In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss: How to prevent catastrophic project blowouts.

They discuss the three key considerations when undertaking project due diligence and preventing catastrophic project blowouts as:

1. Ensure your scope is right, have identified your critical success outcomes are and all key stakeholders understand what the prize is and agree.
   
   
2. Undertake a completeness check of threats. Project due diligence is not a risk assessment, it’s about controls, and putting in controls to protect against threats. 
    
3. Review the project on a regular basis and at key milestones. If there are any scope changes being proposed, you need to question what it will actually do to your project and where it’s at now. Redefine the project scope, as appropriate, but ensure changes are communicated transparently and clearly.

This discussion follows R2A’s booklet: How To Prevent Catastrophic Project Blowouts (A Practical Guide for Directors). You can purchase online at https://www.r2a.com.au/store/p/project-governance-booklet-directors

For further information on Richard and Gaye’s consulting work with R2A, head to https://www.r2a.com.au.

Gaye is also founder of women’s safety workwear company Apto PPE if you’d like to check out the garments at https://www.aptoppe.com.au