The document discusses facilitating a construction risk workshop to identify risks related to the construction process or design constructability before starting construction. The workshop aims to identify hazards within the construction process so they can be eliminated or controlled. The outcome is a risk register documenting risks, causes, impacts and control measures for the construction team. It provides tips for planning and running the workshop, including having the right participants who understand the construction schedule and activities to focus on. Tools like checklists, risk matrices and risk registers are used to systematically identify and document risks and develop control actions.

1. Facilitation scenariosMajor project
Construction risk
You are about to start construction, before starting you need
to identify any specific risks relating to the construction
process or the constructibility of the plant.

2. I came to appreciate technical risk while working as a chemical engineer in the steel industry. Yet it
was while studying for my MBA my perception of risk broadened substantially. I saw the power of
understanding not just technical risks but all the relevant project risks – and that there would be fewer
surprises. I could see that, as a team, we would know what to focus on and could develop plans in case
something went wrong.
Risk has now become part of mainstream business language and risk registers are living documents
and actively monitored. Sounds simple now but, in reality, all we had to do was decide to take risk
seriously, promote its value and provide active support and resources. And make a commitment to
lead from the front.
Once people own the risks, promises can be kept. Everyone knows what is important, projects are more
likely to be successful and the business itself will be more successful. Hope these tips will be useful for
you as a Manager.
Kanchana Bishop
Sensibly managing risk is central to every successful project because, to be effective, identifying risks and
managing them requires every team member to take ownership. It’s not an afterthought or a task you can
delegate to an individual team member, Risk has to be everybody’s business – every day.
In fact, risk is inherent in everything we do – whether at home in our daily lives or in the workplace as we
strive for success.
About the author
For updates on new scenariosand tools go to:www.trihelix.com.auFor further information on how we can
help your business achieve sustainableproject success contact:
Kanchana BishopEmail: kbishop@trihelix.com.au
I have worked across Energy, Mining, Infrastructure,
Engineering and Processing industries helping businesses
to use risk management innovatively and practically to
improve their business outcomes.
1 Introduction

3. Facilitation scenarios
These common facilitation scenarios are like recipes for project success.
They have been collected over many years and are now recommended as
part of most organisation's project lifecycle documentation.
Each scenario has a specific purpose, with detailed tools to help with their
execution. It is set out on a two-page spread that describes what, why
and how to use the scenario and lists tips and hints, typical duration and
the required tools necessary to deliver an effective workshop.
The tools within this facilitation scenario have been taken from the book
“Facilitating for success – A managers guide to projects”. The tools are
listed in order of use and hence the page numbers may not be sequential.
The book describes 41 facilitation scenarios just like this example. To
facilitate this scenario simply print these pages and plan and deliver
your own session.
Project success through leadership
Are you a technical manager who has always wanted to achieve project
success by becoming a highly effective leader?
Well this book is for you. It provides a simple, yet powerful step-by-step
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In David’s third book he describes the Project Fundamentals an effective
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What others have had to say about ‘Project success through leadership’...
“The book will appeal to those taking a step into project management, or
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If you have always wanted to experience consistent project success, be a
highly effective leader, get interesting, challenging and rewarding work,
and realise your full potential, then this book is the answer.
About the book
Introduction 2

4. 57 Chapter 3 – Facilitation scenarios
A Construction risk workshop is conducted before construction starts to identify any specific risks relating to the construction
process or the constructability of the plant. It aims to identify hazards with the construction process so they can be eliminated or
reduced. The outcome of the Construction Risk workshop is a register of risks, causes, impacts and control measures that can be
used by the construction team to prepare for execution.
Why use it?
Construction is one of the highest risk activities on a project or operation. There are often multiple work fronts, a range of diverse
skills doing various activities often in restricted areas. In order to ensure the safety of everyone in the workplace, we can use
construction risk assessments to ensure care has been taken in providing a safe place of work and that hazards are known and
controls are in place. We also want to identify other risks to the project objectives that are construction related such as weather,
external events, delays, resources etc.
During the design phase, it is important for designers to consider the constructability of the plant and have an understanding of how
the elements can be transported, built and commissioned. Developing solutions to construction problems at the execution stage is
increasingly costly and difficult and, in some cases, may need serious redesign to ensure a safe workplace can be provided. It can be
difficult to foresee construction related risks at the design stage and hence construction risk studies need to be conducted to ensure
that controls are in place for external risks and in particular for hazards arising from:
• The construction workplace itself, including its location, layout, condition and accessibility
• any design relating to the construction work
• Working at heights
• hazardous substances, including the handling, use, storage, and workplace transport or disposal of hazardous substances
• The presence of asbestos
• systems of work
• Plant, including the transport, installation, erection, commissioning, use, repair, maintenance, dismantling, storage or disposal
of plant
• Manual handling, including the potential for occupational overuse injuries, and
• The physical working environment, for example, the potential for electric shock, immersion or engulfment, fire or explosion,
slips, trips and falls, people being struck by moving plant, objects or structures falling on people, exposure to noise, heat, cold,
vibration, radiation, static electricity or a contaminated atmosphere, and the presence of a confined space.
Construction risk
Identify and eliminate
construction risks early
in the lifecycle to keep
costs down, prevent major
rework and ensure a safe
workplace.
Construction risk

5. 58Chapter 3 – Facilitation scenarios
How should I use it?
Pre-work:
1. Work with the sponsor to design and plan the session using the planning tools
2. Create a session communications deck and ask the sponsor to send it to the participants; this raises the importance of the
activity
3. Create a high level presentation/posters that will set the context and clearly describe the focus question and any limitations or
constraints
4. Develop the construction areas and sequence to be studied
5. Create the session posters, minutes template and arrange a scribe to be ready for the session.
The workshop steps
1. Bring everyone onto the same page using the SPACER tool
2. Present the Construction Risk Process
3. Provide a common understanding of the overall construction schedule and activities and specific areas to be covered
4. For each area run through the construction sequence and timing
5. Identify any hazards – using the checklists, what-if scenarios or brainstorming for that construction sequence
6. In the Construction Risk register record the Hazards, the Risks caused by the hazard, the level of impact using the risk matrix.
7. Identify any risk control actions that need to be implemented against the causes of the risk.
8. Assign action owners and completion dates
9. Identify any specific studies or workshops that may need to be done (e.g. Specific crane lifts, ground stability geotech studies)
10. Document any design review or non-Construction risk related items using the parking lot tool
11. Document the next steps to be completed outside the session including communicating the outcomes
12. Wrap up the session and capture feedback using the plus/deltas.
Post session:
1. The sponsor to validate the minutes and issue to the team
2. Use the Construction Risk register to develop further risk control actions.
Tips and hints
• It is important to have the right people at the Construction Risk Workshop who can provide the right level of focus
• Identify any lessons learned or recent incidents.
Tools used:
All facilitation style toolsAll workshop planning toolsCommunications deckChecklist, GuidewordsRisk Matrix
Risk Register
Communications toolPlus Deltas
Facilitation Technical AcceptanceRefer to 'project success tools at a glance'on page 246
Duration:
Construction Risk processes should be conducted regularly
in a planned schedule. Allow 2-4 hours per area depending
on the size and complexity.

6. 213 Chapter 6 - The facilitation work
A communications deck is a brief document that helps participants to understand the workshop purpose and logistics. The
outcome is a one page document that describes the workshop purpose, workshop process, next steps after the workshop, agenda,
venue location and timing.
Why use it?
Often people are invited to a workshop and do not know why they are there. The invitation comes out the day before and the
location is not clear and people turn up late. This sets the workshop off on the wrong foot and wastes valuable time. Sending a well
thought out communications deck ensures the participants are informed and know what is expected of them.
The process of building this communications deck with your sponsor brings significant alignment around what the workshop is trying
to achieve. Asking what we are doing, why we are doing it and where we want to be at the end of the workshop forces your sponsor
to clarify their own thinking. This clarity will then drive the workshop design, who should attend and how long the session should be.
How should I use it?
1. Work with the project sponsor to create a workshop elevator speech
2. Based on these discussions build a "case for change" to position the workshop as part of a larger effort
3. Describe the workshop process that will achieve the outcomes
4. Document a high level workshop agenda with max five to seven topics, include start and finish times and lunch
5. Describe what happens next with the workshop outcomes building from the case for change
6. Document the name and address of the workshop venue and key contact name
7. Compile this into a one pager and validate with your sponsor
8. Mark up any changes and your sponsor can then send this out with a personal invitation to communicate the importance
of the workshop.
Tips and hints:
• Often it is best for your sponsor to send out a place holder early in the workshop planning to lock in some dates and
understand people's availability
• Once the communications deck is prepared then the sponsor can send this closer to the workshop date (5 days before) to
confirm all the details and re-engage the participants
• Do not underestimate the value of building this deck as it helps your sponsor think through what is important.
• Once you have built your first communications deck it can become a template and be modified for each workshop
you facilitate..
Communications deck

7. 175 Chapter 5 – Acceptance work
A communication plan is a key tool to build acceptance. The plan identifies the target audience, the message, how the message will
be conveyed, the deliverer and when the message will be communicated. The output is a list of actions to build acceptance through
focused communication.
Why use it?
Successful change never assumes people know about the change. It also does not assume that the technical solution is a given
and people will automatically get on board. Change is much more difficult and requires constant ongoing communication to keep
people engaged and involved. Communication needs to be clear and concise and be targeted to the stakeholder's needs. A sound
communication plan must articulate the vision and prevent confusion.
How should I use it?
Pre-workshop, mark up a communication plan matrix poster. Clearly identify what change we have to make using the mapping the
change tool. Write this statement on top of our matrix to draw our focus to the change.
As a group answer the following questions, capture thoughts on stickers and place them on the communication plan matrix:
• Who must be communicated with?
• What do they need to know?
• When and how often do they need to know it?
• How can it be communicated so that we can be sure the communication is received?
• Who is responsible for the communication?
Tips and hints:
• Use the Stakeholder analysis tool to identify who must be communicated with
• Use the prompts in the Engagement Strategy tool to explore what concerns, interests and wins could influence the
stakeholders
• Use the prompts in the FAST matrix tool to ensure the message appeals to the audience and considers facts,
stories and telling.
Communication plan poster – a guide
Audience Message Timing Medium Who
Communication plan

8. 208Chapter 6 - The facilitation work
Plus/Deltas are a quick review of what worked well (Plus) and what could have to be done differently (Deltas). The process is
usually done in the wrap-up phase of a meeting or session.
Why use them?
Using Plus/Deltas allows participants to comment honestly on the process itself, the facilitator's skills, the venue, the materials
being used and so on. It represents the best opportunity to improve your own facilitation skills over time and to demonstrate value
for the sponsor (for repeat business).
Plus/Deltas are also a valuable source of tips to develop and improve future workshops.
How should I use them?
• Set up an easel with butchers' paper and explain the Plus/Deltas concept. Give each person two stickers and ask them to write
+ on one and ∆ on the other.
• Ask each person to place their stickers on the butchers' paper, when leaving the room at the end of the day, placing each
under the + and ∆ headings.
• Review Plus/Deltas and group comments into themes. If the workshop duration is of more than one day, the facilitator may
start to action the stated suggestions (Type or standard of food, room layout, etc), presenting them back to the group at the
first opportunity.
Tips and hints:
• Use Plus/Deltas at the beginning of the workshop because this maximises chances of harvesting comments and
demonstrating your commitment to acting upon them
• Importantly, do not take the feedback personally. See it instead as a way to learn and improve your skills as a facilitator.
When giving feedback, it is important to: When receiving feedback, it is important to:
• Keep the focus on the behaviour
• Reflect on your own reaction to the behaviour
• Provide an alternative way(s) of behaving
• Be specific – provide specific incident when the
behaviour occurred and what the person did or said.
• Use active listening
• Maintain constant eye contact
• Make use of both verbal and non-verbal signs
• When paraphrasing, seek clarification and when
possible, seek specific examples
• Take and examine the data, heavily focusing on
understanding and receiving whilst resisting the
temptation to explain or defend.
Plus/Deltas
Plus/Deltas poster – a guide
Plus Deltas

9. Major project
scenarios
Project initiation
Project planning
User Requirement Specification
Project alignment
Opportunity framing
Scoping workshop
Study document planning
Options Analysis
Tollgate Reviews
Critical decision analysis
Operational readiness plan
Alternative pathways
Value engineering
Contracting and procurement strategy
Design reviews
Maintainability review
Failure modes and effects analysis
Commissioning plan
Business improvement
projects
Improvement methodology
scenarios
Project definition
Top 10 improvements
Analyse opportunities
Implementation planning and delivery
Institutionalise benefits
Day to day improvement
scenarios
Strategy development
Creative thinking and Innovation
Productivity improvement
Business evaluation
Guideline development
Business planning
Failure modes and effects analysis
Root Cause Analysis
All these facilitation scenarios can be found in the
“Facilitating for success – A managers guide to
projects’ second edition” book.
Refer to www.trihelix.com.au to see a video on
some of these scenarios.
For a copy of a scenario please contact us at
info@trihelix.com.au.
Risk
management
Hazard ID
Risk assessment
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
validation
HAZOP
Constructability review
Construction risk
Lessons leant