Last edited 01 Nov 2020

BIM co-ordinator

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a broad term that describes the process of creating and managing digital information about a built asset such as building, bridge, highway, tunnel, and so on.

As an integrated data-led process enabling teams to manage information about a project, the co-ordination of the building information model, or parts of it, is an important responsibility. BIM co-ordinators can therefore be key members of the project team, helping establish and manage BIM project workflows and assisting in the effective resolution of issues that arise.

However, the standards that establish Level 2 BIM do not refer to the role of BIM co-ordinator. This is partly because they are written from the perspective of the government as a construction client. Standards such as PAS 1192-2 refer to an Information Manager, as a procedural gate-keeper, policing the common data environment to ensure that it follows the agreed protocols and that data is secure. However, this information manager has no design responsibility and no responsibility for quality, clash detection, data conversion, or model co-ordination - as these are supplier responsibilities.

As a result, the term BIM co-ordinator is a relatively ambiguous one, which may refer to a co-ordinator (or several co-ordinators) within a project or organisation, whose responsibilities could include:

Developing and maintaining BIM protocols and BIM Execution Plans and other documentation.
Ensuring protocols are adhered to.
Managing data sets.
Co-ordinating stakeholders in terms of their role within the BIM process.
Ensuring the accuracy of models and datasets by establishing quality control procedures.
Clash detection and clash avoidance.
Preparing BIM co-ordination programmes and progress reports.
Providing training and assistance to the project team and explaining procedures and standards.
Sourcing and maintaining model content.
Where there are shared data and inter-model relationships, making sure these are recorded and monitored.
Co-ordinating data modelling and management.
Liaising with the design team and client.
Coordinating the handover of information at project milestones.