Model-based Construction Policy Making: Singapore Government's Strategies for the Diffusion of Prefabrication

Construct ion sector government policies are targeted towards regulation than facilitation and management. This approach often fails to integrate different segments of the public and private and seems to be inadequate in encouraging the private sector to achieve better quality construction. This situation suggests a need for a better and systematic approach for construct ion policy making. This paper suggests a model-based approach to public policy making using system dynamics approach. Singapore government's policy making efforts to encourage the use of prefabrication are discussed as an application example. This paper presents system models which discuss strengths and weaknesses of the current construction system in Singapore using casual loops, and highlights the feedback processes that would be useful in decision making for the government. Based on these system dynamics models, this paper identifies four major potential policy interventions policy interventions.