What Is a BIM Execution Plan (BEP)? Ireland Guide

The BIM Execution Plan (BEP) is the cornerstone document of ISO 19650-compliant BIM delivery on Irish NDP projects — and it is consistently one of the most poorly understood deliverables in Irish design practice. Irish practices that work on public-sector BIM-mandated commissions need a clear, practical understanding of what a BIM Execution Plan for Ireland must contain, who is responsible for producing it, and what happens when it is missing or inadequate. This guide covers all of that — specifically in the context of the HSE Capital Programme, OGP public works and Department of Education project requirements that Irish teams encounter in 2025.

What Is a BIM Execution Plan?

A BIM Execution Plan (BEP) is the document produced by the design and construction team that describes how BIM information will be managed and delivered on a specific project. It is the team's structured response to the client's Employer Information Requirements (EIR) — confirming how every information requirement will be met, by whom, when, at what LOD and through which CDE platform.

Under ISO 19650, the BEP is not a one-off document — it is a living project document that evolves from pre-contract (demonstrating capability) to post-contract (a live management tool). On Irish NDP projects mandated by the OGP BIM Framework or HSE Capital Programme, a BEP is contractually required and its absence or inadequacy is a procurement disqualifier.

Pre-Contract BEP vs Post-Contract BEP

Pre-Contract BEP — Responding to the Employer's Requirements

The pre-contract BEP is submitted as part of the design team's tender response on a BIM-mandated Irish NDP commission. It demonstrates that the team has the capability to meet the EIR — confirming the proposed CDE platform, software versions, LOD progression by stage, responsibility matrix structure and proposed MIDP framework. It is necessarily based on assumptions (the team doesn't have the project drawings yet) but must demonstrate genuine capability rather than generic statements.

Post-Contract BEP — The Live Project Management Document

After appointment, the pre-contract BEP is developed into the post-contract BEP — incorporating project-specific detail: actual CDE platform credentials and access structure; confirmed naming and numbering conventions aligned to the HSE/OGP EIR; the detailed MIDP with model delivery dates for each RIAI stage gate; the confirmed responsibility matrix identifying exactly which discipline team delivers which model elements; and the agreed clash detection and coordination review cycle. The post-contract BEP is reviewed and updated at each stage gate throughout the project.

What a Complete BEP Must Contain Under ISO 19650

Responsibility Matrix — Who Does What

The responsibility matrix maps every BIM model element type to the discipline team responsible for creating and maintaining it. For an Irish hospital project, for example: architectural elements (walls, floors, ceilings) — architect; structural elements — structural engineer; MEP plant and distribution — MEP engineer; ELV systems (fire alarm, security, cabling, nurse call) — ASDV / ELV consultant. Gaps in the responsibility matrix — where elements are not assigned to any discipline — are one of the most common BIM coordination failures on Irish NDP projects.

Information Delivery Milestones

The MIDP (Master Information Delivery Plan) within the BEP shows every information container (model, drawing, schedule, report) that will be delivered, the responsible party, the delivery date, the LOD at delivery, and the CDE status at delivery. For Irish NDP projects on tight programme, the MIDP is the tool that the lead designer uses to track whether the BIM process is on schedule — and to identify slippage before it becomes a programme crisis.

Standards and Methods

The BEP must specify: the BIM authoring software versions (Revit version, AutoCAD version); the CDE platform and access structure; the file naming convention aligned to the project EIR; the coordinate origin and shared parameters approach; the model breakdown structure (by discipline, by building, by level); and the quality check process before CDE issue.

Common BEP Failures on Irish Projects

• Generic BEP not specific to the project EIR — copying a previous BEP without updating it for the specific EIR requirements of the current commission
• Missing ELV discipline in the responsibility matrix — fire alarm, security and structured cabling not assigned to any discipline
• MIDP not completed — model delivery dates not specified, making programme tracking impossible
• CDE platform not confirmed — BEP references a platform that the team hasn't actually set up for the project
• LOD progression not aligned to RIAI stages — specifying LOD 300 throughout without differentiating by stage

How ASDV Contributes to BEPs on Irish NDP Commissions

When appointed as the ELV discipline consultant on an Irish NDP project, ASDV provides the ELV and ICT discipline section of the BEP — confirming our Revit software version, CDE access requirements, ELV element naming conventions, LOD progression by RIAI stage, and MIDP dates for ELV model deliveries. We also contribute the ELV/ICT responsibility matrix entries. See our BIM support services Ireland page and our ISO 19650 explained guide for the broader ISO 19650 context.