Streamlining Project Delivery through Risk Analysis

Project delivery is a significant area of concern and is subject to several risks throughout Plan Development Process (PDP). These risks are attributed to major areas of project development, such as environmental analysis, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, utilities coordination, third-party agreements, etc. The major challenge for Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is that the risks can negatively impact the project outcomes as cost overrun and schedule delay. However, if these risks could be identified early in the concept and scope development processes, their respective negative impacts on project outcomes could be reduced. The research objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive guidebook that advances the adoption of risk analysis tools in GDOT, in order to expedite project delivery. To achieve the research objective, various project risk management processes developed by different organizations were reviewed. Furthermore, current practice of risk management in different state DOTs were studied. Several state DOTs were surveyed and interviewed regarding their risk management programs. The results indicate that typically state DOTs determine the level and methods of risk management based on project size and complexity of the project. The level of risk management may vary from a simple risk register to a complex quantitative analysis. Then, a semi-structured interview was conducted with nine subject matter experts at GDOT. The key factors that influence risk management practices within GDOT were explored. The results were analyzed and a model explaining the current risk management practice and future needs was developed. A comprehensive list of potential risks for transportation projects was developed based on reviewing the academic/professional literature, current state of practice in risk management among leading state DOTs, and current state of practice of GDOT. During several meetings with higher level risk management experts at GDOT, the most important risks were indented and a short list of major potential risks was developed for each office at GDOT. Finally, a software tool specifically designed for identification and qualitative assessment of highway project risks during the pre-construction phase of the project was developed based on the shortlisted risk factors. The software program is equipped with the modification capability of adding new risk items and/or removing some of the predetermined risk factors from the assessment.