Effective Project Managers are key to the success of all geoprofessional businesses.  GBA recognizes development of highly effective Project Managers requires training, experience, and mentorship in numerous areas.  GBA has developed, with support of member-firm volunteers, a Project Manager essential skills training course to support and augment training available by member-firms.

The foundation of this 11 module Project Manager course has been generously donated by a GBA member firm.While the slides have been rebranded by GBA, there may be content or concepts that are specific to this GBA member firmand may require slight modifications to make presentations appropriate for your firm.  This course will help you introduce and discuss the essential skills needed as a Project Manager.

This 11 module Project Managers course covers the following topics:

1. Understanding responsibilities of a Project Manager;
2. Communicating about the project effectively with the client, project team and management (including written documentation);
3. Generating new business opportunities and winning proposals;
4. Understanding client requirements;
5. Planning the project scope, schedule and budget;
6. Negotiating client contracts;
7. Coordinating project resources (including subs);
8. Monitoring and managing project scope, budget and schedule;
9. Establishing the appropriate quality of deliverables;
10. Monitoring and managing cash flow, including invoicing and collections; and,
11. Leading the project team.

The PowerPoint format of this course has been developed so that it can be given in a group setting by a leader in your organization or used as a self-teaching tool by an individual.  The course can be delivered all at once in an 8-hour day, or a module at a time as time permits.  Each module contains a short quiz at the end to confirm clarity on the topics presented.  Each module also includes a printable completion certificate.  Module 11 includes a printable and framable Course Completion Certificate for those that have completed all the modules of this course.

Order Your Copy of 11 Modules
Fundamental Elements for Project Managers

GBA Publishes New Monograph Chronicling a Member Firm’s Peer Review Experiences

How valuable is Peer Review? GBA’s newest publication – GAI’s Peer Review Experience – illustrates the answer. The firm has undergone seven Peer Reviews since 1983, moving from a two-office organization to a 25-office firm with 900 employees. According to Gary M. DeJidas, P.E., GAI’s president and CEO, “We could not have accomplished so much without the independent, high-level recommendations of Peer Reviewers who addressed the issues that had to be addressed to achieve the successful change GAI required to grow and evolve.” What’s particularly valuable about this new publication is Gary’s willingness to share information. He identifies who comprised the Peer Review Team for each Peer Review, and what their key findings and recommendations were. If you’re at all undecided about the tremendous value of Peer Review, this new publication is a must read!

Order your copy
Business Management Education – GAI Consultants’ Peer Review Experience

The Peer Review Program was established in 1977 by the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), then known as the Association of Soil and Foundation Engineers (ASFE). Named by Engineering News-Record as one of the most innovative construction-industry programs established since 1874, Peer Review is still sponsored by GBA and is required by Terra Insurance Company as a condition of continuing coverage of its insureds.

GBA’s 2016 Fall Conference Videos – Available Now!

If you attended GBA’s 2016 Fall Conference you experienced a conference packed with dynamic, informative, and educational presentations by a variety of subject matter experts.  If you didn’t attend, you still have a chance to experience those presentations.

One of the many benefits of GBA membership is the opportunity to review the contents of oursemi-annual conferences.  They are all available for members to review on-demand in our GBA’s 2016 Fall Conference Proceedings.  Just click and watch at your desk or in a conference room with your associates.

• Coloring Outside the Lines!™…Creating A New Geoprofessional Experience: Jeff Tobe M.Ed., CSP.  (Author – Coloring Outside the Lines™)
• A Closer Look at the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program: David Sowers(Washington State Department of Transportation)
• What You Can’t See May Hurt You:  A Look at Geotechnical Risk and Reduction Techniques: Michael J. “Mike” Marasa, P.E. (Hayward Baker, Inc.)
• Buyer Beware:  Lessons Learned from a Serial Acquirer: William C. “Bill” Siegel, P.E. (WS Group International)
• What Great Firms Are Doing to Drive Loyalty: Terry Reynolds (Client Feedback Tool)
• You On Your Best Day: Michael T. Allosso (Michael T. Allosso)
• Working on Controversial Projects or with Controversial Clients: Is it a Go or a No-Go Decision?: Terence J. “Terry” Scanlan, Esq. (Skellenger Bender); Kenneth R. “Ken” Johnston(GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.); Stephen “Steve” F. Patt, P.E. (ECS Capitol Services, a subsidiary of ECS, Ltd); Matthew R. “Matt” Poirier, P.E. (Sanborn, Head & Associates)
• Turning Your Employees into Human Firewalls: Elevating Your Cybersecurity: Jason Stefanski(GeoEngineers, Inc.)
• Quantifying and Managing Your Risk with the Risk Register: Steven R. “Steve” Thompson, P.E. (8260 Consulting Group, LLC)
• Engineers Without Borders-USA and GBA – Time to Collaborate – Nepal Earthquake and Beyond: Dave Cook, LG, CPG (EWB-USA and GeoEngineers Inc.)

Check them out and share them with everyone in your firm

GBA’s 2016 Fall Conference Proceedings

Thank you to all who helped plan, sponsor, and attend the GBA Fall Conference held recently in Seattle, Washington.  The Conference started with a bang as we learned Seattle Mayor Edward B. Murray proclaimed October 14, 2016 Geoprofessionals’ Day to highlight the contributions of geoprofessionals to our communities and to recognize those gathered to enhance professionalism for geoprofessionals worldwide.

Our attendees were treated to a variety of highly educational and extremely entertaining presentations by experts ontimely and engaging business topics that impact geoprofessionals.  The conference was also full of valuable networking opportunities as over 200 leaders, guests, and sponsors gathered to share and collaborate on common issues.  Those attending also had fun exploring beautiful Seattle, Washington.

Preliminary conference survey results indicate GBA’s conference, compared to other industry meetings our members attend, was rated exceptionally high with comments emphasizing the importance of meeting face-to-face with peers from a diverse geography.

If you attended the conference, there is still time to provide feedback so that we can continuously improve the value of our conferences.  If you did not get to attend the fall conference, the presentations will be posted shortly to the GBA website for viewing by all member-firm employees.

With your feedback, we are planning our Spring 2017 Conference to be held in Washington D.C. during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival on April 6 to 8, 2017.  Join Us!

Welcome to Our New Website!
By Joel G. Carson, GBA Executive Director

I am pleased that you are visiting GBA’s newly-completed website!

GBA’s website is an essential tool for delivering value to GBA Member Firms and for sharing information about our group with those that are not members. It acts as a platform for making Member Firm information accessible to those searching for a geoprofessional consultant, sharing important news, planning future events, enhancing the communication of councils and committees, and storing our vast library of reference materials that geoprofessionals rely on to confront risk and optimize business performance.

Our old website was at the end of its expected life. Fortunately, we started planning for its replacement more than two years ago. In November 2015, GBA issued an RFP to more than a dozen qualified website developers and completed a multi-step selection process to make sure we selected the best-qualified consultant to design, construct, and implement our next website. A team of GBA volunteers and employeeshave worked many hours with consultants since February 2016. We are now finished with the initial implementation.

Our goals from the beginning were to provide a new website that allows Member Firms to access valuable information quickly and to showcase the value of membership to those that are not yet part of GBA. The user experience, in the office or on mobile devices, was critical to the success of this project, and I am confident our consultant nailed it!

Contrary to many of the projects we work on in our daily business, construction of a website is never actually finished. It is a living platform that reflects the constant efforts of our board, councils, committees, and task forces. We expect to refresh and update the content & format of our website regularly to maintain its value.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Board of Directors for its support of this project, and to the volunteers and staff who are bringing this major undertaking to a successful conclusion. I also want to extend a special thanks to all the Member Firms that “rounded-up” their dues this year to help support this costly undertaking. We are truly fortunate to have such generous members!

Joel G. Carson
Executive Director

The newest GBA Business Brief — available only to members and free of charge – comprises the GBA Business Practices Committee’s 2015-16 Financial-Performance Survey report, covering key financial-performance issues surveyed firms reported. These include predistribution profit, discretionary-profit distribution, net multiplier, utilization rate, predistribution overhead, marketing costs, group insurance, collections, and fee backlog. Download your copy of GBA Business Brief: Financial-Performance Survey 2015-16 now.

Also consider watching Lee James’ 2013 presentation about the importance of the survey to you and others.

By Laura Reinbold, GBA President (Terracon)

“Let’s Work Together. GBA and Geo-Institute are collaborating for our profession.” That was the message GBA President Laura Reinbold took to the first-ever Geo-Institute (G-I) Summit for Local Chapter Leaders a few weeks ago. Attending at the request of G-I President Kord Wissman, Laura put a face to GBA that connected those in the room to our association in a personal way, some for the first time.

Laura began her address to the G-I group with a question: “How many of you know that GBA and G-I have a Memorandum of Understanding?” The same question could also be asked of our GBA members. The MOU has been in effect for over a year and it pledges that the two organizations will explore ways to work together to serve our geoprofessional constituents, promote each other’s organizations, and collaboratively support the goals that we strive to accomplish.

So what has this collaboration looked like this past year? GBA/G-I co-branded presentations at local G-I chapter meetings, which were facilitated by a GBA speaker. GBA’s External Relations Committee (ERC) has spearheaded two test runs, providing “Contract Negotiations” in Seattle and “The Importance of Culture on Ethics” in San Antonio. ERC now has five presentations in GBA’s developing library of co-branded presentations and is developing more. Feedback on the presentations has been overwhelmingly positive, as illustrated by this quote from Joseph A. Waxse, PE, D.GE.

“This Spring, Phil King, P.E., D.GE delivered one of the best ‘Ethics’ qualified lectures we’ve ever had at our Geo-San Antonio conference. Hats off to the GBA for developing and sharing that presentation. Highly entertaining and relevant – KUDOS!”

Regionally and nationally, G-I and GBA will have attendees at our respective conferences, speakers and panels at conventions, and will promote conversations between our two Boards of Directors.

Working on a local, regional, and national level with G-I will greatly expand GBA’s mission: to be the essential business resource to geoprofessionals and a resource to our member-firms; helping our firms, our employees, and our clients confront risk and optimize performance. It is yet another opportunity to showcase GBA and the four decades of educational materials we have developed for the business needs of our members.

Working together we can do more.