Getting building performance right starts with the early decisions made by clients and project teams. In this course you’ll gain practical insight into how early strategic choices shape outcomes — from cost and carbon to quality and long‑term performance. You’ll come away with both understanding and tools to confidently lead better‑performing projects from the very start.

In this course you will:

• Understand why performance isn’t just a technical problem — and how to shift your approach to address it strategically.
• Learn how to set a clear performance ambition that drives decisions and helps manage risk.
• Discover what good early client engagement looks like — and how to structure it to reduce cost, carbon, and conflict.
• Explore how to build the right project team and align them behind shared performance objectives.
• Take away a practical toolkit of approaches, frameworks and resources you can apply straight into your next project.

Topics covered include:

• The need for change
• Why the problem is not technical
• Overcoming organisational and delivery barriers
• Leveraging opportunities to bring teams on board
• Managing business‑as‑usual processes for better performance
• Aligning early decisions with low carbon, low cost outcomes

This course is designed for public and private sector client groups, including:

• Project managers advising clients
• Development officers
• Policy and procurement leads
• Planners
• Quantity surveyors
• Cost consultants

This course is not tied to a single energy standard, making it relevant for anyone aiming to deliver better-performing buildings. It is particularly useful if you are considering approaches such as AECB Standard, Passivhaus, UK Net Zero Carbon, LETI, or similar frameworks.

Attending with a colleague from your organisation is recommended, helping you align decisions and apply the learning more effectively to your projects.