On 21 May 2013 the new RIBA Plan of Work replaced the previous 50 year old Plan of Work.
This change followed a comprehensive review, and was based on the perception that the previous Plan of Work had been conceived in a very different era. The new Plan of Work acknowledges significant changes in technology, law, procurement and construction practice.
Whilst valued for its simplicity, the RIBA Outline Plan of Work 2007 was aligned to traditional procurement only, and made assumptions about the timing of planning applications.
Eight numbered stages now replace the former A-L stages, and eight task bars replace the previous descriptions of key tasks. The change to numbered stages avoids confusion with the previous Plan, and also allows the stages to be aligned with a set of unified industry stages agreed through the Construction Industry Council. Aligning the stage numbers in this way assists the RIBA to achieve one of the core objectives of the RIBA Plan of Work 2013, namely greater cohesion within the construction industry.
The new stages are:
0 – Strategic Direction
1 – Preparation & Brief
2 – Concept Design
3 – Developed Design
4 – Technical Design
5 – Construction
6 – Handover and Close Out
7 – In Use
However it should be noted that the Plan of Work is not a contract document itself; rather it is a tool to guide the project through the defined stages. It has been drafted to act across a full range of sectors and project sizes, and incorporates mapping for BIM processes and sustainable design processes. It is also intended to provide mapping for all forms of procurement, and flexible around (town) planning procedures.
The RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Consultation Document can be found here.
An overview of the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 can be found here.
Literature to assist in the transition to the new Plan of Work can also be found in the RIBA online bookshop.
