Developing functional requirements for Temporary Housing by integrating Axiomatic Design with the 5 Gaps Model of Service Quality

Abstract

Abstract Temporary Housing (TH) schemes are a controversial component of post-disaster recovery plans, and yet they offer a fundamental service to the homeless population. Their sustainability should be understood and addressed in terms of service quality for all clients, rather than as a matter of product engineering. Since the evaluation of service quality is different from that of goods, value in TH assistance should be measured according to how well it matches clients’ expectations. This paper adopts the 5 gaps model of service quality as a framework for TH quality assurance and advances that closing the current performance gap requires tackling issues in the briefing, design, project execution and conformance phases, as well as in communication. Against this background, engineering methods such as Axiomatic Design (AD) can effectively be exploited to reduce the gap between what people want and what they get, considering the needs and objectives from humanitarian actors. Results indicate that AD can reveal conflicts and potential for cooperation between the many “clients” of TH, via the joint analysis of their different needs, and the associated Functional Requirements (FRs) and illustrates via a post-factum analysis what mechanisms need to be in place to ensure better preparedness for future disasters.