Specialist services are those that are normally supplied on a “one off” basis where developing “in-house” expertise is not normally warranted. However, if you require any of these areas on a more regular basis then we will be happy to assist arm your team with the processes.

• Assessing Schedule risk
• Safety in Design
• HAZOP
• Tendering
• Assessing the bottom line to commercial issues
• Other specialist services

If any Specialist Service is of interest to you then please send a quick email to [email protected] with contact details (name and telephone number). We will call you, discuss your specific needs and then compile a no obligation response.

Assessing Schedule risk

For projects that are complex, have a long duration or have time constrained interfaces (such as shut downs or railway possessions) assessing the risks associated with the time schedule (programme) is an essential requirement to managing this critical project function.

The steps often include:

• A review of the existing project schedule including a check on logic and constraints.
• Working with the team members to assess a suitable range of duration values.
• Running a Monte Carlo simulation and reviewing the outputs.
• Developing management strategies/processes to achieve a realistic and manageable schedule for the project.
• Facilitating a qualitative risk workshop to assess other time related risks for incorporation into the schedule.

Safety in Design

Safety in design is a requirement for most construction related projects. Although individual organisations (Principal, Designer, Constructor and Operator) may undertake this process integration between each is often minimal or does not occur. Integration is a keystone to the “Guide to Best Practice for Safer Construction”. The integrative process may be driven by the Principal and/or Designer.

The steps include:

• Development of a project specific Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS).
• Workshopping safety risks.
• Ongoing management (updating and treating) by the parties as the project proceeds through the phases.
• Development of checklists for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for any post construction risks.

HAZOP

Hazard and Operability studies are a structured and systematic examination of a planned or existing process or system. Although originally developed for chemical process systems it may be used for any complex systems including infrastructure, software and even legal contract design reviews. It is normally undertaken at the detailed design stage.

The steps include:

• Development of a Risk Breakdown Structure to describe the system/process.
• Workshopping:
  • The design intent of each system
  • Development of Guide words
  • Identification of causes and consequences
  • Identification of treatments
• Addressing the outputs as part of the design

For large contracts where a non-standard form of contract is being used then we can also facilitate a workshop to “stress” the contract using the above HAZOP process (as outlined in HB 296:2007).

Tendering risk workshops

Risk workshops (by either the Principal or Contractor) may be undertaken and then addressed in the contract or tender response document as appropriate. However, in each case one party or the other is missing. RiskTools (in conjunction with CBP Lawyers and William Buck probity experts) has developed a process for a risk workshop to be part of the tender process and the resulting risk management plan forming part of the contract.

For more information refer Tendering Risk Management.pdf

Assessing the bottom line to commercial issues

In most large commercial contracts there is disagreement over some issues between the parties that need to be resolved. Where there are numerous issues, knowing what the “bottom line” value of all of them can make negotiation both quicker and easier than arguing each issue. We have developed IssuesValuer for this process.

For more information refer IssuesValuer.pdf.

Other Specialist Services

We have also assisted Clients with other specialist risk related services such as:

• Value Management studies
• Compiling a tender response
• Option Studies
• Contract start up workshops (eg GC21)

Associates

We have local Associates in most States and Territories who undertake the Development Services.

We also have a number of Associates who undertake the Specialist Services.

Documenting Contract Risk or Compiling a Tender response

Whether you are compiling a contract document or a tender, the processes for optimising risk management on the contract are similar. This is an area that offers significant gains to documenting a contract or tender response that optimises risk management. 
Once risk workshops have been undertaken for a project the risks may be quickly categorised into who has control over each risk.

Risks will fall into three “camps”:

• Those that the Principal controls and should carry (including inherent risk)
• Those that the Contractor controls and should carry
• Those where the risks is shared and by working together an optimal outcome may be obtained.

We assist Clients in undertaking the workshops, identifying which “camp” a risks falls into, and help develop strategies for documenting the contract or tender response.