The Scottish Futures Trust has launched a new Standard Information Management Plan which will enhance infrastructure delivery and performance within the Scottish Government’s £1bn Learning Estate Investment Programme
The Standard Information Management Plan (SIMP) provides a common approach to embed robust information management processes within infrastructure projects using Building Information Modelling (BIM). If we create, manage and share information on our infrastructure projects efficiently and leverage associated technologies, the benefits will be significant across the asset lifecycle through the reduction in waste, improved delivery and, ultimately, improvements in how we manage and maintain our assets.
The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is leading the BIM programme on behalf of Scottish Government to ultimately help the public sector better procure and care for their buildings through the use of BIM and its data-rich environment.
The Scottish Government’s £1bn Learning Estate Investment Programme will implement the new SIMP and it will support the delivery of low carbon, digitally enabled schools and campuses.
Under the first phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, announced in September 2019, the Scottish Government will invest between £220m and £275m in partnership with 11 local authority areas to replace 26 schools.
Andy Dailly, who is head of School Building at the Scottish Government, said: “To support the efficient design, construction and operation of projects, the Learning Estate Investment Programme recognises the importance of good information management and collaboration by all parties.
“The Standard Information Management Plan has been embedded within the programme to help achieve this aim.”
In addition, the ability to create, manage and collaborate with project information digitally will support projects’ progress within the restrictions imposed by Covid-19.
Supporting consistent information requirements within projects
The SIMP has been developed to enable contracting authorities establish and ensure the delivery of appropriate project and asset information using BIM, in accordance with BS EN ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2. It has three primary objectives:
- Support a consistent approach in how public bodies specify BIM and how information is delivered to improve efficiencies and resilience during the asset lifecycle.
- Enable delivery of accurate as-built digital information models and operation and maintenance manuals to support effective asset management.
- Comply and align with new international standards in the adoption of BIM.
The SIMP has been developed in partnership with industry and public bodies. The plan provides an innovative approach to support informed and consistent information requirements within projects.
Paul Dodd, who leads SFT’s Infrastructure Technology team, said: “Setting clear information requirements at the outset of the project will best support the adoption of BIM in accordance with ISO 19650.
“The SIMP seeks to support contracting authorities develop compliant, consistent and proportionate information requirements and realise the benefits this will bring.”
The plan provides new and innovative dashboard to develop an information management strategy at the outset of the project, a flexible information workbook aligned to ISO 19650 that sets out clear information deliverables during the project lifecycle and, finally, a suite of templates to support the structuring of information through the project lifecycle.
As industry begins to respond to the new international standards, the plan will support upskilling and wider adoption quicker and in doing so, realise the benefits it will bring sooner. SFT will continue to collaborate with contracting authorities and industry to refine the plan going forward and welcome feedback in its use.
David Carson, pre-construction director at BAM, said: “BAM fully supports SFT’s Standard Information Management Plan as we believe it will bring clarity to the industry by providing clear and standardised information requirements for projects, meaning that all parties, clients, designers, contractors and subcontractors, are clear on the information they are required to deliver at each stage of a projects lifecycle.”
The SIMP is free to use and access for public sector projects and to find out more, please access the BIM guidance portal or contact the SFT Infrastructure Technology team to discuss further.
Paul Dodd
Head of Infrastructure Technology team
Scottish Futures Trust
+44 (0)131 510 0800
mailbox@scottishfuturestrust.org.uk
www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk
