The international investor thinks in RIBA Stages; the Bulgarian administration thinks in statutory acts under the Spatial Development Act (ZUT). A project fails when nobody translates between the two. Our Ф0–Ф7 phase model is built precisely as that translation.
The mapping. The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 organises the lifecycle into eight stages (Stage 0–7). Our model follows them, anchored to the Bulgarian regulatory milestones: Ф0 (initial assessment and strategic positioning) corresponds to Stage 0–1 — Strategic Definition and Preparation; Ф1 (initiation) is the management layer RIBA assumes and the PMI/PRINCE2 methodologies spell out — charter, baseline plan, risk register; Ф2 (design and permitting) covers Stage 2–4 — from the concept to the technical design under Ordinance No. 4/2001, through to an effective building permit; Ф3 (tender procedures) is the procurement process RIBA places around Stage 4; Ф4 (construction) is Stage 5, with supervision under Ordinance No. 3/2003 through to the Act 14 and Act 15 protocols; Ф5 (commissioning) is Stage 6 — Handover, through to the permit to use; Ф6 (warranty period) rests on the statutory warranty terms under Ordinance No. 2/31.07.2003 — from 2 to 10 years by type of works; Ф7 (operation and asset management) is Stage 7 — Use.
| Phase (Strive 4BG) | RIBA Plan of Work 2020 | Regulatory anchors (ZUT) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ф0 | Initial assessment and strategic positioning | Stage 0–1 · Strategic Definition, Preparation | — |
| Ф1 | Initiation | The management layer RIBA presumes (PMI/PRINCE2) | Charter, baseline plan, risk register |
| Ф2 | Design & permits | Stage 2–4 · Concept to Technical Design | Design visa → technical design (Ordinance No 4/2001) → building permit |
| Ф3 | Tender procedures | Around Stage 4 | Contractor selection and award |
| Ф4 | Construction | Stage 5 · Construction | Control under Ordinance No 3/2003; acts form 14 and 15 |
| Ф5 | Commissioning | Stage 6 · Handover | Act form 16 → permit to use |
| Ф6 | Warranty period | — | Warranty terms under Ordinance No 2/2003 (2–10 years by type of works) |
| Ф7 | Operation & asset management | Stage 7 · Use | — |
One honest caveat. The mapping is a working map, not a mathematical identity: RIBA is a designer-centred model, ours is investor-centred. That is why the tender phase stands alone in our model (it is where most of the cost is fixed — it deserves its own discipline), and the management initiation is set out separately. Where the two standards diverge, we choose the investor’s point of view and say so.
Why this matters. An investor reporting to an international board or bank receives the project in a familiar framework — with no loss of alignment with the Bulgarian procedures. The project documentation carries both languages at once: a Stage for the board, a ZUT act for the administration. The translation between them is part of the service, not an add-on.