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Appendix B – Terminology

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Term Abbreviation Definition
Agency   All Budget Material general government agencies and public non-financial corporations, excluding state-owned corporations and public financial corporations.
ANZLIC’s Foundation Spatial Data Framework FSDF Provides a common reference for the assembly and maintenance of foundation level spatial data across 10 themes: geocoded addressing, administrative boundaries, positioning, place names, land parcel and property, imagery, transport, water, elevation and depth, and land cover and land use
Asset   All non-financial assets recognised by the agency including, but not limited to, land and buildings, plant and equipment, infrastructure systems, leased assets, works in progress, cultural and heritage collections, ICT systems and digital services.
Asset information requirement AIR Data and information requirements by the appointing party in relation to the operation of an asset.
Asset Information Model AIM Set of structured and unstructured information containers relating to the  part of the lifecycle during which an asset is used, operated and maintained
Asset lifecycle   All the stages an asset experiences over the period from conception to end-of-life or contract and typically would include planning, acquisition, delivery, operations and disposal.
Asset Management Framework   The set of interrelated or interacting policies, objectives and processes required to achieve the agency’s objectives through the management of existing and planned assets. The term and definition of ‘Management Framework’ is interchangeable with that of ‘Management System’ as used in the International Standard for Asset Management (ISO 55001).
Asset Management Policy (for the agency)   An authoritative statement of leadership commitment to effective asset management and sets the direction for asset management within the agency.
Asset management          Asset management is the coordinated activities of an organisation to realise value from asset(s). Asset management is a suite of activities that enable physical and non-physical assets to deliver the value they were designed to deliver. Asset management typically involves an asset management system. The system will ensure resources, the competence, the awareness, the communication, the information requirements and the documented information are all enabled and focused on enabling the value that asset management delivers from the assets.
Asset owner         The individual, entity, or organisation responsible for asset management policy, strategy, planning and decision-making for optimising the cost, risk and performance of assets over their lifecycle. Note: ownership of physical and non-physical assets may differ over the lifecycle of the asset.
Asset portfolio   The collection of assets within the scope of the Asset Management Framework. For the purposes of this policy, the asset portfolio covers all non-financial assets recognised by the agency including, but not limited to, land and buildings, plant and equipment, infrastructure systems, leased assets, works in progress, cultural and heritage collections, ICT systems, and digital services.
Australasian BIM Advisory Board ABAB Links industry leaders and expertise from government, industry and academia, and promotes best practice and consistent approaches to BIM practices, standards and requirements. 
Australian and New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC) ANZLIC Also referred to as the Spatial Information Council, ANZLIC is the peak intergovernmental body providing leadership in the collection, management and use of spatial information
Budget Material Agencies   All entities considered material for whole-of-government purposes, which are controlled by the NSW Government and the Government Finance Statistics sectors under which they are classified. A list of Budget Material Agencies is typically published in the NSW Budget Papers.
Building information modelling BIM        Use of a shared digital representation of a built or to be built asset to facilitate design, construction and operation processes to form a reliable basis for decisions.
Built environment   All types of buildings (e.g. residential, industrial, commercial, hospitals, schools), all built infrastructure (e.g. roads, rail, utilities) and the urban space and landscape between and around buildings and infrastructure (e.g. precinct).
Capital project   A project primarily comprised of one or more of the following elements:
  • Infrastructure
  • Equipment
  • Property developments
  • Operational technology that forms a component of a capital project
Clusters   The administrative arrangements that bring together a group of different legal and administrative agencies and allow similar and complementary government services to be coordinated more effectively within a broad policy area.
Common data environment         CDE        Agreed source of information for the whole asset lifecycle used to collect, manage and disseminate all relevant approved project documents for multi-disciplinary teams in a managed process. Pairing a CDE with DE processes enhances collaborative information flow, which can be readily leveraged from one phase of the asset lifecycle to the next. Note: A CDE may use a project server, an extranet, a file-based retrieval system or another suitable toolset.
Community infrastructure   System of facilities, equipment and services that support the operations and activities of communities
Computer-aided design CAD       A geometric/symbol-based computer drawing system that replicates hand- drawing techniques. CAD software can prepare 3D lines, surfaces or solids that are suitable for presentation on hard-copy plots of drawings, and/or as background data for other 3D data or BIM.
Computer-aided facility management CAFM    The support of facility management by information technology.
Construction Operations Building information exchange COBie    Structured facility information for the commissioning, operation, and maintenance of a project often in a neutral spreadsheet format that is used to supply data to the asset owner or operator to populate decision-making tools, facilities management, and asset management systems. COBie can facilitate transformation from document-centric to information-centric handover processes to facility and asset operator’s post-construction.
Data Sharing Principles   Risk management safeguards applied when sharing public sector data.
Data         Information represented in a manner suitable for automatic processing.
Data Custodian   The Agency, body or position designated with the Custody of a specified Dataset or Information asset. The custodian is primarily responsible for:
  • the development, management, care and maintenance of a specified Dataset or Information asset;
  • ensuring that all legal, regulatory and policy requirements are met in relation to the management of the specified Dataset or Information asset; and
  • determining the conditions for appropriate use, sharing and distribution of the specified Dataset or Information asset
Data Owner   This term is often used interchangeably with ‘Data Custodian’.
Delivery Agency   The Government agency tasked with developing and / or delivering a project applicable under this Framework and the NSW Gateway Policy.
Department   A Department within the meaning of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
Digital 3D/4D cadastre   A digital model of cadastral boundaries and properties that defines, records and delivers land parcel information in support of tenure (ownership), land use and land value. The 3D element comprises transformation of the current 2D cadastre with elevation data such that the cadastre includes a height dimension. The 4D element involves creating temporal cadastral parcels that include historical and future data.
Digital Engineering   convergence of emerging technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related systems to derive better business, project and asset management outcomes. Digital Engineering enables a collaborative way of working using digital processes to enable more productive methods of planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining assets through their lifecycle. [NDEEP]
Digital model       A three-dimensional representation in electronic format of infrastructure elements representing a combination of solid objects and specially located data with true-to-scale spatial relationships and dimensions. A model may include additional information or data. Also known as digital twin/ BIM model / data rich 3D model.
Digital twin   A dynamic digital representation of a real-world object or system.
Digital twin ecosystem   Interoperable data and connected digital twins governed by authentication and authorisation rules to enable role-based access to securely shared data.
Employer              Individual or organisation named in an appointment or project contract as the employer. Receiver of information concerning works, goods or services from a lead appointed party.
Equipment   The necessary assets used on or to support an infrastructure system and can include fleet and rolling stock.
Exchange information requirement            EIR          Specification for data and information by the appointing party that the appointed party is expected to meet during the appointment.
F.A.I.R. (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) Principles FAIR Designed to ensure users can find, read, use and reuse data.
Federated model   A group of systems operating in a standard, collective and connected environment.
Industry Foundation Classes IFC          A specification for a neutral data format to describe, exchange and share information typically used within building and facility management industry sectors. IFC data model consists of definitions, rules and protocols that uniquely define datasets, which describe capital facilities throughout their lifecycles. IFC is the only non-proprietary, open global data model specification available.
Information and Communications Technology ICT The common term for the entire spectrum of technologies for information processing, including software, hardware, communications technologies and related services. In general, IT does not include embedded technologies that do not generate data for enterprise use such as stand-alone Operational Technology projects.
Information model           Set of structured and unstructured information containers. This can relate to the operational phase or the delivery phase of a built asset i.e. a project information model or an asset information model respectively. Information models may include geometrical models, schedules, databases, etc. Unstructured information containers may include documentation, video clips, sound recordings etc.
Information         Knowledge concerning objects, such as facts, events, things, processes or ideas, including concepts, that within a certain context, have a particular meaning. Information is data that has been processed into a form (physical, oral, or electronic) that is meaningful to the recipient). This definition includes but is not limited to:
  • raw data;
  • information that has been produced by combining or adding value to raw data;
  • images;
  • audio-visual material;
  • web content;
  • records;
  • metadata, policies and procedures;
  • methodologies;
  • dashboards;
  • models;
  • analysis;
  • knowledge; and
  • strategies.
Information Asset   A body of information, defined and managed as a single unit so it can be understood, shared, protected and exploited efficiently. Information Assets have recognisable and manageable value, risk, content and lifecycles.
Infrastructure   The basic economic and social services, facilities and installations to support society including water, wastewater, transport (including road, rail, ports, airports etc), sport and culture, power, communications, digital and data, police and justice, health, education and family and community services.
Infrastructure data   Data or information relating to the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure.
Infrastructure data management framework IDMF This document
Infrastructure New South Wales INSW     
Infrastructure NSW Assurance Team   The dedicated team within Infrastructure NSW responsible for implementing and administering the IIAF including organising Reviews.
Infrastructure NSW Reporting and Assurance Portal   Online portal administered by Infrastructure NSW for the management of IIAF functions.
Intellectual property          IP The results or output of intellectual activity and creative effort. IP assets are intangible, and their economic value exists largely in the set of exclusive rights that an owner has in the asset. IP may be protected through copyright, trademarks, patents, designs, circuit layouts and plant breeder’s rights.
International Organization for Standardisation ISO         An international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organisations.
Internet of Things IoT          IoT refers to physical devices that are connected to the internet, collecting and sharing data. It is the global network of infrastructure, vehicles, wearable devices, home appliances, medical technologies and other objects that are embedded with electronics, software, sensors and actuators, enabling these ‘things’ to share and exchange data to perform their functions more efficiently and effectively.
Level 2 BIM     A level of maturity in BIM, which is distinguished by collaborative working. It involves developing asset information in a collaborative data-rich 3D environment created in separate discipline models. The collaboration is in the form of information exchange processes specific to a project and coordinated between different systems and project participants.
Natural environment   All living and non-living things that occur naturally, meaning not because of humans. This includes ecological units such as vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere and natural events, which are natural systems without much human interference, as well as universal natural resources, such as climate, air and water, which lack clear-cut boundaries.
Open data   Data that is freely available, easily discoverable and accessible, and published in ways and under licences that allows use without restriction from copyright, patents or other control mechanisms.
Operational technology   Can include systems that relate to service delivery, such as tolling systems, rail signalling or technology to support a new school or hospital.
Organisational information requirement OIR Specification for what, when, how and for whom information is to be produced in relation to organisational objectives.
Project   A temporary organisation, usually existing for a much shorter duration than a program, which will deliver one or more outputs in accordance with an agreed business case. Under the IIAF a capital project is defined as infrastructure, equipment, property developments or operational technology that forms a component of a capital project. Projects are typically delivered in a defined time period on a defined site. Projects have a clear start and finish. Projects may be restricted to one geographic site or cover a large geographical area, however, will be linked and not be geographically diverse. A particular project may or may not be part of a program. Where a project is delivered in multiple stages and potentially across varying time periods it is considered a ‘complex project’. Refer to the definition for ‘complex project’.
Project Information Model PIM Set of structured and unstructured information containers relating to the part of the lifecycle during which an asset is designed, constructed and commissioned. During the project, the project information model can be used to convey the design intent (sometimes called the design intent model) or the virtual representation of the asset to be constructed (sometimes called the virtual construction model).
Public financial corporations PFC Agencies classified by ABS that have one, or more, of the following functions: that of a central bank, the acceptance of demand, time or savings deposits or the authority to incur labilities and acquire financial assets in the market on their own account.
Public non-financial corporations PNFC Public sector entities comprising a range of government businesses providing major economic services. This includes state-owned corporations governed by the State Owned Corporations Act 1989. Commercial PNFCs receive most of their income from customers. Non-commercial PNFCs receive budget funding to meet policy objectives agreed with the NSW Government when income from customers is insufficient to meet operating expenses and/or capital expenditure.
Sensitive information   As defined in the Privacy Act 1988, is a subset of personal information and includes information about an individual’s health, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, criminal record, or biometric templates. Sensitive data means information within the definition of ‘sensitive information’ as well as other types of data that are of a legally privileged, commercial-in-confidence, security classified, or environmental nature
Shared data   Data made available to another agency, organisation or person under agreed conditions.
Smart community infrastructure   Community infrastructure with enhanced technological performance that is designed, operated and maintained to contribute to sustainable development and resilience of the community
Spatially enabled digital twin   A digital twin integrated with spatial and positioning data, covering a defined geographic space above and below ground.
Stakeholders   People or organisations that can affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by a decision or activity of the agency. For the purpose of this policy statement, stakeholders considered by the agency would include people and organisations both within and outside the NSW public sector.
State-owned corporations   PNFCs or public financial corporations (PFCs) which have been corporatised under the State Owned Corporations Act 1989.
Strategic Asset Management Plan SAMP Documentation of the activities required to establish, maintain and improve the agency’s Asset Management Framework.
Transport for New South Wales TfNSW  The lead transport and roads agency in New South Wales
Uniclass 2015™   A UK classification system. Uniclass 2015™ is a classification scheme for the construction industry. It is intended for organising library materials and for structuring product literature and project information. Uniclass 2015™ comprises tables, each of which represent a different class of construction information and deal with a different scale of information. Each table can be used as a standalone table for the classification of an information type. In addition, terms from different tables can be combined to classify complex subjects.
Victorian Digital Asset Strategy VDAS     VDAS aims to improve the way infrastructure projects are defined, delivered and maintained in the Victorian Government.

 

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Last updated 12 Nov 2020