8a - Risk Managmenet Resources
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[00:00:00] Ryan: Welcome back everybody to day eight of the 12 days of GBA countdown where we're counting down GBA resources from 12 to one to keep you guessing. Today we have one of our favorite risk management resources. It's a tongue twister.

[00:00:18] Tiffany: It is and okay. Ryan, I have to admit that I had a, where on earth do we start moment with this topic? Risk management resources, I feel like is a tough topic to cover because risk management is basically GBA's love language. You could point at almost anything they publish and say, yep, that's risk mitigation.

[00:00:43] Ryan: Totally. It's basically the foundation of GBA pun intended.

[00:00:47] Tiffany: Okay, you feel me? So we're not gonna list an encyclopedia today. Instead, it's more like a greatest hits playlist. Just a few resources that show how GBA [00:01:00] helps firms avoid preventable pain.

[00:01:03] Ryan: And to be fair, the other huge thing GBA does is business, right? Helping firms run better best practices, training, leadership systems, all the stuff that keeps you healthy and sustainable as a company. So honestly, a lot of that. Is risk mitigation management.

[00:01:19] And, and.

[00:01:21] Tiffany: Mitigation management. It is all those things. Alright, and I like that you're calling that out because risk isn't just claims, it's profits, rework, missed expectations, awkward client conversations. Basically business pain and gbas resources help you prevent the stuff that quietly drains your projects. So to keep this from turning into a three hour episode, we're gonna hit three tracks from GBA's greatest hits on risk management. See what I did there?

[00:01:56] Ryan: Oh, I got it.

[00:01:58] Tiffany: All right. Track one, [00:02:00] contracts and legal risk. Basically, setting expectations before the first shovel hits the ground. Track two reports in client education, prevent misunderstandings after the work is done, and then track three, training and peer learning how GBA helps you reduce risk long term by building strong habits.

[00:02:21] Ryan: And most importantly, for each track, we'll give you a quick takeaway, something that's actionable, something that you can do. Like, here's what to do Monday morning,

[00:02:31] Tiffany: Love it. All right, and that's my catchphrase too. Go ahead and make fun of me. Track one is contracts because risk management starts before anyone collects a sample. GBA's contract reference guide is a classic example. I've referred to it on a lot of contracts over the years.

[00:02:51] Ryan: And if you've never used it or seen what it is, it's not just a contract template, it's a decision tool. It's this resource that tells you [00:03:00] what language matters, why it matters, how to negotiate it without turning it into a fight, all that stuff.

[00:03:07] Tiffany: Exactly. It has recommended language, the legal issues that are behind it, and negotiation strategies so you can push for a fair allocation of risk without blowing up the relationship.

[00:03:21] Ryan: And I like it because it gives consistency across the firm. You don't want every PM reinventing the wheel, even if you've got in-house counsel. This helps PMs understand, you know, the why behind what legal is asking for.

[00:03:33] Tiffany: And GBA isn't just documents, it's the community too. There are legal focused resources produced through GBA's Legal Affairs Committee, like the Guide to Third Party Reliance. It's.

[00:03:48] Ryan: That's a huge one in geotech. Third party reliance is one of those risks that shows up after you've done great technical work when the report gets passed around, used for bidding value engineered, or [00:04:00] interpreted by people who were never your client or the intended client.

[00:04:04] Tiffany: Exactly, and they include sample materials and clauses to help firms handle it correctly. I.

[00:04:11] Ryan: Alright, track one takeaway. Choose one contract resource and standardize it. If you're a pm, read the contract reference guide sections you touch most. Limitation of liability indemnities, reliance, scope. If you're a leader, make sure your team knows what's non-negotiable and why.

[00:04:32] Tiffany: All right. Track two is my favorite because it's the most practical reports and client education. GBA has these important information, insert sheets that member firms can attach to proposals and reports. It's basically proactive expectation management.

[00:04:53] Ryan: And it's one of the most underappreciated risk tools because it prevents the classic problem. Client thinks a report is a [00:05:00] guarantee or something that it's not.

[00:05:03] Tiffany: Okay, Ryan, this is where you come in as a geotech. I know you're super familiar with some of these, but one of the best examples is the document titled important information about this Geotechnical Engineering Reports. I know it's a mouthful, but at SME we attach, I believe, this exact document to all of our geotech reports to help clients understand the what the report is and what it isn't.

[00:05:30] Do you guys do something like that?

[00:05:32] Ryan: We put this in all our reports and actually recently I had a client architect say how much they appreciated having that information in there and they thought it was great. So it's good to get that feedback.

[00:00:00] Ryan: Yeah, I love this resource because it does two things really well. It explains uncertainty in plain language. Sampling is limited. Conditions are concealed, things like that. Also, it reinforces the recommendations often depend on what's observed later, so involvement during construction matters. That's hugely important.

[00:00:19] Tiffany: And GBA even gets into wording like confirmation dependent recommendations. Kind of a nerdy term, but brilliant. Right.

[00:00:28] Ryan: Not too nerdy accurate. If a report says, do X and someone treats it like universal truth, that's where problems start. Confirmation dependent tells the reader, this is valid. If conditions match, this is a simple phrase that can prevent big misunderstanding.

[00:00:45] Tiffany: And for internal report quality, there's also a guide to the in-house review of geoprofessional reports, a structured way to check contractual obligations, risk, [00:01:00] content, and clarity. Do you know much about this one, Ryan,

[00:01:03] Ryan: I know that we need to make longer titles because man, that's a tongue twister. Yeah. This, this is huge because report defensibility isn't just technical correctness. It's what was the scope. Did we communicate limitations? Did we avoid accidental promises? Did we make it readable for non-engineers?

[00:00:14] Alright, track two takeaway. Pick one insert sheet and make it standard. Then train your team how to talk through it with clients. That's risk mitigation through clarity, and it also reduces rework and akward follow-up calls.

[00:00:28] Tiffany: Track three is where we zoom out. It's on training and peer learning because the safest firms aren't the ones who never have problems. They're the ones with habits and systems that prevent problems from becoming big disasters.

[00:00:44] Ryan: Exactly. This is the culture part of risk management, how you write, how you document, how you communicate, how you train.

[00:00:53] Tiffany: All right, quick win example, GBA's best practice called Avoiding Absolutes. [00:01:00] They have words like always, never, guarantee, those can come back to haunt you.

[00:01:05] Ryan: So should we always avoid absolutes? Hmm.

[00:01:09] Tiffany: oh, tune into that episode to find out.

[00:01:12] Ryan: I am going to say it bluntly, absolutes are liability magnets. If your email says, this will not settle, or no issues expected, those sentences can outlive the project. Best part of that resource is it's easy to teach. You can literally turn it into a five minute toolbox.

[00:01:29] Talk

[00:01:30] Tiffany: I love that word literally.

[00:01:32] Ryan: tongue twister.

[00:01:33] Tiffany: Mm-hmm. All right. There are also webinars and learning resources like the webinar they did on understanding ground risk. It all starts with the data. Better data practices reduce uncertainty, and uncertainty is where risk lives. This is a resource that members can go watch right now through your member portal.

[00:01:57] Ryan: Yeah, I like those webinars because they give you practical, modern examples of risk reduction, like data standardization and connected workflows. That's not fluffy. That's how you reduce mistakes, reduce missed borings, reduce design surprises.

[00:02:13] Tiffany: And for our CoMET or environmental folks, GBA has best practices, training materials, and client facing guidance.

[00:02:22] Ryan: And CoMET's a perfect example of where risk is often about roles and responsibilities. GBA's CoMET resources help clarify who owns what because confusion causes disputes.

[00:02:33] Tiffany: And then very quick nod because we'll cover it more later. Peer reviews.

[00:02:39] Ryan: I like peer review because it's risk management at the systems level, not just what went wrong on one project, but what patterns are we creating as a firm.

[00:02:49] Alright, track three takeaway, build one repeatable habit, share avoiding absolutes with your PMs. Schedule one training session or pick one committee resource relevant to [00:03:00] your group. Risk reduction is cumulative.

[00:03:04] Tiffany: So here's the takeaway for day eight. Risk management is everywhere in GBA because risk management is everywhere in our work.

[00:03:14] Ryan: And it's not just defensive. These resources make you better. Clear contracts, clear reports, better habits, better training. That's how you protect margin and reputation.

[00:03:25] Tiffany: If you're listening and thinking, where do I start? Pick one of these tracks and put it on repeat inside your firm

[00:03:32] Ryan: And start small. One, insert sheet, one contract tool, one communication habit, small changes, big payoff.

[00:03:40] Tiffany: and tomorrow we'll keep rolling with day seven that I'm super excited about. Talk to you then.

[00:03:48] Ryan: See you later.