CLIENT - Client Brief: A statement of the client's project requirements which provides the basis for its design and documentation. It fundamentally influences the nature of BIM implementation. It includes: Statement of need; Client's vision statement; Project description; Site information; Functional requirements; Design and operational policies; Performance and quality requirements; Client / Employer information requirements; Programme; Budget.

LEAD BIM ADVISER - Request for Qualifications (RQF): A request from the Lead BIM Adviser to prospective consultants and contractors for a statement of their capabilities with respect to typical types of work procured by the client.

CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS - Qualifications statements: A statement sent by consultants and contractors to the Lead BIM Adviser in response to a RFQ. They should follow the format requested in the RFQ to assist comparison.For uses where they state a capability, consultants should be requested to provide details of anything they require from other team, e.g. file formats, model, content, model setup. These statements can form the basis of a register of prequalified consultants and contractors for projects the clinet is likely to undertake, or the basis for selecting a short list of potential consultants or contractors for a specific project.

LEAD BIM ADVISER - Request for Proposal (RFP): A request from the Lead BIM Adviser to prospective consultants and contractors for a statement of their proposed response to the specific requirements of a project. The RFP includes information consultants and contractors require to make a reasonable assessment of the scope of services required so they can calculate their fees. It should include the Clint's Brief and Project BIM Brief. It may also include concept designs, schematic design, etc. Requests for Proposals are also known as Requests for Tenders (RFT), Expressions of Interest (EOI) and bidding requirements.

LEAD BIM ADVISER - Project BIM Brief (PBB): There are two key editions: Preliminary PBB: Documents the client's BIM requirements, taking into account the RQF BIM Capability Statements of consultants and contractors. Final PBB: Documents the client's BIM requirements following assessment of the RFP BIM Capability Statements of consultants and contractors. It is finalized in response to bins and any subsequent negotiations, and appended to project team Client / Consultant Agreements.

CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS - BIM Capability Statements: A statement of BIM capability provided by consultants and contractors to the Lead BIM Adviser. There are 2 types: RQF BIM Capability Statement: A statement of general BIM capability included in Qualification Statements, provided in response to a RQF. RFB BIM Capability Statement: A statement describing proposed responses to the specific requirements of the Project BIM Brief included in a consultant's or contractor's bid, provided in response to a RFP.

CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS - Consultants'bids: A documents sent by consultants and contractors to the Lead BIM Adviser in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP), which includes information such as their proposed scope of services and fees. Bids are the basis for consultant and contractor selection for the project.

LEAD BIM ADVISER - Clinet / Consultants agreements: Project Clinet / Consultant agreements should be based on industry - standard or client - standard documents and, prior to their signing, appended to the Project BIM Brief.

For templates of some of the above documents visit the NATSPEC BIM Portal. See Resources > Templates, proforma & checklists. The NATSPEC Project BIM Brief template has the advantage of being aligned with the NATSPEC National BIM Guide. See NATSPEC BIM Documents > National BIM Guide.For a template of a Client Brief visit the Australian Institute of Architects Acumenwebsite. See Project > Project inception > Brief

Figure 3.1 BIM requirements definition process

High priority should be given to determining the project procurement strategy, e.g. Design-Bid-Build (DBB) (traditional method), Design and Construct (D&C), Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), Managing Contractor (MC), Alliancing. The procurement strategy directly influences the selection of project team members and BIM processes such as model development. Contracts supporting the procurement delivery system will need to define: The integration or separation of risk and responsibilities for the design and construction contracting entities, and therefore, The division of responsibilities for model development. There may, for example, be only one BIM Manager throughout the project if D&C or ECI is used, and potentially two, a Design and a Construction BIM Manager if DBB is used. This will also influence model development. It will determine whether there are separate design and construction models, developed sequentially, or whether they can be developed in parallel or combined. How design responsibilities are distributed for major subcontract packages also directly influences the extent to which the design of building elements is resolved by one party before being passed onto another for finalisation. The procurement strategy will also determine the level of client involvement at each project stage. The commitments demanded by each procurement strategy should be clearly understood by the client when considering options.

For more information on procurement strategies and their selection visit www.natspec.com.au. See Technical Resources > TECHreports > TR 06 Procurement Past and Present. APCC also has free references on procurement. See www.apcc.gov.au > Publications

The client’s primary responsibility at project inception is to clearly define and articulate their project and information requirements. However, not all clients will be able to articulate them to the extent necessary to define detailed BIM requirements – the Lead BIM Adviser may need to assist.

References and templates that can assist the definition of client information requirements can be found at www.bimtaskgroup.org/bim-eirs

Many of the difficulties associated with implementing BIM stem from not adequately defining how it is to be used. A crucial early step during project inception is to identify which BIM uses are appropriate for realising project goals. BIM uses are deliberately not presented as being intrinsically linked to project phases. It is much more appropriate to select BIM uses that support project goals at the beginning of the project and then plan how they will be deployed during different phases of the project.

With BIM, the effective management of data is essential for anything beyond basic geometrical modelling. Each specific BIM use has significant datasets associated with it which have to be managed over extended periods of time. Each additional use multiplies the effort required to manage a model. Including non-essential data only makes finding required information more difficult – select uses carefully, and before adding any data to the model, always ask the question: “Who will need this information, and what are their requirements?” Once BIM uses have been finalised, many aspects of planning the implementation of BIM can be resolved with greater certainty.

BIM uses included in the NATSPEC National BIM Guide Depending on how they are defined, the list of uses for BIM is almost endless. The NATSPEC National BIM Guide identifies the following 24 BIM uses: 1. Modelling existing conditions. 2. Site analysis. 3. Space and equipment validation. 4. Architecture – spatial and material design models. 5. Design visualization for communication and functional analysis. 6. Documentation. 7. Code checking. 8. Sustainability evaluation. 9. Structural Modelling and Analysis. 10. Energy analysis. 11. MEP virtual testing and balancing. 12. Lighting analysis. 13. Other engineering analysis. 14. Quantity Take-off and Cost Planning - 5D. 15. Clash detection/coordination. 16. Construction system design. 17. Digital fabrication. 18. Construction scheduling and sequencing - 4D. 19. Site utilisation planning. 20. Lift planning. 21. Digital set out. 22. COBIE/commissioning. 23. Other FM information handover/commissioning systems. 24. Security assessment and disaster planning. See NATSPEC National BIM Guide Part 7: Requirements for using BIM for more detailed descriptions of these uses.

The NATSPEC BIM Portal includes a BIM uses checklist as an aid to defining the extent of BIM implementation and scope of consultant and contractor services on a project. See Resources>Templates, proforma & checklists.

Use a structured process to select BIM uses that support project goals and objectives, and align them with the capabilities of available consultants and contractors.

Goals of BIM implementation: Goals should be based on stated performance criteria, for example:

Reducing project duration.

Reducing reworks.

Improving quality or safety.

Improving building operability/maintainability.

At the outset of the process, define performance measurement methods for the purpose of comparing alternative options. Some criteria may be difficult to quantify realistically so more qualitative methods such as rating, ranking and weighting may need to be devised.

Figure 3.7 Examples of deliverables over the project lifecycle

Figure 3.7 shows the relationship between data drops and the project lifecycle. Data drops include information which assists effective decision making by the client and project team about the project.

A sample data drop specification can be found athttp://www.bimtaskgroup.org/cobie-data-drops

Categories of deliverables by type The definition of deliverables can be assisted by further categorising them for different purposes, for example:

Project description and documentation: These are deliverables required internally by the project team to progress the project’s design and construction. They include briefing documents, spatial programs, room data sheets, design development models and drawings, analysis and simulation studies, design, coordination and cost planning reports, documentation for consenting authority approval, tendering and construction, construction sequencing and site utilisation studies, as-built or record models and drawings, commissioning and handover information.These are deliverables created in response to the brief. They include items not necessarily explicitly specified by the client, but which imply, at a minimum, standard industry practice. The use of BIM and other innovations can provide benefits such as improved coordination, better cost control and design optimisation through simulation; offering new opportunities to raise project standards of quality and performance.

Project management: These are deliverables required internally by the design team for the collaborative planning, management and administration of the project. They include BIM management plans, programs, minutes of meetings, RFIs and reports on project planning, execution, progress and coordination.

Client: These are deliverables additional to those noted above which may be required to satisfy client review and approval processes, e.g. special visualisations or reports for stakeholder consultation or marketing. Reporting requirements can vary significantly from client to client and entail significant effort, so it is important that the client’s expectations in this area are well defined. Procurement strategies which involve lower levels of direct client involvement in the project may result in more time spent on formal report preparation. Apart from content, the client may have technical requirements associated with their existing IT systems, software platforms and management systems, e.g. data exchange formats, co-ordinate systems, compliance plans, delivery strategies for asset information. Unless the client specifies other standards, deliverables should conform to the requirements of the NATSPEC National BIM Guide, Clause 10.10: Final BIM Deliverables.

As-built and Facility Management information: These deliverables also need special attention because there is little industry consensus about what scope is appropriate, and client requirements can vary significantly. The interpretation of terms used to describe this group of deliverables, e.g. as-built drawings, record model, can also vary, so expectations associated with them need to be clearly spelt out. Some options include: The construction model updated with fabrication models and documented changes. As above with dimensional or location changes verified by on-site measurement or laser scans. Facility management data embedded in the model. Facility management data provided as a separate file or database in a pre-agreed format referenced to the model, e.g. Construction Operations Building Information exchange (COBie) spreadsheets.

How far should you take the BIM requirements definition process prior to engaging the project team? At the outset of the process set goals and parameters appropriate for the circumstances of the project. A trade-off between the desired level of definition and available time often has to be made – the time invested in early requirement definition has to be weighed up against the risks of additional costs and delays later in the project resulting from an inadequate process.

Consultant and contractor selection is based on the assessment of bids submitted in response to Requests for Proposals (RFP). Refer to 2.3 Inception documents for details of these documents. Clarifications provided in response to queries by any consultant or contractor should be circulated to all. To simplify assessment, consultant and contractor bids should follow the format of the RFP. Assessment should be based on their compliance with the Preliminary Project BIM Brief, and assessment of capabilities should be based on demonstrated, verifiable experience for each requirement in the RFP, rather than general assertions or marketing-type statements.

The Inception Guide does not provide a detailed methodology for assessing consultant BIM capability. Tools for assessing BIM capability and maturity can be found in the Penn State BIM Planning Guide for Facility Owners (see http://bim.psu.edu) and on the BIM Excellence website www.BIMexcellence.net.

Following assessment, it is possible that some of the BIM uses in the Preliminary Project BIM Brief will need to be modified – the required capability may not be available for some uses, or there may be opportunities to take advantage of a consultant’s capabilities that the Lead BIM Adviser was not aware of, or the Preliminary Project BIM Brief had not foreseen. Ideally, the Lead BIM Adviser should continue in an executive BIM role such as Information Manager or Design BIM Manager. If this is not the case, priority should be given to selecting an individual/s for the role/s, based on the (final) Project BIM Brief.

After assessment, the Lead BIM Adviser’s recommendations, including any amendments to the Preliminary Project BIM Brief, are sent to the client for evaluation and approval. When the client is satisfied with the Lead BIM Adviser’s recommendations, a Client/Consultant Agreement, with the (final) Project BIM Brief appended, is signed by both the client and consultant/contractor.

All of the elements of definition noted previously influence the scope of services for project team members which, in turn, directly influence contractual provisions and fees. BIM processes generally involve the investment of a greater proportion of resources early in the project which realise greater efficiencies and improved outputs later. Fee proposals should reflect this redistribution of effort.

For more information on contractual provisions and fees visit the NATSPEC BIM Portal. See Resources >BIM Topics

While the Inception Guide assists in the development of documents that can be referenced by agreements and contracts, it is not itself intended to be referenced by them.

ACIF & APCC, 2010, A Guide to Project Initiation Available at www.acif.com.au

ACIF & APCC, 2014, Project Team Integration Available at www.acif.com.au

BIM Task Group 2013, Employer’s Information Requirements - Core Content and Guidance NotesVersion 07 28.02.13 Available at www.bimtaskgroup.org >Resources > Commercial > BIM EIRs - Overview

Construction Industry Council, 2013, Building Information Model (BIM) Protocol, First Edition Available at http://cic.org.uk > Shop

Pennsylvania State University - Computer Integrated Construction Research Program, 2013 BIM Planning Guide for Facility Owners Version 2.0. Available at http://bim.psu.edu

Pennsylvania State University - Computer Integrated Construction Research Program, 2010, BIM Project Execution Planning Guide Available at http://bim.psu.edu

RIBA, 2013, Guide to Using the RIBA Plan of Work 2013, RIBA Publishing Available from www.ribabookshops.com

Sinclair, Dale, 2013, Assembling a Collaborative Project Team: Practical Tools including Multidisciplinary Schedules of Services, RIBA Publishing Available from www.ribabookshops.com

NATSPEC is the trading name of Construction Information Systems Limited, ABN 20 117 574 606.NATSPEC, founded in 1975, is a national not-for-profit organisation that is owned by the design, build, construct and property industry through professional associations and government property groups. It is impartial and is not involved in advocacy or policy development. NATSPEC’s major service is the provision of the comprehensive national specification systems endorsed by government and professional bodies. NATSPEC, the National Building Specification, is for all building structures, with specialist packages for architects, interior designers, landscape architects, structural engineers, service engineers and domestic owners. AUS-SPEC is the Local Government specification system for the life-cycle management of assets. Packages include Urban and Open Spaces, Roadworks and Bridges, Public Utilities, and Maintenance. NATSPEC is also the publisher of the National BIM Guide and associated documents.NATSPEC’s objective is to improve construction quality and productivity of the built environment through leadership of information.

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