One of the central tenets of integrated project teams is the distribution of leadership responsibility and decision-making power to the most able individual, or organization. On many design-build and IPD projects, this is achieved through the creation of cross-functional teams (CFTs). Each CFT is tasked with planning, designing, and constructing a specific scope or building system, while working within the project budget and coordinating with other teams across disciplinary boundaries. The result is a network of smaller teams, or clusters, that are interdependent with one another, yet operate nearly autonomously. Since CFTs are still an emerging form of organization in the delivery of capital building facilities, there is an urgent need to identify proven practices for guiding the efforts of multiple semi-autonomous teams toward the a set of shared project goals. The purpose of this research is identify a “recipe” for the successful implementation and management of CFTs in the construction industry. The results will be developed into a resource, envisioned as a playbook for owners, designers, and contractors, that will highlight tactics reliably found to improve the performance of integrated project teams.
