Structured around your project's timeline.
Every engagement responds to a specific trigger at a specific moment. Find where your project sits below. Timeframes are indicative and depend on document quality, complexity and access to information.
However your project maps onto the timeline below, engagement takes one of three forms.
Independent Commercial Health Check
See your true commercial position, fast.
Independent Commercial Opinion
The defensible opinion your board or funder needs.
Standing Executive Advisory
Continuous independent oversight.
Each of these appears in full within the lifecycle-stage list below — Health Check under Before Investment, Commercial Opinion under During Delivery, Standing Advisory under Long-Term Governance.
● IRB engagement typically concentrates at Feasibility, Development Approval, Tender, Procurement, Contract Award, through Construction, at Completion, and into Operational Performance — key governance gates covered in detail below and through Long-Term Governance (Stage 6).
An independent view before a decision becomes difficult to reverse.
No independent view yet exists on a project's commercial health, and a full review isn't yet warranted.
Findings summary and a short readout call.
Findings summary and a short readout call.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
An investment decision would benefit from independent commercial review before capital commits.
Due diligence findings, identified risks, and assumptions and limitations.
Due diligence findings, identified risks, and assumptions and limitations.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
A board would benefit from independent input ahead of a funding decision.
Board presentation plus a short briefing memo.
Board presentation plus a short briefing memo.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
Getting the procurement route and requirements right before they are fixed.
The procurement route has not yet been independently reviewed.
Route comparison memo with supporting rationale.
Route comparison memo with supporting rationale.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
The specification may contain ambiguity or unbalanced risk transfer, pre-tender.
Clause-by-clause findings and recommended redrafts.
Clause-by-clause findings and recommended redrafts.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
An independent check in the period before signature.
Bids are difficult to compare, or award is approaching.
Risk scorecard by bidder and a pre-award risk memorandum.
Risk scorecard by bidder and a pre-award risk memorandum.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
An unfamiliar contract or counterparty is under consideration.
Marked-up contract commentary and a capability assessment.
Marked-up contract commentary and a capability assessment.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
A large or unfamiliar bid is being prepared for submission.
Bid risk summary and suggested qualifications.
Bid risk summary and suggested qualifications.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
Standing commercial oversight through construction.
No in-house commercial oversight exists once construction has started.
Monthly reporting, variation review and payment oversight.
Monthly reporting, variation review and payment oversight.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
A variation or claim requires a fast, independent view.
Independent commercial opinion, referenced to the evidence reviewed.
Independent commercial opinion, referenced to the evidence reviewed.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
Earlier-stage governance, before positions become entrenched.
A dispute risk has emerged and positions have not yet hardened.
Position paper and a suggested negotiation approach.
Position paper and a suggested negotiation approach.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
A structural contractual gap keeps producing similar disputes.
Strategy memorandum, risk allocation matrix and clause commentary.
Strategy memorandum, risk allocation matrix and clause commentary.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
Standing assurance across a portfolio, not a single project.
A board wants continuous, rather than one-off, independent input.
Recurring reporting and direct advisory access.
Recurring reporting and direct advisory access.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
Multiple live projects exist with no portfolio-level commercial view.
Portfolio oversight and board-level reporting.
Portfolio oversight and board-level reporting.
Assumes timely access to relevant documents, data and personnel; timeframe may extend if information is incomplete.
Bring us the decision you're about to make.
A confidential enquiry is the fastest way to find out whether, and how, IRB can help.