CAACCI.org
2-Day Seminar, "Construction Fraud: Detection, Prevention & Response" July 23-24 in Dallas
DALLAS (PRWEB) June 05, 2018
How much does dishonest and fraudulent activity impact the cost of construction projects? The best answer may be “No one knows. Overbilling, price fixing and bribery certainly are costly,” according to Courtenay Thompson, instructor of the “Construction Fraud: Detection, Prevention & Response” course. “But the impact of nonperformance, safety or quality can be far greater.”
Clients and seminar participants report frustration with problems being unaddressed by seemingly competent managers. “See nothing, do nothing” is a common theme for executives and others committed to not having problems on their watch according to Thompson. “Unfortunately construction-related problems rarely get better with neglect.”
It is very dangerous to ignore indicators of problems, or to be dismissive of issues raised by concerned employees. “Chilled work environment” is a term we are borrowing from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A chilled work environment is created by management words and deeds that clearly communicate that employees are not safe surfacing concerns about quality or safety in construction or operations. For our purposes a chilled work environment also includes believing it is unsafe to raise concerns about billings, change orders, claims, procurement practices and contractor performance. In a chilled work environment problems may go on indefinitely, surfacing only when they become too large or outrageous to be ignored.
Decision makers may ignore issues or concerns raised. They may be dismissive or reject warnings. Ignoring warnings related to billings can be costly. Ignoring warnings related to construction quality or safety can lead to disasters. The dangers for contractors, owners and their organizations increase when investigation reveals the disaster was avoidable.
As if poor design and bad construction practices do not present enough exposure, ignoring indicators and warnings along with motivated blindness magnifies the risk of civil and criminal litigation for owners and contractors. Prosecutors are alert for warning signs ignored or prior incidents hidden from investigators.
The “Construction Fraud: Detection, Prevention & Response” seminar is led by Mr. Courtenay Thompson, and sponsored by The Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute (CAACCI). This 2-day course will be offered July 23-24, 2018 in Dallas. Earn 16 CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credit hours upon completion.
Click here for more information including online registration, course outline and venue.
Seminar Leader, Courtenay M. Thompson
Courtenay Thompson, of Courtenay Thompson & Associates (ctassoc.com), is a recognized authority on fraud-related training for internal auditors, management, and investigators. Since entering the educational consulting field in 1981, he has written and presented courses for corporations, government, and professional associations worldwide. He is the co-developer of courses on audit and control of construction costs and has developed and presented courses on purchasing fraud and contract auditing. His courses are known for providing practical approaches to real problems.
The Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute
The Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute (CAACCI) of Dallas, Texas has been providing public offering and in-house professional development training seminars in affiliation with Courtenay Thompson & Associates since 2008. The principal instructors (Courtenay Thompson and Rich Townsend) have been providing construction audit and fraud professional development training to management and auditors for over 30 years. CAACCI members include project management and construction audit representatives from a wide range of private and public organizations. For more information on our construction audit and construction fraud seminars, go to caacci.org.