Consulting and Assurance
Its Business as Usual AND Unusual
“Work is energy directed by human beings to create value,
Work = Risk and Risk =Work”
Tony Muschara
At NextEra, we Engage with work as it happens—because assurance isn’t just about compliance; it’s about understanding risk in motion. Organisations still need verification, audits, and system reviews, but the real value comes from seeing how work actually unfolds, not just how it’s imagined in policies and procedures.
Our NextEra Engage Assurance model goes beyond traditional consulting and assurance to real-time insights, decision intelligence, and risk capability development. We don’t just audit for you we embed learning, control effectiveness, and resilience into every engagement. Whether it’s governance oversight, system reviews, or contractor assurance, we ensure your risk management approach is fit for the work, not just for the paperwork. Every aspect strengthens meeting obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015)
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From Risk-Averse to Risk-Capable and being Productive Safely
Most assurance models focus on removing risk, but risk is a normal part of work. The real challenge is moving from a risk-averse stance (where risk is seen as something to be eliminated) to a risk-capable approach (where organisations manage risk effectively in dynamic conditions)—and ultimately towards productive states, where people and systems adapt seamlessly to challenges and opportunities.
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We’ve mapped this progression in our NextEra ‘Map of the Terrain’—a resource designed to help organisations navigate the shift from traditional safety thinking to a system that actively enables Better Work.
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Expanding out from static compliance to dynamic risk intelligence.
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Expanding from work as imagined to include work as done.
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Expanding from pass/fail audits to control resilience and decision support.
Request the ‘Map of the Terrain’ today to see where your organisation sits—and what’s next.
NextEra Engage. Because consulting and assurance should enable Better Work, not just verify it.
Beyond Compliance. Beyond Assurance.
Into real-time risk intelligence and monitoring
NextEra Engage: Adding Adaptive Risk Intelligence to Compliance
Risk & Assurance
Adaptive Risk monitoring
H&S management systems 45001
Worker engagement, participation,
representation (WEPR)
Governance and Due Diligence
Work & Task Verification
Contractor & Supply Chain Assurance
Incident & System Reviews
A visual representation of NextEra Engage potential Impact and Targeted improvement areas
Risk and Assurance -
With Real-Work WAD insights
Incident & System Reviews -
Dynamic and Complex Risk Learning
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Traditional Model: Audits and verification checklists.
NextEra Engage: Dynamic assurance using real-time Work insights (Work-as-Imagined vs. Work-as-Done).
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We don’t just audit—we engage in work as it happens, using techniques like ethnographic study, task flow observation, and operational learning sessions.
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Output: A practical "Risk Management Efficacy" report that doesn’t just identify gaps but maps control effectiveness in real conditions.
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Includes: The Risk Management Control Quadrant to assess real-time control gaps.
Traditional Model: Investigation, root cause analysis, ICAM.
NextEra Engage: Learning Reviews & Human Factors Integration.
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Instead of finding "who’s at fault," we use Work as Done vs. Work as Imagined principles to learn from the system, not blame individuals.
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We help organisations track the dynamic and complex nature of risk —how minor variations interact into risk in everyday work before an event occurs.
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Output: A “Dynamic Risk Conditions Map” showing how work adapts in reality, where assumptions fail, and where controls should be strengthened.
Work and Task Verification -
But with Learning Built-in
Governance and Due Diligence -
Board insights that Monitor & Matter
Traditional Model: Routine task observations, job safety audits.
NextEra Engage: Learning Observations & Control Resilience Checks.
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We embed learning into verification activities—so every engagement also helps teams adapt in real time.
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Moves from pass/fail task audits to Control Resilience Ratings, evaluating not just whether a control exists but how well it actually works under pressure.
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Output: A Resilience Readiness Report—mapping task adaptability & weak signal detection for frontline teams.
Traditional Model: Section 44 compliance audits, H&S policy reviews.
NextEra Engage: Risk based Decisions & Coaching for Boards & Executives.
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Instead of reviewing documents, we create real-time governance conversations to help decision-enablers see risk as it unfolds.
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Uses our Equip Learning model (Engage, Reflect, Ask) to build a dynamic due diligence dashboard—moving beyond compliance into risk intelligence.
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Output: A real-time “Board Insight & Enabling Risk-based Lens” that helps leaders evaluate the quality of their safety governance decisions, not just whether they exist in your system.
Health and Safety Management System - From Certification to Capability
Contractor and Supply Chain Assurance -
The Performance Loop
Traditional Model: ISO 45001 gap analysis, policy writing, audits.
NextEra Enage: Building an Adaptive SMS That Enables Work, Not Just Certifies It.
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Instead of just ticking off "compliance with 45001", we evaluate whether the SMS actually enables safe & productive work in real conditions.
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We assess system maturity using the NextEra SMS Capability Model—moving from paper-based compliance to real-time adaptability.
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Uses contemporary safety tools for insights & risk-based assurance to validate SMS effectiveness in real work, not just in policy reviews.
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Output: An SMS Capability & Risk Readiness Report, showing whether the system actually improves decision-making, control effectiveness, and workforce resilience.
Traditional Model: Prequalification, contractor audits, paperwork-heavy compliance.
NextEra Enage: Live System Check-ins & Control Validation.
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We move from pre-qualification tick-boxes to real-time assurance through periodic contractor WAD feedback and engagement learning loops.
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Uses contemporary safety tools for real-time insights to map contractor risk-in-motion instead of static document checks.
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Output: A Contractor Performance Feedback Dashboard, showing real operational insights on risk control effectiveness—not just whether they ‘passed’ an audit or traditional metrics.
Adaptive Industry Risk Monitoring and Real-Work Observation
Traditional Model: Compliance checks, generic risk assessments.
NextEra Engage: Adaptive Risk Monitoring & Real-Work Observations.
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Instead of just auditing whether an industry setup meets regulations, we assess whether the controls actually hold under real conditions.
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Uses the Risk Management Efficacy Quadrant to determine if your risk setup is functionally safe in context, not just on paper.
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Output: Real-time Risk Tolerance Report, mapping actual control effectiveness in a high-variability environment.
Worker Engagement, Participation & Representation (WEPR) -
From Compliance to Capability
Traditional Model: H&S committees, consultation meetings, surveys.
NextEra Engage: Active worker engagement and feedback loops that create insights and transparency in real time.
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Safety isn’t something done to or for people—it’s done with them. Instead of relying on passive feedback mechanisms, we embed dynamic engagement practices where workers aren’t just consulted—they actively contribute to identifying risks, refining controls, and improving work design.
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We move from compliance-driven participation to worker-informed risk adaptation, ensuring decisions reflect work-as-done, not just work-as-imagined.
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Uses: Adaptive decision-making frameworks to integrate WEPR into governance, making worker insights a strategic asset.
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Output: A WEPR Capability & Influence Report, showing whether worker engagement improves safety, work design, and organisational decision-making.