Project Stages

A BIM project from start to finish will proceed through many stages. A successful project will have to be carefully planned through all of its stages. That is why it’s important to have all of the phases defined. An Employer’s Information Requirement (EIR) and a BIM Execution Plan (BEP) will both require clear references to the project stages for establishing programme periods and responsibilities such as within the Model Production and Delivery Table (MPDT).

This is where it starts to get a little bit confusing. When it comes to BIM Level 2; PAS1192-2, RIBA Plan of Works, the CIC BIM Protocol (and others) all have slightly deferent terms for the stages of a project:

PAS1192-2 Process Map	RIBA Plan of Work 2013	CIC BIM Protocol
	0 Strategy
1 Brief	1 Preparation and brief	1 Brief
2 Concept	2 Concept design	2 Concept
3 Definition	3 Developed design	3 Developed design
4 Design	4 Technical design	4 Production
5 Build & commission	5 Construction	5 Installation
6 Handover & closeout	6 Handover & closeout	6 As constructed
7 Operation	7 In use	7 In use

The important point here is that whatever definitions for project stages you choose to use on a BIM project they should be consistent. It is highly likely that your BIM project will have the CIC BIM Protocol incorporated into your contracts, PAS1192-2 will be referenced as an applicable standard and the RIBA Plan of Works may be referenced through their toolbox.

Arguably, the RIBA Plan of Works provides the most detailed definitions of what should be undertaken within a project stage and should probably be used as the starting point for defining the stages for each individual project. However, most projects will require a unique set of definitions to better match the needs of the project. This is why it is important to provide a table defining the stages of a project (how the stages link to other BIM documents, such as the PAS1192-2 and the CIC BIM Protocol) within an EIR which can then be used within the BEP.