Before signing
Sam gives Helen one page: what information the contract promises, by when, and who's delivering it. The same promises go down into every subcontract.
Helen's journey · Lesson 3
What did we sign?
Before you start
In the story
Nobody read Schedule 7. Now there's a Defect.
Back to the story
The right way: One page, before the pen
Contract award
The plans went into the appointment before signing. Once we've won, they're issued formally at C01. When the client's reviews run late, that's recorded against the plan.
Month six
Things wobble. Both sides open the plan, see who's late, and fix it. No lawyers.
Signed, unreadNo plan, no evidence, and the Defect lands on us alone.
One page, before the penPromises known, passed down, and a plan that shows who was late.
Ask this
What information did we promise this client, and can we prove we're delivering it?
Continue Helen's journey
Story 4: Whose job is it?
The site builds from an old drawing. Everyone knows whose fault it is. It just isn't theirs.
The right way, explained
A contract is the town's deal with its neighbours. If the Town Hall signs a deal it hasn't read, the town keeps it by accident or not at all. And a written plan cuts both ways: it's also how you show the neighbours were late.
If you're the information manager
Read what was signed before you plan anything. If the information promises never made it into the subcontracts, tell Helen while it's still cheap to fix.
In the town See it in the town: one signature at the top. How far down does the promise go?
Helen's view: our firm signs with the client, then passes the same promises down to every firm we appoint.
Solid lines. What's needed, and the information that comes back.
Dotted lines. Lead firms coordinating with each other.
Pick a groupWho works for whom
The client
- In the picture
- ISO 19650 calls it
- Watch out for
This is the Appointment!
The contract that carries the information promises, all the way down.
The briefing Four lines for the board
The point
The contract makes information promises. Know what they are before you sign, and have the plans in place from day one.
Why it matters
The plan is your evidence. Without one, you can't show the client was late too, and you carry the blame alone.
What the standard expects
Under ISO 19650, the information requirements, the plan, the delivery schedule and the information protocol go into the appointment before it's signed, and down to every subcontractor.
Your decision
Don't sign until someone can tell you, on one page, what information you're promising.
For directors What goes into the contract
Under ISO 19650, the information side of the job isn't a nice-to-have. It's written into the appointment, the contract between the client and the lead firm, and the same again in every appointment below it.
| In the contract | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The client's information requirements | What they need from us, and when |
| Their information standard and methods | How files must be named, checked and shared |
| Our plan for managing information | What we promised in the bid, now binding |
| The delivery plan | Which drawing, report or model is due when, and who makes it |
For you: the delivery plan is also your defence. If the client's reviews run late, the plan is how you show it.
Based on the ISO 19650 series: the ideas come from the standard; the plain-English wording, examples and advice are InfoTown's. ISO 19650 is © ISO and BSI. You'll hear the same language across the industry. Read more for free in the Information Management Initiative (IMI) Framework guidance from BSI and nima. For the full requirements, use the standard itself.