Technical Planning & Governance
Technical planning & governance
A disciplined technical backbone that keeps the operation behaving as intended.
A project or operation performs predictably only when designs, schedules, commercial frameworks and operational decisions remain tightly aligned with real conditions. Drift between engineering intent, technical assumptions, planning logic, contract structures and delivery behaviour quietly erodes stability and value. Technical Planning & Governance restores that alignment by validating engineering intent, re-benchmarking schedules, enforcing disciplined decision gates and strengthening contract, tender, variation and claims governance. The result is a clear, governed technical environment where assets operate as designed, risks are visible early and long-term performance remains stable and defensible.
What's involved - Technical Planning & Governance
Where the asset’s physical behaviour sets the rules, not assumptions.
Why it matters | When designs fall out of sync with physical conditions, water movement, structural performance, or operating boundaries, the operation becomes harder to control. Schedules slip, costs rise, and decision-making becomes reactive. A design that no longer matches real operating conditions quickly erodes value. |
Our focus | We validate design configurations, structural and geotechnical parameters, hydrology behaviour, and material movement logic against current operational truth. Every update restores engineering discipline and ensures the design basis reflects the physical reality it must operate within. |
Outcome | A technically assured design foundation that maintains stability, protects operational confidence, and supports long-term asset performance and viability. |
Where planning logic is tested against the real pace and constraints of the operation.
Why it matters | Even the strongest technical design fails if scheduling assumptions don’t match equipment and system capability, production pressures, physical constraints, or environmental conditions. Without governed planning cycles, drift becomes invisible until the consequences are unavoidable. |
Our focus | We re-benchmark schedules against actual production performance, equipment and system limits, timing windows, water controls, and processing or throughput constraints. This keeps the forward plan grounded, executable and responsive to operational reality rather than hope or outdated assumptions. |
Outcome | A verified, practical schedule that can be executed consistently and gives owners confidence that output, compliance and delivery commitments are achievable. |
Where engineering discipline becomes a structured governance system.
Why it matters | Projects and operations accumulate risk when decisions are made without full visibility of technical implications. Unchecked changes — in design, contractor method, or production strategy — compound over time and destabilise the entire operation. |
Our focus | We establish decision gates, review processes, technical controls, and operating thresholds that ensure every change is tested, justified, and aligned to the mine’s engineered intent. This brings discipline to day-to-day decisions and strengthens long-term governance. |
Outcome | A clear, transparent technical decision pathway that protects value, ensures accountability, and keeps the project performing as designed. |
Where engineering discipline becomes a structured governance system.
Why it matters | A project may be well-engineered and capable, yet still lose value through weak contracts, poorly governed procurement, misaligned tenders, or uncontrolled variations. Commercial drift grows quietly — through method changes, unclear obligations, inconsistent certification, untested claims, or supplier misalignment. Without firm governance, costs rise, disputes escalate, and operational stability deteriorates. |
Our focus | We establish an owner-side commercial governance framework that aligns contract strategy, tender accuracy, supplier interfaces, variation control, certification discipline, and claims management into one coherent system. Commercial decisions are tested against technical, schedule, HSE, and cost implications, ensuring every agreement, tender, and variation supports stable execution and protects long-term value. |
Outcome | A controlled commercial environment where contracts perform as intended, variations are contained, disputes are reduced, and all delivery partners operate within clear, enforceable boundaries that support stable execution and long-term value. |
Let’s talk about Governance
See how disciplined oversight strengthens decisions, reduces risk, and protects long-term value.
Sarel Blaauw
senior partner
+61 498 785 165