This session is appropriate for any member of the AEC industry (architect, engineer, contractor, product representative, owner, etc.) who would like a better understanding of the contract documents and their role in the project delivery process as well as basic procedures to avoid conflicts.

This course covers the basics of:
*The main causes of risk in a design firm.
*Contract documents and contractual relationships.
*Specification basics of organization, language, roles and responsibilities and appropriate procedures.
*The relationship of the General conditions and other administrative requirements.
*Common areas needing coordination in your documents on a project.
*Common areas of conflict.
*The CSI CDT and why it is a game changer.
*And why all this matters!

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the basic anatomy of a specification.
2. Identify the basics of the role of the general conditions with other administrative requirements in the project.
3. Illustrate some of the basic principles and procedures of specification writing, language and risk.
4. Recognize some of the most common areas of conflict in specifications and how to avoid them.

Cherise Lakeside, FCSI

Cherise is the Senior Specification Writer for RDH Building Science Inc. in both the US and Canada (she is still learning to spell in Canadian!) She is based in the Portland, Oregon office.

Cherise has experience with many facets of the project team in the built environment. She has worked mostly in architecture with stints in construction, MEP Engineering, and now building science.

Cherise is a CSI Fellow, recent recipient of the Hans William Meier Award for Innovation of Certification Programs, Past President and current Certification Chair of the Portland CSI Chapter and former Director-at-Large on the Institute Board among many other positions. She currently teaches the CSI CDT certification program and has had hundreds of students over the last 10 years.

Cherise is passionate about mentorship/young professional development, public speaking/education (300+ events over the last 10 years) and is particularly interested in improving project coordination and communication among all disciplines.

Cherise’s latest adventure is as the host of the ARCAT podcast “DETAILED”, project stories of challenges and triumph! www.arcat.com/podcast.

When Cherise isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, live music, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees, good whiskey and seeking to cross things off her “adventure list”!

In the industry, she is fondly referred to as the #CSIKraken. Connect with her on LinkedIn or you can follow her on Twitter or Instagram @CheriseLakeside.