RIBA Plan of Work 2020
RIBA Plan of Work 2020 (Royal Institute of British Architects, 2020), as supported by RIBA PSC 2020 Schedule of Services and Stage Outcomes
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Why This Matters for Part 3
The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 is the structural backbone of every Part 3 scenario. Examiners assume fluency in the eight stages (0 to 7) and probe how the stages interlock with the RIBA PSC 2020 Schedule of Services and with the JCT contract suite. Common test areas: which deliverables sign off each stage gateway, the Stage 4 design freeze and its relationship to Stage 5 variations, the architect's contract administration role from Stage 5 onwards, how procurement route shifts the position of the tender event, the design responsibility matrix at Stage 4, and the architect's role at Stages 6 and 7 (practical completion and soft landings).
The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 organises the design and construction process into eight stages: 0 Strategic Definition, 1 Preparation and Briefing, 2 Concept Design, 3 Spatial Coordination, 4 Technical Design, 5 Manufacturing and Construction, 6 Handover, and 7 Use. Each stage has defined Outcomes, Core Tasks, and Information Exchanges. The 2020 revision (the most recent at time of writing) introduced the Sustainability Strategy as a cross-stage workstream, integrated the Project Strategies (cost, programme, procurement, sustainability), and replaced the older Stage 3 / Stage 4 boundary with the clearer Spatial Coordination versus Technical Design split. The Plan of Work is not a contract document but it is the universal scheduling language for design teams and is mapped directly into the RIBA PSC 2020 Schedule of Services and indirectly into the JCT contract suite via tender events and certification triggers.
Stages 0 to 3: Pre-Construction Design
Stage 0: Strategic Definition
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 0
Stage 0 establishes whether the project is viable and confirms the Business Case and Strategic Brief. Core tasks include reviewing the client's strategic objectives, site options appraisal, and confirming the project requirements at the highest level. The Stage 0 outcome is the confirmed Strategic Brief. Architects are not always engaged at Stage 0 (a client may engage a Client Adviser instead under RIBA PSC 2020 Client Adviser form), but where they are, fees are typically time-charged because the scope is exploratory.
Stage 1: Preparation and Briefing
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 1
Stage 1 develops the Strategic Brief into the Project Brief and confirms the Project Outcomes, Sustainability Outcomes, Quality Aspirations, and Spatial Requirements. Site Information is gathered, Feasibility Studies undertaken, and the Project Strategies (procurement, sustainability, cost, programme) are initiated. The Stage 1 outcome is the agreed Project Brief and confirmation that the project can proceed.
If asked when the procurement route should be confirmed, the answer is Stage 1. Decisions made about procurement at Stage 1 cascade through every subsequent stage: who is novated, when tender occurs, who carries design liability, and how the architect's appointment scope is structured.
Stage 2: Concept Design
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 2
Stage 2 develops the Concept Design including architectural, structural, and building services concepts, the Outline Specification, and a cost plan informed by the cost consultant. Planning strategy is confirmed. Final Project Strategies are agreed. The Stage 2 outcome is the Concept Design that meets the Project Brief. The Design Responsibility Matrix should be substantially defined by the end of Stage 2.
Stage 3: Spatial Coordination
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 3
Stage 3 (introduced as a discrete stage in the 2020 revision) ensures that the architectural, structural, and services designs are spatially coordinated. The design is tested for buildability, regulatory compliance (including initial Building Safety Act gateway considerations for higher risk buildings), and cost. The Outline Planning Application or Detailed Planning Application is typically submitted at the end of Stage 3 on traditional procurement. The Stage 3 outcome is the spatially coordinated design, ready to be detailed.
Stage 4: Technical Design
Design Freeze and Information Production
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 4
Stage 4 produces all the Technical Design information required to manufacture and construct the project. The point at which design changes can no longer be accommodated without programme or cost impact is the design freeze. On traditional procurement, the design freeze is at the end of Stage 4 because all information must be tendered. The Stage 4 outcome is the complete set of construction information sufficient for the Manufacturing and Construction stage.
Design freeze is a frequent oral exam topic. The examiner may ask: after design freeze, what mechanism allows changes? The answer is the JCT variation procedure (or Change procedure under JCT DB), with cost, time, and design responsibility consequences. The architect should advise the client at Stage 4 that post-freeze changes carry compounded risk.
Design Responsibility Matrix
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 4; BSI BS EN ISO 19650
The Design Responsibility Matrix sets out which designer is responsible for which design element at what level of detail. It is finalised at Stage 4 and is the key document for managing design liability across the consultant team and any contractor design portion or contractor design under D&B. The matrix maps each element to a designer and a Level of Information Need (LoIN), ensuring no element is missed and no double-design occurs.
BIM and Information Delivery Plan
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 4; BS EN ISO 19650-2
On BIM-enabled projects, Stage 4 includes preparation of the Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP), the Task Information Delivery Plan (TIDP), and federation of consultant models. The Common Data Environment (CDE) is fully populated. Information requirements derive from the Employer's Information Requirements (EIR) and the BIM Execution Plan (BEP), prepared earlier in Stages 1 and 2 respectively.
Tender Pack Production
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 4; RIBA PSC 2020 Schedule of Services
On traditional procurement, Stage 4 produces the tender pack: the drawings, specifications, schedules, and contract preliminaries that the contractor will price. The pack is issued for competitive tender at the Stage 4 / Stage 5 boundary. On D&B procurement, the tender event happens earlier (at the end of Stage 2 or 3) and the Employer's Requirements form the tender basis instead.
Stage 5: Manufacturing and Construction
Architect as Contract Administrator
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 5; JCT SBC 2024 Articles 3 and 4
On traditional procurement the architect typically takes the role of Contract Administrator under the JCT SBC 2024 from Stage 5 onwards. The CA issues instructions, certifies payments and Practical Completion, reviews extension of time and loss and expense claims, and acts as quasi-judicial arbiter of contractor entitlements. On D&B procurement the architect is more usually novated to the contractor and reports to the Employer's Agent, with no certification role.
Stage 5 is where the architect's role changes most dramatically depending on procurement. Always identify the procurement route first; then identify the architect's role; then identify the contract under which that role is performed. CA under SBC, novated designer under DB, both with very different obligations.
Change Control and Variations
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 5; JCT SBC 2024 clauses 3.14 to 3.16
All changes after the Stage 4 design freeze must pass through the contract change control procedure. Under JCT SBC 2024 this is a CA instruction (clauses 3.14 to 3.16) valued by the QS under clause 5. Under JCT DB 2024 it is a Change Order. The architect's role is to assess whether the change is necessary, whether it is design-driven or client-driven, and to communicate the cost, time, and design responsibility implications to the client.
Payment Cycle Integration
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 5; HGCRA 1996; JCT SBC 2024 clauses 4.8 to 4.14
Stage 5 is the period during which the JCT payment notice cycle operates. The CA issues interim certificates at the contractual intervals (typically monthly) following inspection and review of the contractor's application. The HGCRA 1996 payment notice and pay less notice rules apply throughout Stage 5. The architect must understand both the RIBA stage process and the statutory payment regime as a continuous workflow.
Sustainability and Compliance Monitoring
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 5; Building Safety Act 2022
Throughout Stage 5 the architect monitors construction quality against the design intent, the contract documents, and the Sustainability Strategy. For higher-risk buildings under the BSA 2022, the architect contributes to the Golden Thread of information and must support Building Safety Regulator gateway compliance. Non-compliance must be reported through the change control procedure or, in extremis, through the design risk register.
Stages 6 and 7: Handover and Use
Practical Completion at Stage 6
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 6; JCT SBC 2024 clause 2.30
Stage 6 covers the period from Practical Completion (certified by the CA under JCT SBC 2024 clause 2.30) through to the end of the Rectification Period and the Certificate of Making Good. Outputs include the building owner's handover documents, the operations and maintenance manuals, the as-built drawings, and the Health and Safety File required under CDM 2015 regulation 12(5).
A common exam trap is to assume Stage 6 ends at Practical Completion. It does not. Stage 6 covers the entire Rectification Period (typically 6 to 12 months). The architect's role during Stage 6 includes managing the defects schedule and issuing the Certificate of Making Good when all listed defects have been rectified.
Soft Landings and Aftercare
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 6; BSRIA Soft Landings Framework
The 2020 Plan of Work integrates the BSRIA Soft Landings approach: the design team remains engaged with the building user for an aftercare period (typically up to three years) to assist with operational tuning, occupant feedback, and remedial fine-adjustment. Soft Landings is treated as an Additional Service under the RIBA PSC 2020 unless specifically included in the Schedule of Services at appointment.
Stage 7: In Use
RIBA Plan of Work 2020: Stage 7
Stage 7 (Use) covers the operational life of the building. Core tasks include Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) at one and three years, ongoing operational monitoring, and lessons learned feedback into the practice's design knowledge base. Stage 7 is typically beyond the architect's standard appointment and is provided only where commissioned as an Additional Service or under a separate Client Adviser appointment.
Procurement Route Variation
Traditional Procurement: Tender at Stage 4 / 5 boundary
RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Procurement Strategy; JCT SBC 2024
On traditional procurement the full design is completed by the consultant team at Stage 4 and competitively tendered at the Stage 4 / Stage 5 boundary. The architect continues as Contract Administrator under JCT SBC 2024 from Stage 5 onwards. Design responsibility remains with the consultant team. This route gives the client the greatest design control but the slowest delivery and the highest pre-construction cost certainty risk.
Design and Build: Tender at Stage 2 or 3
RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Procurement Strategy; JCT DB 2024
On D&B procurement the tender event happens earlier, typically at the end of Stage 2 (single-stage D&B) or Stage 3 (two-stage D&B). The Employer's Requirements are the tender basis. The successful contractor takes single-point design and construction responsibility. The architect is typically novated to the contractor at the tender award stage using the CIC Novation Agreement 2018. From novation onwards the architect's client is the contractor, not the original employer.
Know the tender event positions for each procurement route: traditional at Stage 4 / 5 boundary; single-stage D&B at end of Stage 2; two-stage D&B at end of Stage 3 with Preferred Bidder; management contracting at Stage 3 with packages tendered through Stage 5; construction management with continuous Stage 5 trade tenders.
Management Routes: Continuous Tender
RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Procurement Strategy; JCT Management Building Contract 2024
On management contracting or construction management the design progresses in parallel with construction. Trade packages are tendered progressively through Stage 5. The architect remains engaged through Stages 4 and 5 in a design development role. The procurement route is used where the client values delivery speed and is willing to accept higher cost uncertainty. The architect's role is more design-led and less administratively determinative than under traditional procurement.
Plan of Work / PSC / JCT Alignment
Mapping PoW Stages to PSC Schedule of Services
RIBA Plan of Work 2020; RIBA PSC 2020 Schedule of Services
The RIBA PSC 2020 Schedule of Services is structured by RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stage. Each stage in the Schedule lists the included Services and any specifically excluded items. Anything not in the Schedule is Additional Services under PSC clause 2.3. This direct mapping means that the architect's fee can be allocated stage by stage and any scope dispute can be resolved by reference to the Schedule.
If a client says you should have provided service X, the answer is always: check the Schedule of Services for that stage. If listed, it is included; if not, it is Additional Services requiring a separate fee under PSC clause 2.3. The PoW stages give the framework; the Schedule of Services gives the legal scope.
Mapping PoW Stages to JCT Contract Events
RIBA Plan of Work 2020; JCT SBC 2024
JCT contract events map directly into the Plan of Work. Tender at Stage 4 / 5 boundary on traditional; Date of Possession at start of Stage 5; interim certificates throughout Stage 5; Practical Completion at start of Stage 6; Certificate of Making Good and Final Certificate at end of Stage 6. The Plan of Work and JCT are designed to operate together, with the Plan giving the strategic timeline and the JCT giving the contractual triggers within it.
The 'Three Document' Practice Discipline
RIBA Plan of Work 2020; RIBA PSC 2020; JCT SBC 2024
Competent professional practice requires the architect to maintain command of three documents simultaneously: the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 (the project timeline), the RIBA PSC 2020 (the appointment scope), and the JCT contract (the construction contract). The three are designed to interlock: the Plan of Work timeline runs through the PSC stages and through the JCT contract events. Failure to think across all three is a frequent cause of scope creep, fee leakage, and certification disputes.
Explaining Stage 4 design freeze and Stage 5 variations to a Part 2 graduate
Scenario
You are project architect on a £4m secondary school refurbishment under JCT SBC 2024 traditional procurement. The new Part 2 graduate in your team has asked: 'I do not understand the difference between what we did at Stage 4 and what we do now in Stage 5. Why can the client not just change their mind about the kitchen layout now we are on site?' You need to explain the relationship between Stage 4 design freeze and Stage 5 variations clearly enough that the graduate can apply the principles on their own projects.
Analysis
Stage 4 in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 is the Technical Design stage. By the end of Stage 4 the design is complete to construction information level and is frozen for the tender pack. Every drawing, specification, and schedule that the contractor will rely on to price the job is finalised at this point. The tender pack is issued at the Stage 4 / Stage 5 boundary. The contractor prices the tender on the assumption that the design is fixed. Their tender programme, sub-contract packages, procurement of long-lead items, and labour planning all assume the Stage 4 information is final. If the client changes their mind on the kitchen layout in Stage 5, the contractor has every right to reprice and reprogramme that work. The mechanism for accommodating change in Stage 5 is the variation procedure. Under JCT SBC 2024 clauses 3.14 to 3.16, the CA issues a written variation instruction. The QS then values the variation under clause 5 (either by Schedule of Rates, fair valuation, or daywork). The contractor may be entitled to additional time (Extension of Time under clause 2.29.1 as a Relevant Event) and additional cost (loss and expense under clause 4.24.1 as a Relevant Matter). The consequence: a 'small' kitchen layout change after Stage 4 design freeze can ripple through into delay to the joinery package, additional design fees for the architect (Additional Services under RIBA PSC 2020 clause 2.3), Extension of Time for the contractor, loss and expense for prolongation, and a delay to handover. The client must understand that the marginal cost of change after design freeze is far higher than the cost during design. The Plan of Work / JCT alignment is also relevant. Stage 4 ends at the tender event; Stage 5 starts at Date of Possession under JCT SBC clause 2.4. The contract terms only begin to apply from the contract date. Pre-contract changes during Stage 4 design development are handled under the PSC, not the JCT. Post-contract changes are handled under the JCT variation procedure.
Outcome
You explain to the graduate: Stage 4 is when the design is fixed. Stage 5 is when it is built. Once the contract is signed, the JCT variation procedure (clauses 3.14 to 3.16) is the only legitimate route for change, and every change carries cost, time, and design fee consequences. The graduate also needs to understand that the architect's role changes at the boundary: pre-contract they are designer under the PSC; post-contract they are Contract Administrator under the JCT. The same person, the same office, but a different role with different duties. This is the core operating discipline of the Plan of Work 2020.