Nima: the single construction regulator must embrace information management

In its response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) consultation, nima is unambiguous: “A single construction regulator will only be effective if it can rely on structured, assured, accessible and interoperable information across the whole building lifecycle. Without that, the regulator risks inheriting fragmented submissions, inconsistent terminology, duplicated reporting, weak audit trails and poor transfer of knowledge between design, construction, occupation, refurbishment and enforcement. To state matters plainly, information failure becomes regulatory failure.”

Nima emphasises the role the regulator must play in ensuring consistency in procurement: “The industry is currently dealing with fragmentation between regulatory requirements, client requirements, asset management systems and supply chain tools.

“Developers, asset owners and clients need clarity on what information is required, when, in what format, to what standard and for what purpose. They also need confidence that information produced at gateway, handover and occupation/operational stages can be reused rather than recreated. A single regulator should therefore drive consistency in data requirements. Dutyholders should not be forced to respond to multiple overlapping or contradictory requests.”

Nima reinforces the role that the Information Management Initiative (IMI) can play: “The principles in the IMI and the Interoperability Code of Practice should be embedded in the construction regulator’s digital operating model guidance, procurement expectations, and interface requirements.”

In response to the MHCLG’s question “What digital tools and platforms do you find most effective for ensuring you meet regulatory compliance and why?”, nima restates the importance of being interoperable-first and system-agnostic: “The most effective tools are those that support structured information, version control, auditability, secure sharing, open exchange, traceability of decisions and integration across disciplines and lifecycle stages without referencing specific vendors.”

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