COURSE DESCRIPTION:

During planning for a transportation improvement, thorough consideration of potential risks can help reduce or eliminate them, ensuring a smoother project life cycle. In the same way, accounting for risk in program management and strategic planning can help transportation agencies minimize or avoid unexpected costs or delays. Recent legislation reflects the growing importance of understanding risk in government programs. Congress included requirements for risk management in the latest highway authorization, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

This course provides an understanding of risk management concepts and processes, including terminology, benefits of use, risk management planning, and a framework for implementation. The course presents a cyclical risk management framework through classroom training and an independent study assignment, focusing on gathering information; identifying risk; analyzing and prioritizing risk events; documenting risk; identifying risk response strategies; incorporating response strategies into a plan; and monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of strategies. The 1-hour independent study assignment is completed by participants before attending the 2-day classroom session.

Participants use tools and methods from each step of the framework in a series of exercises that provide realistic, job-relevant practice in applying the risk management process. In order to maximize the impact of the training and increase the likelihood of participants' mastery of the risk management process, the agency can select active agency issues (project, program, or network) to be used during the exercises. In addition, the agency can provide problem statements and pre-select the teams for the exercises. Contact the NHI Training Program Manager for further information on making such arrangements.

OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the overall organizational context, framework, and importance of risk management to others.
• Follow a consistent process for managing risk.
• Utilize standard risk terminology, tools, and methods.
• Apply the risk management process to a project or program within established time-constraints.
• Develop effective plans for internal and external communication and consultation about risk and risk-related issues.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

The target audience for this course includes Federal, State and local highway employees who are responsible for directing and managing all aspects of highway related programs and projects such as planning, environment, project development, design, construction, operations, maintenance, and finance. Audience experience, background, knowledge, skills and abilities are expected to vary widely. No previous experience with risk management is required.

If you have questions about this NHI training, please contact NHI at nhicustomerservice@dot.gov or 877.558.6873.