This is the latest in a new series of blogs looking at the fundamentals of building information modelling and the role of the Global BIM Network.

Change management initiatives require complex long-term thinking and behavioural shifts. It is easy to lose speed and direction. Yet, when it comes to BIM, a four-part framework provides both a route map for stakeholders starting their BIM journey and a cross-check to those that have already begun. 

 The framework is based on four pillars or areas:  

• public leadership;  

• communication and communities;  

• collaborative framework; and  

• capability and capacity development. 

In this blog we look at the second of these pillars – communication and communities – and how stakeholders can employ three specific actions to develop this strategic area. 

ONE Engage with industry stakeholders early and frequently. This is essential in supporting any industry change process and can be done in many ways. Global BIM communities are engaging with industry stakeholders through mechanisms such as events, feedback loops, websites, social media, case studies, training, and co-authoring documents. Many are using iterative processes enabling stakeholders to be part of the conversation, contribute their own perspective and for all to learn from each other. For example, Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano (EDU), the Urban Development Corporation of Medellin, in Colombia is gaining optimal results by working in close collaboration with contractors.  

TWO Participate in and provide encouragement for regional and special interest networks to disseminate best practice. Many networks are working at many levels. For example, the Latam BIM Network, the BIM network for Latin American Governments, brings together eight countries in the region to fast-forward national digital transformation processes through employing BIM in the construction sector. In Slovenia, the voluntary, independent organization siBIM enables engineers and people working in associated roles to learn from each other’s experiences and enhance their professional development in BIM. 

THREE Use mass communication tools to reach audiences. These tools could include online media, events, web, and social media. They are used to spread and share messages about BIM as widely as possible. Good examples are the EU BIM Task Group’s website and the LinkedIn and YouTube initiatives by Chile’s Planbim. 

The Global BIM Network’s Information Collection contains many examples of how communication and communities are enabling BIM processes and practices. 

To join the Global BIM Network, email us or visit our website to register.   

This is the fourth in a new series of blogs looking at the fundamentals of building information modelling and the role of the Global BIM Network.

When the Global BIM Network was established in March 2021, it set out to spark both thinking and action on transforming the global built environment. From small beginnings a significant global resource has grown. In this blog we look at how an initial snapshot view of BIM around the world has developed into the Network’s Information Collection and how this is providing a better view of BIM around the world.

A simple infographic with linked artefacts across various countries captures early foundational thinking about the Network. The infographic demonstrates the interplay between BIM processes and practices at three distinct levels: national, organizational, and project.

It encapsulates the Network’s approach to its work: that BIM is about much more than technical change. It underscores that an entire sector will only change when stakeholders act at each of these three levels.

The interactive infographic provides a preview of how sectoral change starts at the national level – in policy and regulatory environments, for example. This cascades down to the organizational level – at which organizations understand how developing their own BIM processes can help them achieve the outcomes they desire. Finally, comes implementation at the project level.

While the Network’s early work started with this snapshot, by working with its community the Network has developed a collective knowledgebase providing a much broader view. The resultant online Information Collection is a global knowledgebase of BIM resources with links to downloadable documents or official websites of governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The Information Collection is organized geographically and under four categories. These are: Public leadership; collaborative framework; communication and communities; and capability and capacity building. Users can also search by level, region, country, resource type and transformation state.

The Information Collection now contains over 400 artefacts from over 60 countries and continues to grow. It continues to enable stakeholders in the global built environment to gain a better view of BIM around the world.

You can access the Global BIM Network’s Information Collection here.

To join the Global BIM Network, email us or visit our website. 

 

This is the third in a new series of blogs looking at the fundamentals of building information modelling and the role of the Global BIM Network.

Increasing numbers of people and organisations are engaging with the Global BIM Network. So, we are taking the opportunity to revisit some of the thinking underpinning the creation of the Network and how this can help you on your BIM journey. In this blog we look at how the Network delivers value in three distinct areas.

FIRSTLY: The Network delivers value directly to its members. This comes in multiple forms. Members tells us they can learn much faster about BIM processes and practices by connecting with other people and organizations with shared issues, challenges, or goals. Similarly, they are benefiting from the large amount of information signposted, organized, and made readily available on our website. Members also benefit as initiatives by increasing numbers of public sector and multi-lateral organizations build critical mass. This provides legitimacy, confidence, and a level of encouragement for others to also adopt BIM processes and practices.

SECONDLY: The Network delivers value indirectly to the public procurers, owners, suppliers, and maintainers of the built environment. It creates a multiplier effect in which successful national and regional collaborations can strengthen the call for digital solutions based on open standards.

THIRDLY: The Network delivers better outcomes and performance of the built environment for people. Over time, as momentum builds, the Global BIM Network is helping to enhance the public estate globally, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals and inclusive economic growth.

In the long term, this will bring multiple benefits. These include improved energy efficiency and resiliency of buildings and assets, optimisation of the whole-life cycle of infrastructure assets, reduction of material waste, targeting carbon neutrality and the lessening of costly errors.

The Network’s initiatives also encourage the global construction sector to develop a highly skilled digital workforce: in turn both helping improve the image of the construction and infrastructure sector, and ensuring life-long employment opportunities for generations to come.

In the next blog in our ‘Back to Basics’ series we will look at how the Global BIM Network is helping develop a better view of BIM around the world.

Access more information on how the Global BIM Network delivers value here.

To join the Global BIM Network, email us or visit our website. 

Details of a new Playbook for public sector construction were revealed at the Global BIM Network’s second annual General Assembly on 1 December 2022. The announcement was among the highlights of the online event which drew attendees from 36 countries. The audience included policy makers, BIM practitioners and change management specialists from the public sector, NGOs, and multi-lateral institutions.

The General Assembly was delivered in Spanish and English and held twice to accommodate attendees in different time zones. It was hosted by Alanna Gluck, Delivery and Engagement Lead at the Global BIM Network Secretariat, and featured best practice case studies from Australia, the Czech Republic, Colombia, and Argentina. Lessons learnt at the Assembly will form case studies for the Playbook. They will help to guide global best practice in the digital transformation of the construction sector via BIM.

Key messages

Global BIM Network Chair Adam Matthews announced the development of The Digital Transformation Playbook: an approach to building public sector capacity. He said the Playbook marks an important transition for the Network as it shifts its focus from talking about and sharing information to a new phase focussing on developing materials and outputs.

Speakers also shared their key takeaway messages in a series of question-and-answer sessions. These messages included the need to focus on people, behavioural change, and simple accessible language. Other takeaways included a call for information to be stated clearly in one place, and the need for more talented young people to help drive BIM initiatives in the public sector. Other presenters spoke of the value of teamwork, collaborative approaches, and the need for a common data environment. Another speaker highlighted the importance of generating trust between the public and private sectors and academia.

The Digital Transformation Playbook: an approach to building public sector capacity

The Digital Transformation Playbook will benefit both public and private sector partners. It will help distil down the large amount of information currently available in The Information Collection, the Network’s open access online knowledge base. The Collection will soon contain over 400 knowledge resources from over 60 countries. These resources are organised geographically and under four categories. They include governmental policies, plans and strategies, legal and technical documents, international standard guidance, case studies, training videos, and much more.

Adam said the Playbook will create structures and models to organize ideas. “The purpose of the Playbook is to make sense of all the information that we have collated. It will help people find what’s most relevant to them and support them on their digital transformation journey.”

Adam told Assembly attendees that the name ‘Playbook’ recognizes there is not one single solution to all challenges. There are multiple plays depending on each user’s perspective and the context in which they are operating.

Lina Lievano, a BIM Consultant at the National Planning Department, Colombia, and a Member of the Global BIM Network’s Steering Committee, said the contents of the Playbook will be objective and accurate.

She said the Playbook will help make it increasingly clear that digitalization is no longer just an option. “It has become a critical factor for the efficiency of public spending based on the profitability of public investments.”

Adam said the Playbook marks a significant change for the Network. Global BIM Steering Committee members have identified seven states as the critical stages with specific challenges in the digital transformation journey. They are assessing, justifying, mobilizing, developing, implementing, scaling, and optimizing. These states do not need to be addressed sequentially.  

Starting in early 2023, work on the Playbook will focus on the mobilizing and developing states of the Network’s seven-part digital transformation journey. Work will later expand to address the other five states.

Jaroslav Nechyba is EU BIM Task Group Representative, Czech Republic. Commenting on how the Playbook might be developed further in the future, he said the turning point will be when feedback from pilot projects is incorporated into new versions of the documents. This will help make the documents even more understandable and useable.

Digital Transformation Sessions

Presenters from Australia, the Czech Republic, Colombia, and Argentina shared their transformation journeys in a series of presentations at the General Assembly. Each session featured a short live or pre-recorded presentation from the speakers. After each presentation, audience members took part in chat discussions in a question-and-answer format.

Luke Belfield, Victorian Chief Engineer at the Office of Projects Victoria (OPV), in Australia, updated attendees on the OPV’s work including the collaborative development of guidance within the Victorian Digital Asset Strategy. He also talked about the development of public sector capacity in BIM and its application in pilot projects.

The discussion considered mandating digital policy on public works, the interval between writing and implementing policy, and the case for developing a Digital Asset Strategy or legislation across the whole of Australia.

Lucie Svamberkova, a BIM Education Expert in the BIM Strategy Department at the Czech Standardization Agency, detailed how the Czech Republic is using secondary and tertiary education to scale the adoption of BIM. This includes educational training to build the interest of high school and university students in developing a career in BIM and the built environment. Attendees also heard about capacity-building solutions for Czech industry and the public sector, including the development of a BIM Education System for Public Administration and the Czech Government’s BIM Strategy Framework.

Discussion turned to the uptake of digital educational frameworks and the need to convince educators of the benefits of BIM skills for the future labour market. It also addressed the increasing numbers of students graduating with BIM skills and consequent benefits to the private sector.

Diego Giraldo, BIM Manager at the Urban Development Corporation of Medellin, in Colombia, spoke of leveraging BIM as part of a wider transformation strategy for the city of Medellin. He provided practical examples from pilot projects on how the Corporation is collaborating to support wider transformation in Colombia and across Latin America.

Discussion focussed on interactions with geoinformation and 3D city models.

Maria Victoria Pasini, Architect at BIM Implementation System (SIBIM), in Argentina, detailed the country’s digital transformation journey. She talked about the creation of SIBIM, the Ministry of Public Works’ BIM task force, which aims to implement BIM in different areas of public affairs as part of the Strategic Plan for the digital transformation of the Ministry. Access SIBIM’s public library here.

Discussion turned to the wider value for everyone of regional and global collaboration, and for Argentina in particular.

Closing thoughts

Adam Matthews invited more people to get involved in developing the Playbook. “It is being collated, organized, and structured by the Secretariat but it will only be as good as the quality and diversity of the information that it receives from the public and private sectors.”

Next Steps

For more information on the Playbook or to join the Global BIM Network, email us or visit our website.

Keep an eye on the Global BIM Network’s news page for more articles on the 2022 General Assembly.

A strong focus on behavioural change will help drive digital transformation. This was a key message from Luke Belfield at the Global BIM Network’s second annual General Assembly held online on December 1, 2022.

Luke is Victorian Chief Engineer at the Office of Projects Victoria (OPV), Australia. At the General Assembly he updated attendees on the OPV’s progress in supporting the successful delivery of major infrastructure projects across the state of Victoria. He also outlined the collaborative development of guidance within the Victorian Digital Asset Strategy and discussed the development of public sector capacity in BIM and its application in pilot projects.

Luke told attendees that people transformation is just as important as technology, standards, and protocols. The use of simple, accessible language will help drive behavioural change and the adoption of digital transformation.

“At the Office of Projects Victoria, we have tried to simplify our language as much as possible. We provide case studies and demonstrators and show that BIM is not just for engineers or people with a lot of experience.”

He said BIM and digital transformation should be as simple as picking up and operating a smart phone. “It shouldn’t need huge uplifting capability.” However, he acknowledged that with many changes to processes and technologies this can be challenging.

The OPV sits within Victoria’s Department of Treasury and Finance and has a central role in providing systemic improvements across transport, justice, education, health, and other infrastructure portfolios.

As well as its whole-of-government perspective, the OPV delivers technical project support to some of Australia’s biggest infrastructure projects being led out of Victoria.

Luke told attendees the OPV’s Victorian Digital Asset Strategy, released in March 2020, is the most comprehensive guide in Australia. It was a collaborative effort bringing together industry, academia, agencies, and consultants. The Strategy helps improve the design and delivery of major projects, and the maintenance of infrastructure assets. It brings clear cost, safety, and risk-reduction benefits.

Luke also outlined the OPV’s work with a series of pilot projects to test best practice and ensure maximum value to Victorian projects. “By undertaking pilots across government projects, we can test new digital processes, capture the benefits, and deliver these benefits across government more broadly.”

Attendees from 36 countries took part in the Global BIM Network’s second General Assembly. The event was delivered in Spanish and English and held twice to accommodate attendees working in different time zones. You can watch the recordings of the event here.

Adam Matthews, Chair of the Global BIM Network, announced the development of the Network’s new Digital Transformation Playbook for Public Sector Construction at the second annual General Assembly on December 1, 2022. The Digital Transformation Playbook: an approach to building public sector capacity, is a significant transition for the Network. The Playbook marks the Network’s changing focus from talking about and sharing knowledge to a development phase. It will be available on an open access basis.

Attendees from 36 countries took part in the online event. The General Assembly was delivered in Spanish and English and held twice to accommodate attendees in different time zones.

The Playbook will draw upon the growing resources in the Network’s Information Collection which will soon comprise over 400 knowledge resources from over 60 countries.

Said Adam: “That’s a lot of information. So, the challenge is how do we navigate it, how do we access it in a meaningful way, and how do we organize and structure it? The purpose of the Playbook is to make sense of all the information that we have collated. It will help people find what’s most relevant to them and support them on their digital transformation journey.”

Commenting on who the Playbook is for, Adam said: “Although we are primarily a public sector network, having a Playbook where we share some of the needs of the public sector would be beneficial for industry too.”

Jaroslav Nechyba, EU BIM Task Group Representative, Czech Republic, told attendees that the public and private sector are addressing the same issues. “We want to create a common built environment, so we need to share this kind of information.”

Starting in early 2023, work on the Playbook will focus on the mobilizing and developing states of the seven-part digital transformation journey for the public sector. Work will later expand to address the other five states.

Lina Lievano is a BIM Consultant at the National Planning Department in Colombia, and a  member of the Global BIM Network’s Steering Committee. She said the Playbook will enable country members to learn from the experiences of others in implementing BIM in each state of digital transformation and facilitate the integration of policymakers in a knowledge network.

Reflecting on how the Playbook can help improve public sector capacity for digital transformation, Adam said the resource recognizes that there is not one single solution to all challenges.

“The idea of calling it a Playbook is because there are multiple plays. It will provide multiple perspectives, showing that in different contexts there are diverse ways of approaching digital transition.”

Access the full recordings of the Network’s General Assembly 2022 here

On 1st December, the Network will host its second annual General Assembly, bringing together members of the global public sector, NGOs and multi-lateral organisations. During the event, attendees will hear about the transformation journeys towards developing a digital built environment in Australia, Czech Republic, Colombia, and Argentina. In addition to the sharing of best practices, attendees will also learn about the development of the Network’s forthcoming Digital Transformation Playbook for Public Sector Construction.

Luke Belfield, Victorian Chief Engineer at Office of Projects Victoria, will update on progress from  the Office of Projects Victoria (OPV) including the collaborative development of guidance within the Victorian Digital Asset Strategy. The strategy sets out the vital process for safeguarding the digital systems that will allow them to monitor and improve the creation and management of infrastructure assets in the Australian state of Victoria. Luke will also discuss the development of public sector capacity in BIM and its application in pilot projects. OPV’s central role has allowed for greater impact across multiple project portfolios not only in Victoria, but also across the whole of Australia through the sharing of best practice.

The General Assembly will hear from Lucie Svamberkova, a BIM Education Expert in the BIM Strategy Department at the Czech Standardization Agency. Lucie will describe how the Czech Republic is using secondary and tertiary education to scale the adoption of BIM. This includes educational trainings to build the interest of high school and university students in developing a career in BIM and the built environment. Attendees will also learn about capacity-building solutions currently being offered to Czech industry and the public sector, including the development of a BIM Education System for Public Administration and the Czech Government’s BIM Strategy Framework.

Diego Giraldo, BIM Manager at the Urban Development Corporation of Medellin, will provide insight into leveraging BIM as part of a wider transformation strategy for the city of Medellin in Colombia. He will also provide practical examples from pilot projects on how the Corporation is collaborating to support wider transformation in Colombia and across Latin America. Learn more about how BIM is being utilized across Colombia here.

Attendees will also hear from Maria Victoria Pasini, Architect at BIM Implementation System (SIBIM), who will provide insight on the digital transformation journey of Argentina. She will discuss the creation of SIBIM, the Ministry of Public Works’ BIM task force, which aims to implement BIM in the different areas of public affairs as part of the Strategic Plan for the digital transformation of the Ministry. Access SIBIM’s public library here.

The General Assembly event is for public policy makers, change management specialists and BIM practitioners working in the public sector, NGOs and multi-lateral institutions. This year’s event will be delivered in Spanish and English and will be held twice to accommodate for time zone.

The Global BIM Network was recently featured in the Global Infrastructure Hub‘s stocktake of InfraTech as a case study. Which showcases an exemplar of international cooperation and knowledge transfer to enable and scale investment in infrastructure technology. The case study detailed the importance of public policy in advancing the digitization of the construction sector, and the social, environmental, and economic benefits resulting from digital transformation.

The case study further highlighted how the Global BIM Network has been enabling the global employment of Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology through a host of public events and knowledge exchange activities. This has enabled members to address similar challenges by sharing findings, resources, outputs, and lessons learned.

It further highlighted the Network’s Information Collection, an online, open-access repository of resources which provides public leadership materials, collaborative frameworks, references for communication & communities, and materials for capability and capacity building. These resources have been contributed by Network members to provide relevant information for building the global public sector’s digital capacity and capability in relation to BIM.

The Infratech case study also highlighted the Global BIM Network’s Roadmap 2021-25, which was launched at the first General Assembly in 2021. The roadmap outlines a shared vision for the built environment and collaborative pathways that the network will take to advance digitalization.

Click to read the case study.

On 1st December, the Network will host our second annual General Assembly, bringing together members of the global public sector, NGOs and multi-lateral organisations. In addition to an update on the Network’s plans, attendees will also learn about the development of the Network’s forthcoming Digital Transformation Playbook for Public Sector Construction. 

The General Assembly event is for public policy makers, change management specialists and BIM practitioners working in the public sector, NGOs and multi-lateral institutions. This year’s event will be delivered in Spanish and English, and will be held twice to accommodate for time zone.

Click here to apply to attend this free event.

The digital transformation of public construction and infrastructure is having a profound effect on the way we procure, deliver and operate the built environment. Digital construction is helping countries close the infrastructure gap and improve outcomes for people and places by improving efficiencies and the clean growth of economies.

Policy makers, digital transformation programme leads and public sector BIM specialists from across the world have come together to establish a shared vision of a global digital built environment that benefits people and places.

The Global BIM Network is a public sector collaboration to co-produce the guidance and tools to help the public sector build its understanding of digital transformation for construction. The Network Roadmap sets the framework for a global collaboration across all regions to advance the public sector’s ability to support the construction sector’s digitalisation at scale.

To support this effort, the Network has established its open access Information Collection, a repository and evidence base for public sector implementation of BIM organised across geographies.

At this year’s General Assembly event on 1st December, the Network will set out its next steps towards its vision. As more countries and regions recognise the benefits of working together to progress their digitalisation and built environment information management strategies, learnings and practices must be shared.  The development of the Digital Transformation Playbook for Public Sector Construction by the Global BIM Network will set out key states on the journey to a fully digitalised built environment and provide case study examples to the public sector on how to progress on their path to transformation.

The General Assembly event is for public policy makers, change management specialists and BIM practitioners working in the public sector, NGOs and multi-lateral institutions. This year’s event will be delivered in Spanish and English, and will be held twice to accommodate for time zone.

Click here to apply to attend this free event. We will confirm after receiving your registration if your application has been successful. 

Our first General Assembly (GA) was attended by over 300 public sector and multilateral representatives from 71 countries. Ngoc-Binh TA, Head of BIM Team, Institute of Construction Economics Ministry of Construction, Vietnam, represented Asia as a speaker and advocate of BIM processes. Roger Grant, Executive Director, Building Information Management at the National Institute of Building Sciences, USA, represented North America. Luke Belfield, Acting Chief Engineer, Office of Projects Victoria, Department of Treasury and Finance and Matthew Kehoe, Director, Digital Build Program, Office of Projects Victoria represented Australia.

Ngoc-Binh TA joined Adam Matthews, Chair of the Global BIM Network, and Jaroslav Nechyba, Director of BIM Strategy Department Czech Agency for Standardization, in the Steering Committee’s Conversation to discuss the value of collaboration and being part of the Network. He said: “BIM was quite new in Vietnam when we began our journey. We did not know what direction to take so being part of a wider network helped us a lot as it enabled us to consider approaches taken by other countries. We had access to representatives from other places who could offer us insights. It also helped our private sector to work internationally as we had the advantage of a young labour force who had been focussing on new digital technologies.”

Ngoc-Binh TA then explained that investing in BIM is a big commitment for the public sector and knowing how this technology is developing and being implemented in other countries can support its adoption as it gives public officials confidence in making that investment.

An overview of Australia’s Digital Build Program, an initiative of the State of Victoria, was presented in the GA’s session From BIM policy to BIM implementation: procurement practices around the world by Luke Belfield. The Program aims to stimulate a smarter projects pipeline to deliver positive outcomes for people and places. To achieve these goals, better information management and improving infrastructure productivity through data are the driving forces.

In the discussion panel, Matthew Kehoe explained how the Digital Build Program’s combination of digital assets, digital build and offsite construction could connect to the procurement process. Kehoe said: “The Digital Build Program’s use of offsite construction, prefabrication and modularisation leverages a lot of BIM processes using asset libraries and regular kit-of-parts processes.”

He then stressed that it was important to adopt the right language for projects as many BIM efforts were unsuccessful because the language was too technical and it failed to get strategic support at executive level. Kehoe concluded that private sector involvement was key to the success of the State of Victoria’s Digital Build Program as it could help the public sector in digital capability and upskilling.

Roger Grant, from the National Institute of Building Sciences, USA, agreed but cautioned that upskilling the public sector can be a tough challenge. He added that another challenge was aligning the data collected with the systems used internally so that the data could be used in construction projects.

The Global BIM Network’s Information Collection currently holds 13 items for Asia, 12 for Oceania and 4 of North America. It is a growing knowledge base, with more artefacts to be published in the coming weeks. The resources are structured under four pillars: Public leadership (BIM policy, legislation, programmes and strategy); Collaborative framework (legal, procurement, technical references, guidance and templates); Communication and communities (communities of practice, media publications and websites) and Capability and capacity building (training and case studies).

These open-access resources include strategic documents for public projects, developed by individual countries, websites of organisations championing BIM, implementation reports, technical guides, legislation, public leadership and strategic documents to progress BIM journeys in the whole built environment, including major infrastructure.

Countries from Asia, North America and Oceania currently represented in the Information Collection include Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, USA and Vietnam. Resources from additional countries in these regions will be added in the coming weeks.