Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative approach for improving efficiency, coordination, and sustainability in the construction industry; however, its adoption in developing regions remains limited. In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG), BIM implementation—particularly within the residential construction sector—remains at an early stage and lacks comprehensive empirical investigation. This study aims to assess stakeholders’ perspectives on current BIM practices, identify key adoption barriers, and develop a context-specific strategic framework to support BIM implementation. A mixed-method research design was employed, incorporating literature review, expert validation through semi-structured interviews, and a structured questionnaire survey. A total of 319 valid responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Relative Importance Index (RII), Cronbach’s alpha for reliability, Spearman’s rank correlation, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. In addition to ranking barriers, an inter-barrier correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships, clustering patterns, and hierarchical structure of BIM adoption challenges. The results indicate that while BIM awareness is moderately established among stakeholders, its practical application remains limited, particularly beyond the design phase. The most critical barriers include lack of training and expertise, absence of regulatory frameworks and standards, insufficient government support, and financial constraints. The correlation analysis reveals that these barriers are interdependent, with policy and institutional deficiencies acting as root drivers influencing technical, financial, and awareness-related challenges. Based on these findings, the study proposes a four pillar conceptual strategic framework encompassing human capital development, regulatory and standardization enablement, awareness and demand generation, and organizational and collaborative enhancement. The framework is explicitly derived from empirical results, linking barrier clusters to prioritized strategies, thereby enhancing its practical applicability. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing one of the first multi-province empirical assessments of BIM adoption in the KRG residential sector, integrating statistical validation with strategic development, and offering transferable insights for other developing regions at a similar stage of BIM adoption.
Karim et al. (Mon,) studied this question.