EN FR

Information Management and Project Organization

Actors and Governance in a BIM Project According to ISO 19650

As previously detailed in the article “BIM Standards, Norms, and Formats”, standardization is the cornerstone of digital collaboration in Building Information Modeling (BIM). This article continues that exploration by focusing on the actors, governance, and organizational structure defined by the ISO 19650 series, which establishes a global framework for BIM information management and data governance.

The ISO 19650 standards build upon the foundations of the British PAS 1192 framework and are designed to integrate seamlessly with major management systems such as ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 55000 (asset management), and ISO 21500 (project management). These standards mark a major shift from simple document control to comprehensive information management, where every piece of data is treated as a strategic asset throughout the project life cycle.

In this BIM-based approach, information is no longer a by-product of design and construction but a shared digital asset, managed with accountability, traceability, and measurable value across all project phases.



The ISO 19650 Series: A Global Framework for Information Management

The ISO 19650 series defines a common BIM method for organizing, producing, and delivering information throughout an asset’s life cycle. Rather than being a collection of separate BIM documents, it forms a complete, interdependent data ecosystem designed to create a holistic digital record of a built asset. According to the official ISO 19650 documents, the main components of the series are:

  • Part 1 (ISO 19650-1): Concepts and Principles. Establishes the foundation by defining terminology, information management principles, and the core concept of the Common Data Environment (CDE).
  • Part 2 (ISO 19650-2): Asset Delivery Phase. Covers the design and construction phases, detailing processes for tenders, appointments, and collaborative information production.
  • Part 3 (ISO 19650-3): Asset Operation Phase. Extends principles to the operational and maintenance phase. It introduces specific concepts such as “trigger events” (planned or unplanned, such as maintenance or breakdowns) that require information updates — a notion absent from the project-focused Part 2.
  • Part 4 (ISO 19650-4): Information Exchange. Specifies detailed requirements for information exchange, including formats, structures, and methodologies to ensure seamless technical interoperability between systems and actors.
  • Part 5 (ISO 19650-5): Security-Minded Approach to Information Management. Details a security-oriented approach to information management, covering risk assessment, protection measures, and the management of sensitive data to protect assets from physical and cyber threats.
  • Part 6 (ISO 19650-6): Information Management for Health and Safety. Recently finalized, this part focuses on structuring and communicating health and safety information throughout the asset’s life cycle. It aims to create a “golden thread” of safety, ensuring that critical information is available to the right people at the right time. It is a communication standard for risks, not a risk assessment methodology (covered by ISO 31000).

The ISO 19650 standards govern not only BIM document management but also the distribution of responsibilities. Each actor must demonstrate ownership, traceability, and information qualityof the data they produce or validate. This is the foundation of collaborative BIM management built on digital trust.

Levels of Requirements: The Principle of Information Production

One of the most fundamental changes introduced by ISO 19650 BIM standards is the shift from a “push” to a “pull” information management system.

Instead of design and construction teams producing the BIM information hey consider relevant, the process is now driven by a cascade of information requirements defined upstream by the client. This ensures that every piece of information produced meets an explicitly identified need, avoiding data waste (useless information production) and linking each deliverable to a strategic, operational, or project objective. This hierarchy is divided into four levels of BIM information requirements :

  • OIR (Organizational Information Requirements): High-level information needs aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives (portfolio management, regulatory compliance, sustainability goals).
  • AIR (Asset Information Requirements): Information needed to operate, maintain, and manage an asset effectively throughout its operational phase. Derived from the OIR.
  • PIR (Project Information Requirements): High-level information needed by the client at key decision points during a project to answer specific questions (e.g., “Is the project still within budget at the end of the design phase?”). Derived from OIR and AIR.
  • EIR (Exchange Information Requirements): Detailed instructions translating PIR into technical, managerial, and commercial requirements for the delivery team. They specify what, when, in what format, and according to which procedures information should be delivered.

Each of these requirements has a distinct nature and scope:

  • OIR are strategic, defined at the executive level.
  • AIR are operational, focused on asset management.
  • PIR relate to project decision-making.
  • EIR are contractual and technical.



Levels of Responsibility: A Three-Tier Management Structure

BIM management according to ISO 19650 relies on a three-tier structure, organized around three types of actors defined in Parts 1 and 2:

  • Appointing Party: The strategic driver of the BIM project. Rather than merely commissioning a building, this party commissions the BIM information necessary to construct, operate, and meet organizational goals. Responsibilities include defining the cascade of information requirements (OIR, AIR, PIR, EIR), establishing the Common Data Environment (CDE) and contractual BIM framework, appointing key parties, and validating published information.
  • Lead Appointed Party: The operational coordinator, acting as an intermediate management layer that coordinates the production of BIM information across teams (architect, structural engineer, etc.). Responsibilities include developing the BIM Execution Plan (BEP), coordinating and internally checking models produced by sub-providers, and validating compliance with the Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) before submission to the client. The BIM Manager typically belongs to this level.
  • Appointed Parties: The information producers. They are contractually linked to the Lead Appointed Party and may include engineering firms, contractors, or specialized subcontractors. Their role is to produce BIM information according to the BEP and their TIDP (Task Information Delivery Plan), while adhering to the LOIN (Level of Information Need). This level defines why each piece of data is required, not just its geometric detail. Providers must ensure internal quality, naming and version control standards, and validate deliverables before submission.

The CDE: The Backbone of Information Governance

According to the definition provided by the ISO 19650 standard, the Common Data Environment (CDE) is far more than a simple storage platform; it is a process supported by a technological solution, serving as the single, agreed source of information for the project.

Its structured workflow is a fundamental risk-management mechanism, ensuring that decisions are made only on the basis of verified and approved information. The validation cycle is organised into four main states:

Transitions between these states act as critical control gates. Each information container must have a unique identifier compliant with the project’s naming convention, together with clear metadata indicating its status and revision history — thereby ensuring total transparency regarding its reliability.

  • Work in Progress (WIP): a private workspace for each production team.
  • Shared: once internally checked and approved, the information becomes accessible to other teams.
  • Published: information validated by the appointing party, ready for use.
  • Archived: a complete, immutable audit record of all shared or published information.

Transitions between these states act as critical control gates. Each information container must have a unique identifier compliant with the project’s naming convention, together with clear metadata indicating its status and revision history — thereby ensuring total transparency regarding its reliability.

Toward Integrated Data Management

The rigorous application of ISO 19650 BIM standards promotes digital continuity across project phases and throughout the asset’s life cycle. Structuring BIM information during the delivery phase (Part 2) is not an end in itself; it aims to produce a reliable, well-structured, high-quality dataset upon project handover.

This logic of capitalization ensures that the data generated during design and construction remain usable, transferable, and interoperable for effective asset information management.

In this continuity, the Digital Record of Executed Works (DOE) serves as the foundation for the Asset Information Model (AIM) used during the operational phase (Part 3). Extending information governance into this phase enables a smooth transition from the digital DOE to BIM for Operation and Maintenance (BIM O&M), and eventually to the digital twin.

Thus, BIM data circulates within a documented, secure, and interoperable framework, ensuring long-term asset visibility and maximizing the return on investment in information production.



Key Takeaways

  • ISO 19650 governance is driven by client needs, formalized through a cascade of BIM information requirements (OIR, AIR, PIR, EIR).
  • It relies on three key BIM actors: Appointing Party, Lead Appointed Party, and Appointed Parties.
  • Information production must comply with a defined Level of Information Need (LOIN) focused on purpose rather than geometry.
  • The Common Data Environment (CDE) is a risk management process ensuring information reliability and consistency at every stage of the BIM project.
  • This structured BIM framework creates a trusted digital record (digital DOE), forming the foundation of BIM for Operation and Maintenance (BIM O&M) and the digital twin.
  • The ISO 19650 series now integrates health and safety management (Part 6), offering a truly holistic information management framework.

Updated: October 2025