementation and delivery and that less experienced BIM stakeholders require more emphasis on technical knowledge whilst the importance of “soft skills” is more apparent in experienced stakeholders, notably amongst the UK participants. Originality/value: The implications for infrastructure projects show that effective management of EIs can be achieved through alignment of the BIM model with the cost management plan implemented by stakeholders working collaboratively. Hence, the strategic focus for AEC companies working on infrastructure projects should be the development of staff interpersonal competencies rather than solely on project goals and/or an over-emphasis on technical skills.

There is a great deal of literature written on how different project management standards and models bring success to projects. IPMA has introduced a competence model (ICB 3.0), which encompasses 46 competences, and which, according to IPMA, increases the success of projects and the way they are managed. However, there is a scarcity of studies which support and validate this notion. Therefore, in this study we sought to find a connection between ICB3.0 and project management success by measuring the level of each ICB competence across different projects. We mainly targeted the construction industry where we analyzed 472 project management professionals, among which 88 were certified under the IPMA-4-L-C system. We found that the level of achievement of project management success greatly depends on the perception of competences. Behavioral competences were identified by the respondents as the most important ones, followed by the technical and the contextual ones. Furthermore, we found that project managers working on projects with significant time overruns did not perceive the importance of: Ethics, Information and Documentation, Health and Security, Safety and Environment. In addition, project managers working on projects with significant cost overruns did not perceive the importance of: Assertiveness, Start-up and Close-out. This research, although founded mainly on data from the construction industry, clearly demonstrates the importance of the ICB 3.0 system. Then, we call on further research which will be expanded to other industries and countries and which will validate the use of the ICB 3.0 competence system in project management

The construction sector is under growing pressure to transition from linear, resource-intensive models to regenerative, circular practices. While Circular Economy (CE), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and Agile Project Management (APM) are each recognized for their potential to improve sustainability, their combined application in construction remains underexplored, particularly among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this study, we propose a conceptual framework integrating CE as a strategic objective, APM as the procedural methodology, and BIM as the digital enabler to foster circular practices in construction. Unlike previous studies, this research empirically integrates CE, BIM, and APM into a single coherent framework tailored specifically for SMEs. The framework is informed by secondary analysis of the BLOOM project dataset (n = 153) and a targeted readiness survey (n = 98) conducted among SMEs in the Mediterranean and Central European regions. The findings reveal a significant gap between awareness and implementation: while over 75% of respondents are familiar with CE and 63% use BIM tools, only 19% demonstrate readiness to integrate all three approaches. The main barriers—training gaps, regulatory ambiguity, and digital immaturity—are explored in detail. This study contributes by introducing a five-pillar framework and by identifying and analysing specific barriers that SMEs face when integrating CE–APM–BIM practices. Nevertheless, strong conceptual alignment exists, with over 80% agreeing on the potential of CE–Agile–BIM synergy. This study offers actionable insights into overcoming adoption barriers and emphasizes the need for policy-driven pilot projects, peer learning, and tailored capacity building to foster regenerative construction practices.

The European Union's (EU) main goal, as stated in the EU Green Deal, is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the construction sector plays a significant role in this achievement through efforts to make infrastructure, commercial, and private projects more sustainable. For many years, Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) has been used to evaluate and make