Published research: Activity theory analysis of information management resource implementation under BS EN ISO 19650-2

After several years of research, interviews, surveys, analysis, writing, revisions, and many cups of coffee, one of the core papers from my PhD at UCL has now been published. 

The research started with a simple question. 

When information management (IM) challenges occur in BS EN ISO19650-2 projects, we often blame a specific IM resource. 

The EIR is unclear. 

The BEP is weak.

 The MIDP is not maintained. 

But what if the problem is not the individual IM resource? 

This study investigated the implementation of EIR, BEP and MIDP/TIDP within BS EN ISO 19650-2 projects in the UK using Activity Theory and evidence from industry practitioners. 

Rather than examining these resources in isolation, the study conceptualised them as a Chained Activity System, where each activity influences and conditions the next. 

This perspective may help explain why organisations continue to face implementation challenges even when the required BS EN ISO 19650-2 resources are in place.

The findings highlight recurring implementation challenges associated with:

Technology 

• Traditional Word, PDF and Excel workflows constrain coordination across EIR, BEP and MIDP/TIDP. 

• CDE interoperability remains a major limitation. 

• Organisations often rely on procedural workarounds rather than systemic solutions. 

Standards 

• Cross-country implementation creates different rule environments. 

• There is a persistent tension between standardisation and project-specific customisation. 

• Level of Information Need remains inconsistently applied in practice. 

Operational Workflows 

• Coordination across multiple appointments remains challenging. 

• Capability gaps among clients and practitioners affect implementation. 

• Upstream decisions in EIRs influence downstream BEPs and MIDP/TIDPs. 

Challenges affecting one activity often propagate across the chain, influencing how subsequent resources are developed and implemented. 

The research identified: 

✓ Activity system contradictions

 ✓ Inter-activity tensions 

✓ Chained activity system conditioning factors 

The findings were synthesised into a Chained Activity System Model and an Information Management Framework integrating standards, technology and operational workflows. 

The framework, illustrated through a Venn diagram, provides a structured representation of how factors identified across EIR, BEP, and MIDP/TIDP activities are distributed and interconnected across IM domains. The framework supports a holistic interpretation of IM practice by illustrating how information-related, process-related, and management-related considerations intersect within the implementation of BS EN ISO 19650-2.

Perhaps the most important conclusion is that IM challenges should not be viewed as resource-specific problems. 

They are often structurally relational problems emerging across interconnected activities. 

This perspective may help explain why UK organisations continue to face implementation challenges even when they adopt the required BS EN ISO 19650-2 resources. 

I am grateful to my co-authors, Professors Michael Pitt and Qiuchen Lu, Yunqing Bi from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London and Sarah Davidson from the University of Nottingham, for their valuable contributions and support throughout this research. 

Open access article here:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050475926005750

Breakwithanarchitect © 2025 by Nicoleta Panagiotidou. Licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Sharing is encouraged with credit and link to the original post, but full reproduction requires prior written consent.