BREEAM Evidence gathering

The following comprises of comments from people with experience gathering BREEAM evidence

[edit] Briefing the Design team

[edit] Contract clauses

• Make sure client team are including BREEAM performance in their appointments, sub-contracts and key reporting criteria for PMs
• Include in your fee proposal and initial reports information on design responsibilities relating to evidence gathering and format/types using the BREEAM evidential requirements section from the manual as a guide.
• Ask the design team to add into the specifications the full list of evidence to be provided by the contractor.

[edit] Assigning responsibilities

• A pre assessment summary report with a summary of the information required from each party
• Set out strong description of what is required for each issue at a very early stage, and keep this in regular discussion, making sure people actually understand what is required and when. Ideally this should be done directly rather than at a big meeting which is often not productive, or the client is present so people nod and say ‘yes i know what im doing’ and then deliver nothing
• Meeting with the full team where all issues are explained and where every team member hears what his responsibilities are. During the meeting everybody writes in the pre assessment report what he is responsible for
• Clear fee scope and an early meeting to discuss and agree design team responsibilities.

[edit] Deadlines

• Providing the team a timeline for the delivery of the evidences and managing to monitor this.

[edit] Documentation

• Prepare a Contractors BREEAM Specification document, an M&E BREEAM spec document and Architects BREEAM spec which describe what is required and when
• Provide schedule of evidence required against each credit and assign responsibilities

[edit] General tips

• Evidence examples and templates are very useful for teams
• Ensure team know how to improve any evidence sent asap, what is good / acceptable and what is not compliant
• Collaborate with the BREEAM AP or other client project owner, throughout the design and construction phases. Indirectly keep BREEAM on the project team’s agenda!
• Praise good evidence so they know they can produce this in the future for further assessments
• Clearly explain that most evidence can be based on “usual” project documents if they contain the information needed.

[edit] Chasing evidence

[edit] Tracking tools

• Online portal through which all project team members can access the
• criteria and provide evidence in real time.
• We use IESTap
• Use shared online spaces for sharing documents and records (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc), ensuring the privacy and correct visibility of each folder for each design team/requirement/theme
• IES TaP or BREEAM TrackerPlus work well

[edit] Progress updates

• Provide regular feedback on the evidence they submit rather than just leaving it so they don’t know where they stand.
• Attend regular meetings to provide updates on the evidence still needed.
• Send out regular evidence trackers - use traffic light system to name and shame the team.
• Regular updated action lists for each project team member confirming exactly what they need to provide.
• Issue regular score update and list containing the typical design/post construction stage evidence required.
• Regular updates and feedback on what has (or hasn’t) been provided.

[edit] General tips

• Setting dates
• A good collaboration with BREEAM AP gives assessors better access to and influence on project team throughout design and construction.

[edit] Find out more

[edit] Related articles

• BREEAM Evidence types by issue
• BREEAM Evidence referencing

BRE Global does not endorse any of the content posted and use of the content will not guarantee the meeting of certification criteria.

--Multiple Author Article 16:27, 19 Apr 2018 (BST)