Challenge
The Building Regulation & Permits Agency (BRPA) was formed by Dubai Municipality to consolidate five key departments:
- Executive Planning
- Building Permit
- Building Activities Control
- Survey
- Geospatial Information Service Centre (GISCD)
The mission of BRPA is facilitating “one of the safest built environments in the world,” by delivering world-class planning, permitting, and construction control services, and supported by high-definition geospatial information, and a digital twin of the built environment
The Agency also has ambitions to improve organisational sustainability for the future through improving effectiveness, efficiency, and revenue.
As a result of the APO project, geospatial data is recognised as a fundamental asset of the organisation and essential to the Agency achieving its objectives, and its ambition.
However, it was established that the collection and management of data across the new Agency could be improved.
Solution
Ordnance Survey, a recognised and well-regarded collaborator with Dubai Municipality for digital transformation, was approached to produce a data collection and management optimisation ‘blueprint’ and test that blueprint through the creation of a market-led product demonstrator.
OS proposed a concept of the “Factory and Warehouse” model. The ‘Factory’ would be a new function called Data Collection Department, formed primarily from the Survey Department to undertake all data collection activity for the Agency, either directly or through the use of a managed supply chain. This new function would be sourcing, collecting, managing quality, and maintaining building-related data, across the Emirate, solely responsible for the following activities:
- Supply chain management
- Surveying
- Quality management
- Infrastructure
- Hydrographic
- Survey services
GISCD would be responsible for market engagement, product creation, and data management and dissemination. It would retain responsibility for the management and dissemination of all geospatial data, including:
- Product portfolio management
- Market and sales development
- Data dissemination
- Systems
- Data management
To ensure a successful outcome, OS developed a framework to deliver “the production of high-definition geospatial and other data, and an associated maintenance program that forms the foundations of a digital twin.”
This collaborative approach defined an ‘optimised state’ for the collection and integration of geospatial data across the BRPA. OS delineated the work into four logical workstreams, each containing several work packages to achieve the desired outcome of the project.
Result
The implementation of the blueprint will create these two new ‘factory’ and ‘warehouse’ functions and their associated activities. The blueprint fully optimised both capacity and capability; synchronising data and processes, supporting interoperability, and therefore optimising the organisation’s infrastructure. The functions will provide the mechanism for Dubai Municipality to sustain maintenance of a comprehensive and authoritative basemap of Dubai.
Significant outcomes during the test of the ‘blueprint’:
- A blueprint for a consolidated and optimised data collection function that delivers high-quality, maintained data
- Improved stakeholder engagement and delivery of their requirements, ensuring the Agency remains relevant
- Improved engagement with employees using specially selected champions that were essential to the programme success; tasked with delivering special tasks as part of the programme deliverables and enthusiastically shared programme updates across the agency
- Creation of market-led products and services
- Improved potential for commercialisation through creation of market-led products
As a result of the optimisation programme, a product demonstrator for the Integrated Building Information Dataset was created and tested with key stakeholders. The programme fundamentally changed the way the organisation creates data, first understanding stakeholders needs, and delivering the dataset in innovative ways. Programme champions were implemented to support internal teams; dedicated experts in place to improve attitudes to change within the agency, increase engagement, and deliver the programme at speed.
"Ordnance Survey’s expertise in geospatial data collection and management has been pivotal in transforming the BRPA’s operations, driving a fundamental shift towards a more stakeholder-focused approach and securing future sustainability for the Agency’s data operations."