March 26 – March 29, 2026
Meritage Resort & Spa, Napa Valley, CA
As a platinum sponsor at the 2026 Western Winter Workshop, PMA is excited to learn and discuss the very latest program management, project controls, and construction management. The Workshop gathers capital program leaders, consultants, contractors, and groups from the West Coast and beyond. This multi–day event offers networking opportunities and informative talks on best practices and technologies in ‘asset-centric’ project management. These talks focus on multi-owner infrastructure projects and feature top innovators in the industry.
Plan Hard or Go Home: Scheduling Strategies that Let CMs Sleep at Night
Presented by: Dana Hecht (GFT), Graham Briggs (PMA Consultants), Jesse Heimowitz (Tectonic Engineering)
March 27, 2026 | 1:10 PM – 1:55 PM | Procore Panels Room
Scheduling is often viewed as a contract requirement or a task reserved for the construction phase. In reality, a well-structured schedule is a powerful tool for accountability, communication, and problem-solving—beginning on Day 1 of project inception and continuing through design, procurement, and pre-construction. This session will highlight a case study of an owner who relied solely on consultant- and contractor-submitted schedules, resulting in systemic delays at both the program and project levels. We will share the client’s challenges and demonstrate the value of adopting a lifecycle scheduling approach. Our team partnered with project leadership and end users to develop templates, create a scheduling manual, and deliver organization-wide training. The result was a shared framework that improved collaboration, reduced delays, and established scheduling as a strategic tool rather than an afterthought—empowering teams to integrate, coordinate, and deliver with greater confidence.
Integrated Delay Theory: Overt Delay, Covert Delay, and Duration Uncertainty
Presented by: Gui Ponce de Leon (PMA Consultants), Mike Brown (PMA Consultants)
March 28, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 11:55 AM | Oracle Room
In solving the delay problem, rather than providing scientific principles for explaining and algorithmically modeling delay, practitioners have focused on methods sourcing contemporaneous schedules, unconcerned about the limited predictive value of deterministic schedules, or ex post facto forensic schedules, unconcerned about algorithmic precision. The integrated delay theory (IDT) exploits graphical path method (GPM) science to lay a framework for delay phenomena in respect to network-based schedules. This primer explains overt delay, covert delay both in progress interruptions and that occurs when intentional use of then-available total float to delay starting an activity impacts project completion risk profile, and the error in ignoring duration uncertainty when inferring delay from duration variance.
Visit our Booth
PMA will host booth 24, providing a space to network with industry professionals. Visit our booth for a live demonstration of our innovations in project scheduling software. Our Innovation software focuses on planning and scheduling, risk management, analyzing and determining schedule reliability, and aims to improve project delivery.
With a nationwide presence of skilled professionals in project planning, development, design, technology, claims, and finance, PMA offers proven expertise in ensuring our clients’ goals are met. Our consultants focus on critical issues to deliver high-performing construction projects, sustainable facilities, and projects within budget.
Learn more and secure your spot by visiting the Western Winter Workshop website.