Assessments are done to evaluate risks that could impact the value of a project, and they are fairly common tools in long-term construction projects. The District hired Atkins to provide annual risk assessments — the financial analysis and budgetary oversight — of all SMART Program projects.
The District also has set aside five percent of the Bond money to help mitigate and manage risks due to inflation as the SMART Program progresses. District officials arrived at that figure after a 2016 market study found that a spike in local construction had increased the rate for construction by 5 percent.