RIBA Plan of Work 2013 glossary
A number of new themes and subject matters have been included in the RIBA Plan of Work 2013. The following presents a glossary of all of the capitalised terms that are used throughout the RIBA Plan of Work 2013. Defining certain terms has been necessary to clarify the intent of a term, to provide additional insight into the purpose of certain terms and to ensure consistency in the interpretation of the RIBA Plan of Work 2013.
‘As-constructed’ Information
Information produced at the end of a project to represent what has been constructed. This will comprise a mixture of ‘as-built’ information from specialist subcontractors and the ‘final construction issue’ from design team members. Clients may also wish to undertake ‘as-built’ surveys using new surveying technologies to bring a further degree of accuracy to this information.
Building Contract
The contract between the client and the contractor for the construction of the project. In some instances, the Building Contract may contain design duties for specialist subcontractors and/or design team members. On some projects, more than one Building Contract may be required; for example, one for shell and core works and another for furniture, fitting and equipment aspects.
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
BIM is widely used as the acronym for ‘Building Information Modelling’, which is commonly defined (using the Construction Project Information Committee (CPIC) definition) as: ‘digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility creating a shared knowledge resource for information about it and forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life cycle, from earliest conception to demolition’.
Business Case
The Business Case for a project is the rationale behind the initiation of a new building project. It may consist solely of a reasoned argument. It may contain supporting information, financial appraisals or other background information. It should also highlight initial considerations for the Project Outcomes. In summary, it is a combination of objective and subjective considerations. The Business Case might be prepared in relation to, for example, appraising a number of sites or in relation to assessing a refurbishment against a new build option.
Change Control Procedures
Procedures for controlling changes to the design and construction following the sign-off of the Stage 2 Concept Design and the Final Project Brief.
Common Standards
Publicly available standards frequently used to define project and design management processes in relation to the briefing, designing, constructing, maintaining, operating and use of a building.
Communication Strategy
The strategy that sets out when the project team will meet, how they will communicate effectively and the protocols for issuing information between the various parties, both informally and at Information Exchanges.
Construction Programme
The period in the Project Programme and the Building Contract for the construction of the project, commencing on the site mobilisation date and ending at Practical Completion.
Construction Strategy
A strategy that considers specific aspects of the design that may affect the buildability or logistics of constructing a project, or may affect health and safety aspects. The Construction Strategy comprises items such as cranage, site access and accommodation locations, reviews of the supply chain and sources of materials, and specific buildability items, such as the choice of frame (steel or concrete) or the installation of larger items of plant. On a smaller project, the strategy may be restricted to the location of site cabins and storage, and the ability to transport materials up an existing staircase.
Contractor’s Proposals
Proposals presented by a contractor to the client in response to a tender that includes the Employer’s Requirements. The Contractor’s Proposals may match the Employer’s Requirements, although certain aspects may be varied based on value engineered solutions and additional information may be submitted to clarify what is included in the tender. The Contractor’s Proposals form an integral component of the Building Contract documentation.
Contractual Tree
A diagram that clarifies the contractual relationship between the client and the parties undertaking the roles required on a project.
Cost Information
All of the project costs, including the cost estimate and life cycle costs where required.
Design Programme
A programme setting out the strategic dates in relation to the design process. It is aligned with the Project Programme but is strategic in its nature, due to the iterative nature of the design process, particularly in the early stages.
Design Queries
Queries relating to the design arising from the site, typically managed using a contractor’s in-house request for information (RFI) or technical query (TQ) process.
Design Responsibility Matrix
A matrix that sets out who is responsible for designing each aspect of the project and when. This document sets out the extent of any performance specified design. The Design Responsibility Matrix is created at a strategic level at Stage 1 and fine tuned in response to the Concept Design at the end of Stage 2 in order to ensure that there are no design responsibility ambiguities at Stages 3, 4 and 5.
Employer’s Requirements
Proposals prepared by design team members. The level of detail will depend on the stage at which the tender is issued to the contractor. The Employer’s Requirements may comprise a mixture of prescriptive elements and descriptive elements to allow the contractor a degree of flexibility in determining the Contractor’s Proposals.
Feasibility Studies
Studies undertaken on a given site to test the feasibility of the Initial Project Brief on a specific site or in a specific context and to consider how site-wide issues will be addressed.
Feedback
Feedback from the project team, including the end users, following completion of a building.
Final Project Brief
The Initial Project Brief amended so that it is aligned with the Concept Design and any briefing decisions made during Stage 2. (Both the Concept Design and Initial Project Brief are Information Exchanges at the end of Stage 2.)
Handover Strategy
The strategy for handing over a building, including the requirements for phased handovers, commissioning, training of staff or other factors crucial to the successful occupation of a building. On some projects, the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) Soft Landings process is used as the basis for formulating the strategy and undertaking a Post-occupancy Evaluation (www.bsria.co.uk/services/design/soft-landings/).
Health and Safety Strategy
The strategy covering all aspects of health and safety on the project, outlining legislative requirements as well as other project initiatives, including the Maintenance and Operational Strategy.
Information Exchange
The formal issue of information for review and sign-off by the client at key stages of the project. The project team may also have additional formal Information Exchanges as well as the many informal exchanges that occur during the iterative design process.
Initial Project Brief
The brief prepared following discussions with the client to ascertain the Project Objectives, the client’s Business Case and, in certain instances, in response to site Feasibility Studies.
Maintenance and Operational Strategy
The strategy for the maintenance and operation of a building, including details of any specific plant required to replace components.
Post-occupancy Evaluation
Evaluation undertaken post occupancy to determine whether the Project Outcomes, both subjective and objective, set out in the Final Project Brief have been achieved.
Practical Completion
Practical Completion is a contractual term used in the Building Contract to signify the date on which a project is handed over to the client. The date triggers a number of contractual mechanisms.
Project Budget
The client’s budget for the project, which may include the construction cost as well as the cost of certain items required post completion and during the project’s operational use.
Project Execution Plan
The Project Execution Plan is produced in collaboration between the project lead and lead designer, with contributions from other designers and members of the project team. The Project Execution Plan sets out the processes and protocols to be used to develop the design. It is sometimes referred to as a project quality plan.
Project Information
Information, including models, documents, specifications, schedules and spreadsheets, issued between parties during each stage and in formal Information Exchanges at the end of each stage.
Project Objectives
The client’s key objectives as set out in the Initial Project Brief. The document includes, where appropriate, the employer’s Business Case, Sustainability Aspirations or other aspects that may influence the preparation of the brief and, in turn, the Concept Design stage. For example, Feasibility Studies may be required in order to test the Initial Project Brief against a given site, allowing certain high-level briefing issues to be considered before design work commences in earnest.
Project Outcomes
The desired outcomes for the project (for example, in the case of a hospital this might be a reduction in recovery times). The outcomes may include operational aspects and a mixture of subjective and objective criteria.
Project Performance
The performance of the project, determined using Feedback, including about the performance of the project team and the performance of the building against the desired Project Outcomes.
Project Programme
The overall period for the briefing, design, construction and post-completion activities of a project.
Project Roles Table
A table that sets out the roles required on a project as well as defining the stages during which those roles are required and the parties responsible for carrying out the roles.
Project Strategies
The strategies developed in parallel with the Concept Design to support the design and, in certain instances, to respond to the Final Project Brief as it is concluded. These strategies typically include:
- acoustic strategy
- fire engineering strategy
- Maintenance and Operational Strategy
- Sustainability Strategy
- building control strategy
- Technology Strategy.
These strategies are usually prepared in outline at Stage 2 and in detail at Stage 3, with the recommendations absorbed into the Stage 4 outputs and Information Exchanges.
The strategies are not typically used for construction purposes because they may contain recommendations or information that contradict the drawn information. The intention is that they should be transferred into the various models or drawn information.
Quality Objectives
The objectives that set out the quality aspects of a project. The objectives may comprise both subjective and objective aspects, although subjective aspects may be subject to a design quality indicator (DQI) benchmark review during the Feedback period.
Research and Development
Project-specific research and development responding to the Initial Project Brief or in response to the Concept Design as it is developed.
Risk Assessment
The Risk Assessment considers the various design and other risks on a project and how each risk will be managed and the party responsible for managing each risk.
Schedule of Services
A list of specific services and tasks to be undertaken by a party involved in the project which is incorporated into their professional services contract.
Site Information
Specific Project Information in the form of specialist surveys or reports relating to the project- or site-specific context.
Strategic Brief
The brief prepared to enable the Strategic Definition of the project. Strategic considerations might include considering different sites, whether to extend, refurbish or build new and the key Project Outcomes as well as initial considerations for the Project Programme and assembling the project team.
Sustainability Aspirations
The client’s aspirations for sustainability, which may include additional objectives, measures or specific levels of performance in relation to international standards, as well as details of specific demands in relation to operational or facilities management issues. The Sustainability Strategy will be prepared in response to the Sustainability Aspirations and will include specific additional items, such as an energy plan and ecology plan and the design life of the building, as appropriate.
Sustainability Strategy
The strategy for delivering the Sustainability Aspirations.
Technology Strategy
The strategy established at the outset of a project that sets out technologies, including Building Information Modelling (BIM) and any supporting processes, and the specific software packages that each member of the project team will use. Any interoperability issues can then be addressed before the design phases commence.This strategy also considers how information is to be communicated (by email, file transfer protocol (FTP) site or using a managed third party common data environment) as well as the file formats in which information will be provided. The Project Execution Plan records agreements made.
Work in Progress
Work in Progress is ongoing design work that is issued between designers to facilitate the iterative coordination of each designer’s output. Work issued as Work in Progress is signed off by the internal design processes of each designer and is checked and coordinated by the lead designer.