Did you know that one of the primary reasons for claims and disputes in projects is schedule "delays"?

As a matter of fact, schedule delays happen in projects, which may lead to Extension of Time (EoT) requests.

Often EoT requests are not resolved because the analysis methodology was an estimate and the delay has been absorbed, or the analysis methodology is insufficient to properly identify and resolve delays. This would lead to “extended negotiations with little resolution” or “claims”.

Negotiations may extend into formal dispute resolution using attorneys.  These extended resolution efforts can increase costs to resolve due to attorney and staff time. High costs are usually spent in claim & dispute resolution. On the other hand, claims are considered as failures of the project goals.

According to the Arcadis “Global Construction Disputes 2017” study, the second leading cause for disputes is “poorly drafted or incomplete and unsubstantiated claims”.

As stated earlier, one of the primary reasons for claims is project delays.

Failure to provide good forensic schedule delay analysis is a main contributing factor to the second leading cause of disputes, all resulting in a failure to resolve claims in a timely manner.

Early detailed forensic schedule delay analysis, presented in a clear and convincing manner, can provide detailed calculated assessment of quantum and responsibility which helps resolve issues & conflicts in early negotiations.

Forensic schedule delay analysis is not important just in claims on completed projects, but just as important to resolve delays that have been absorbed into the schedule during the project.

If you think of this as similar to costs, an Owner would rarely allow a Contractor to provide an estimate or a guess about a time & material change order.  Since the change order work is completed, the Owner wants the Contractor to submit actual costs, and time is exactly the same, when the time is completed for the change order (delay is absorbed).

“The only appropriate way to analyze an absorbed delay is by use of the right forensic schedule delay analysis.”

Whenever a project delay causes a project to complete late, someone spends money; the Contractor pays liquidated damages costs or the Owner pays extended general conditions costs.  The large values associated with these fees combined with the complexity of analysis makes forensic schedule delay analysis very important.

Planners/Schedulers are often asked to identify and analyze delays and conduct forensic schedule delay analysis without having proper understanding of analysis methodologies and techniques.

Most Project Control professionals do not have formal training in forensic delay analysis.

There is not comprehensive forensic schedule delay analysis training program in the market.

Does it resonate with you?

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could learn how to properly implement the schedule delay analysis methodologies in your next project, so you can proactively respond to, prevent, and minimize claims?

• Session 1: Background of Construction Delays and Basis of Claims 
• Session 2: Importance of Project Source Data Quality
• Session 3: Technical Analysis Issues and Methodology - Review of AACE Forensic Schedule Analysis Recommended Practice 
• Session 4: Schedule Delay Analysis Methodologies- Choosing a Methodology
• Session 5: Preferred Schedule Delay Analysis Methodologies - Contemporaneous Period Analysis (CPA), Split CPA
• Session 6: Preferred Schedule Delay Analysis Methodologies -As-Planned vs. As-Built, Retrospective Time Impact Analysis
• Session 7: Analysis - Causation and Responsibility Analysis
• Session 8: Mitigation of Delay
• Session 9: Productivity Analysis
• Session 10: Analyzing and Calculating Damages
• Session 11: Reporting and Presentation of Analysis
• Session 12: Case Study MIP 3.4 Analysis
• Session 13: Course Case Study & Discussion

To access the training, all you need is a high-speed Internet connection via Google Chrome, Safari, or Internet Explorer 9 or newer. You also need a login ID & Passcode to our private and secure learning management system (LMS).

Once you register, you will receive a receipt of your enrollment along with a unique login ID and passcode to the members’ area (LMS). Once logged in, you will get instant access to ALL modules of the training.

Each module/ session takes at least two hours to complete. There are many reference materials in each module for further study. If you spare 2-3 hours per week for the training, it will take you almost 3.5 months to complete the training. However, you can take the training at your own pace. You will have access to the entire course material for one year after your enrollment. You can refer back to the course videos and material at any time.

Upon successful completion of this training, you will be able to:

• Recognize the basis of claims and how the quality of the documents affects forensic analysis
• Understand the AACE’s “Forensic Schedule Analysis” Recommended Practice and how to implement it
• Understand the different forensic analysis methodologies, their strengths and weaknesses
• Learn how to appropriately choose and properly implement the delay analysis methodologies
• Understand supporting analysis techniques such as productivity analysis
• Learn how to determine entitlement to a claim, responsibility for delay, and quantify the delay
• Understand how to present findings from an analysis
• Use hands-on forensic analysis to better understand the implementation

You will be granted an official certificate of completion and 35 PMI PDUs upon successful completion of the training.

This training is for you if…

• You are a project Planner/Scheduler who is trying to expand into analysis of absorbed delays and understand how to perform forensic delay analysis.
• You are an expert witness who wants to improve your analysis methodology selections and techniques.
• You already have been engaged in some forensic delay analysis, know some forensic techniques, but you’d like to get formal training or a better understanding of AACE Forensic Analysis.

This training is NOT for …

• Construction Managers or Engineers without a technical scheduling background.
• Casual scheduling software users who want to start providing analysis but are NOT technical schedulers.

You should have a good understanding of planning/scheduling and scheduling software to partake in this training.

Here are several key unique points about this training that you wouldn’t find in other training courses in the market:

1. A world authority on Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis, Chris Carson, is the instructor of this training. He has successfully resolved over 40 years of disputes in negotiations and mediations without having to litigate.

Chris Carson, the course instructor, is a top-ranked speaker and presenter of over 500 industry sessions, the author or co-author of more than 15 published AACE Recommended Practices, including:

• “Forensic Schedule Analysis,”
• “Identifying the Critical Path,”
• “Planning & Accounting for Adverse Weather,”
• “Original Baseline Schedule Review,” and
• “Update Schedule Review.”

Mr. Carson was an Author and Editor of the book, “CPM Scheduling for Construction – Best Practices and Guidelines” published by PMI, and a contributing author for:

• “Construction Project Scheduling and Control,” by Saleh Mubarak,
• “Time Management Guidelines” by CMAA,
• “Claims Management Guidelines” by CMAA.

As a member of the Expert List for the GAO (Government Accountability Office) for Cost, Schedule, and EVM (Earned Value Management) practices, he was a contributing author for the initial development of the “GAO Schedule Assessment Guide, Best Practices for project schedules.” You will have the brilliant opportunity to learn from Chris Carson, a well-recognized thought leader in Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis.

2. This course is the most comprehensive online course in the market.

You may find a very short list of educational providers, which deliver Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis. However, most of the available training programs in Forensic Schedule Analysis are classroom type training. You need to travel to and attend according to the scheduled dates. The classroom type training programs are usually more costly as compared to online training programs.

You may find a couple of organizations that provide online training programs on Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis topic, most of which:

• Do not offer a detailed deep-dive training on Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis
• Are theoretical, not practical
• Are not aligned with industry practice standards
• Do not provide support and leave you alone after taking the training
• Are not developed by authors for industry best practices for well-recognized associations such as PMI, CMAA, AACE, or Planning Planet’s Guild of Project Controls.

The Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis training we offer provides you with:

• Practical lessons based on experience that can only be learned from a seasoned instructor with hands-on practice in the field.
• Step-by-step implementation and guidance, which enables you to apply your learning in a project environment immediately and achieve a significantly more robust result.
• Full alignment with industry practice standards that allows you to speak the standard language. The course is fully aligned with the AACE Forensic Schedule Analysis Recommended Practice.
• Hands-on case studies and examples that enable you to grasp the overall concept before approaching real-life projects.
• Personal support. You can ask the instructor any relevant question during the course! Furthermore, you will get new training material and resources on a monthly basis to ensure your continuous learning.
• An official certificate of completion and 35+ Professional Development Units (PDUs).

3. According to the market research of other courses in the market, we chose the most economical price for the course. You will get the most value for the money invested.

When you register today, in addition to getting an exclusive 12-month access to the Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis online training program, you will also get 12-month complementary service and bonus trainings.

Your investment: Only 1397 for the entire training program and the bonuses

With $1397 investment, you can begin your journey as an expert. The return on this small investment will be substantial once you learn how to perform forensic schedule analysis in your projects and substantially save your projects from disaster and advance your career to the next level of performance.

Chris Carson is the Enterprise Director of Program & Project Controls and Associate Vice President at ARCADIS U.S., the leading global Engineering and PMCM firm. He has over 40 years’ experience in Program/Construction Management, specializing in Program/Project Controls disciplines of Planning & Scheduling, Cost Management, Risk Management, Document Control, and Forensic Analysis. His background includes educational, municipal, commercial, industrial, governmental, military, and medical projects, and other industries including facilities, infrastructure/transportation, water and waste water treatment and utilities, and environmental projects.

Mr. Carson is a recognized thought leader in industry associations including CMAA, AACE International, RICS, PMI, and the Guild of Project Controls.

As a top ranked speaker and presenter of over 500 industry sessions, Mr. Carson’s credentials also include over ten published articles as well as more than 15 published AACE Recommended Practices, including “Forensic Schedule Analysis”, “Identifying the Critical Path”, “Planning & Accounting for Adverse Weather”, “Original Baseline Schedule Review”, and “Update Schedule Review”.   Mr. Carson was an Author and Editor for the book, “CPM Scheduling for Construction - Best Practices and Guidelines” published by PMI in 2014, contributing author for “Construction Project Scheduling and Control”, by Saleh Mubarak, contributing author for the “Time Management Procedures” by CMAA, and contributing author for the soon-to-be-published “Time is Real Money: A Practical Guide to Understanding, Explaining, and Recovery from Time Impacts on Construction Projects” by AACE/ABA (American Bar Association). As a member of the Expert List for the GAO (Government Accountability Office) for Cost, Schedule, and EVM (Earned Value Management) practices, he was a contributing author for the initial development of the “GAO Schedule Assessment Guide, Best Practices for project schedules”, 2012.

He was selected as an AACE International Fellow in 2013 “in recognition of professional attainment and significant accomplishment in cost management or cost engineering.” He was selected as the first founding Fellow of Project Controls by the International Guild of Project Controls in 2014, and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2015 for his individual achievement “as well as demonstrating significant career achievements and successes, it demonstrates a passion for developing the industry, sharing knowledge and supporting others in reaching their goals”.