[ISO 19650] MIDP: the Micromanagement Delivery Plan?

BIM specialists like to boast about how new processes and tools can improve efficiency and do wonders for your project. There is a lot of (fair!) noise about the potential production gains enabled by a piece of software or very smart spreadsheets. However, little thought is usually given to how the implementation of a new process / tool will impact project culture and people’s behaviour on a project. The development and implementation of a Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP) on projects might be one example of this.

I have the impression that, as information management tools and knowledge in the field progresses, so it does the complexity of the deliverables and project documentation. Tools have more power to integrate information. Databases are becoming increasingly richer with previous project experiences. However, this is not always for the better.

While a few years ago a MIDP was almost a fancy name for a drawing register, these days MIDPs can be a highly complex set of specifications. As an ISO 19650 assessor, I have seen very advanced MIDPs around: online databases, with hundreds of rows specifying the deliverables that need to be issued, when they need to be issued and what needs to be included. Some MIDPs even go as far as establishing headings for the documents that need to be produced. Very advanced indeed!

"My experience on projects adopting such solutions is that the MIDP becomes a tool for micromanaging the delivery teams: the Micromanagement Information Delivery Plan."

Information managers dreamt of the day when we would be able to specify information at the level of detail enabled by the tools and processes that we currently have. However, we never really stopped to think about the consequences of that.

My experience on projects adopting such solutions is that the MIDP becomes a tool for micromanaging the delivery teams: the Micromanagement Information Delivery Plan. Clients and supporting consultants start to focus on ticking the boxes, increasingly pressuring delivery teams to issue the documents specified exactly as they were established in the MIDP.

Needless to say, this approach leads to all sorts of problems. It decreases the delivery team morale, as consultants feel mistrusted and undervalued. Client reviews focus more on whether a piece of information has been delivered than on the quality of that piece of information. It hinders creativity as it limits the delivery teams' ability to problem-solve independently and propose new solutions…and the list goes on and on.

Perhaps this is an instance where information managers could reflect on how far they want to take the implementation of processes and technology, changing the focus to the human side of things. As an avid DIYer I can see how easy it is to solve problems by buying new tools. Need to open a paint can? Why don’t you buy a paint can opener? Yes, it would be great to have this and every tool and piece of machinery available at B&Q in our toolbox. However, for most things all we need is a screwdriver.