Reactive vs Proactive Due Diligence - What does R2A actually do? | Risk! podcast

In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss Proactive vs Reactive Due Diligence - what does R2A actually do? In their chat they unpack why timing changes everything and that proactive work happens before problems occur, while reactive work (like expert witness testimony) occurs after something's already gone wrong, and by then it's often too late to fix cheaply. Drawing on real examples, they explain why early engagement is cheaper, less adversarial, and allows genuine design fixes happen while there's still time. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:40 – Why this topic: R2A is often asked "what do you do?" 01:08 – The core frustration: being brought in for "proactive" due diligence too late in the project 01:39 – Why engineering-style thinking beats legal philosophy for avoiding mistakes 03:19 – Why lawyers and busy clients use R2A 03:54 – Bringing multiple stakeholders' views together into one structured conversation 04:22 – Case example: Brought in practively 05:24 – What proactive due diligence actually delivers: structured, defensible clarity 06:28 – Why proactive due diligence doesn't need to be difficult or expensive 06:58 – Aligning siloed stakeholders (commercial, legal, operational, regulatory) 08:12 – Why design-stage fixes disappear once a project reaches "practical completion" 09:23 – Case example: relocating a Queensland switch yard to design out a hazard early 10:00 – The payoff of early engagement: easier process, stakeholders on side 11:01 – Swinburne University postgrad unit on project due diligence 11:36 – Why some people grasp the criticality-and-control approach instantly — and others don't 12:00 – Wrap-up Note, they mention discussing NZ Harbour in the last episode, this will be the next episode (#4). If you'd like us to cover a specific topic or have any feedback we'd love to hear from you. Email admin@r2a.com.au. For further information on Richard and Gaye's consulting work with R2A, head to https://www.r2a.com.au, where you'll also find their booklets (store) and a sign-up for their quarterly newsletter to keep informed of their latest news and events.