An Introduction to Construction Risk Management

Type construction + risk into any search engine and you’ll find that there are few comprehensive entries. Construction is risky business; in fact, you could say that undertaking a construction project is all about undertaking and managing risk. But what is risk? What are the risks specifically faced during a construction project? How are they identified and categorized? How do they change depending on the perspective of the stakeholder? How does one assess the severity or probability of those risks? Most importantly, how are those risks mitigated and managed?

A risk management plan begins by creating a comprehensive check list of various risks faced organized by category. Once a project is considered, a tailored list of possible risks is created and organized. Each risk is assessed and analyzed to create a management and mitigation plan which may include various mitigation tools. The risk analysis tools are continually monitored and re-assessed to determine the real time outcome of the implemented plan.

This hands-on course will walk you through how to create a risk management plan. During each course session you’ll work through applied practical exercises both on your own and in groups with fellow attendees. You’ll receive various spreadsheet-based tools to use in the development of a strategic risk management analysis and mitigation plan and risk assessment matrixes will be provided to help you in risk analysis methods. Finally, you’ll receive a master risk registry tool and your instructor will teach you how to apply and use it.

Course content will cover:

• Definition of construction risk
• Categories of risk
• Risk from different stakeholders perspectives
• Identification and discovery of risk
• Risk assessment tools and processes
• Strategic risk management planning and risk mitigation tools
• Risk re-assessment and monitoring
• Risk allowances and contingencies
• Implementation of risk management tools

We recommend that students have some experience and knowledge in the topic of construction project management/administration.

Those with less experience are welcome to attend but may find it hard to appreciate the material without prior experience or context.

All construction industry stakeholders need to be aware of the concept of risk. Business owners, project managers, estimators, supervisors, field engineers will all benefit from this course.

This course is delivered in partnership between your local construction association and other associations throughout Western Canada. You’ll be participating in a cohort with industry peers from across these regions.

Ralph Lembcke, P.GSC

Ralph’s construction career has taken him from estimator to project manager, then to self-employed contractor, and finally to a 30-year career as a professor with the Donald J. Smith School of Building Technology at Fanshawe College in London, ON, where he still teaches part-time. He was a 25-year member of the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyor (PQS – Professional Quantity Surveyor) and is currently a charter member of the Construction and Design Educators Council of Canada (CDECC). Ralph sits on the board of advisors for the CDECC as well as for an Ontario-based construction company. Ralph holds a certificate in Construction Engineering Technology and Management from Fanshawe College, a teaching certificate from St. Clair College and a Professional Gold Seal certification from the Canadian Construction Association.

Ryan Simmons, CET, GSC, EllisDon | VP of Operations, Southwestern Ontario

Ryan has over 20 years of experience as a construction professional, and in his current role at EllisDon, he is responsible for overall execution of EllisDon projects, including staffing, training, and risk management. With extensive experience in hospital construction and complex projects, Ryan brings an intense but energetic and engaging approach to his work. Recognized as the top academic student each year while graduating from the Construction Engineering Technology Program at Fanshawe College, Ryan is also a Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T), a LEED AP accredited professional, and is Gold Seal Certified (GSC) by the Canadian Construction Association.

• Live, Online, Instructor-led training.
  • This course is facilitated by the instructor on the Zoom platform. Access information will be provided to you in advance of the training.
  • You will be expected to have your webcam on during the class and participate in group discussions and other activities with your instructor and classmates during the course.
• This course is delivered in partnership with local construction associations. You will be participating with a cohort of industry peers from multiple regions.

This workshop requires full face-to-face interaction and participation from both the instructor and students.

Please make sure you have the following:

• Computer or laptop with webcam: This course will involve on-screen interaction with your instructor and classmates, reading/viewing on-screen content like slides or videos, and interacting via typing with questions or responses. For this reason, we recommend that you have a full computer/laptop set-up and don’t recommend using a cell phone or tablet to attend the training.
• A quiet space with minimal distractions: plan to be fully engaged in the class and clear your work schedule just as you would for attendance in an in-class program.