From is to ought - formalising public sector briefing for hospital buildings - Presented at the South African Federation of Hospital Engineering & The Clinical Engineering Association of South Africa

Abstract

Transforming strategic plans into physical infrastructure requires the preparation of briefing documents for the professional team. This task is both complex and specialised, particularly in the case of health-care infrastructure. This paper explores ways in which briefing documents are prepared for public sector hospitals both in South Africa and abroad. Notwithstanding the particular opportunities and constraints of South African context, to what extent should South Africa formalise briefing procedures in order to improve hospital buildings? In order to address this question, the following method, discussed more fully in the paper, was adopted. First researchers attempt to define more carefully what a briefing document is, and to describe the South African context. This is followed by a literature review which was undertaken to explore some international brief writing practices. A rapid survey was undertaken in an attempt to understand the South African situation both in terms of how it currently functions (what is), and how contemporary South African public health-care infrastructure brief writers perceive that the process should be conducted (what ought). In the section “thoughts about ought”, best practice and the South African context are discussed.