Appointing party

Current

Also: Client, Owner, Employer (historical)

The party that receives information about works, goods or services from a lead appointed party — usually the owner or client.

Explanation

ISO 19650 uses role-based terms instead of contract titles so that the process applies to any procurement route. The appointing party sets the Exchange information requirements, establishes the project's information standard and Common data environment (or delegates this), and accepts or rejects information deliveries. The appointing party may appoint a third party to carry out information-management functions on its behalf, but it retains accountability.

Practical example

A city that hires a design-build team for a new fire hall is the appointing party; the design-builder is the lead appointed party.

Why it matters

Using role terms avoids confusion when the same company plays different roles on different contracts.

Historical context

Earlier UK documents used "employer"; ISO 19650 replaced it with appointing party.

Standards and references

  1. ISO 19650-2:2018 — Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM) — Information management using building information modelling — Part 2: Delivery phase of the assets. ISO, 2018. Clause 3 and Clause 4.Original VDC Stack.io wording, based on the standard
    Supports: Appointing party role and responsibilities · Status: Stage 90.92 (to be revised). Revision ISO/DIS 19650-2 at stage 40.93 on 2026-08-18 (decision for new DIS ballot).
  2. BIM Harmonisation Guidelines for Works Departments — Appendix I: ISO 19650 Terminologies (v2). Development Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR.Historical record
    Supports: Employer replaced by appointing party / lead appointed party / appointed party

VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.

Cite this entry

Show citation text

VDC Stack.io. (2026). Appointing party. In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/appointing-party/