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Independent Project / FID Reviews

Capital decisions carry the weight of every assumption made to get there. At ROMAN, we've spent our careers on the estimating and risk side of that equation, and we've seen how often a project clears a stage gate on schedule momentum rather than genuine FEL maturity. ROMAN Consulting Group provides independent project and FID readiness reviews for capital projects, confirming that scope, risk, and estimate maturity genuinely justify advancement, before capital is committed.

What is Independent Project / FID Reviews

An independent project review evaluates whether a capital project has the scope definition, risk identification, and estimate maturity required to advance through a decision gate, including the final investment decision (FID). ROMAN performs these reviews independently of the engineering and delivery teams, so findings reflect the project's actual readiness rather than internal advocacy for advancement.

Our Approach
  1. Readiness Assessment — evaluating whether project objectives align with business drivers and whether scope and technical assumptions are sufficiently mature

  2. Risk and Estimate Alignment — confirming risks are identified and allocated appropriately, and that estimate maturity matches the level of capital being authorized

  3. Gap Clarification — surfacing residual definition gaps before they carry into execution, where they become far more expensive to resolve


Reviews are led by AACE-credentialed practitioners with direct front-end estimating and risk management experience. ROMAN does not develop scope, prepare estimates, or advocate for approval; our role is to clarify decision risk and strengthen the defensibility of the authorization itself.

Built for Owners, Boards, and Lenders

Owners and developers preparing for a stage-gate decision or final investment decision (FID). Capital committees, boards, and lenders requiring an independent view before authorizing funding. Joint venture partners requiring an independent voice at the table before capital is committed.

Case Study

A mid-size energy owner was preparing to bring a processing facility expansion to its capital committee for FID. Internally, the team believed the project was gate-ready. ROMAN's independent review found that scope definition for two major systems remained conceptual, inconsistent with the estimate class being presented for authorization. Rather than approve on schedule, the capital committee used ROMAN's findings to hold the gate for one review cycle. The team closed the scope gaps, resubmitted with a documented risk position, and the committee approved FID with clear visibility into what had changed and why.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When should a project bring in an independent readiness review?
A. Most commonly before FEL-3/FEED completion and ahead of final investment decision, though reviews are also used during lender technical due diligence or after a prior project's governance performance is questioned.


Q. Does ROMAN replace our internal project team?
A. No. ROMAN reviews independently of the engineering and delivery teams and does not develop scope or prepare estimates. The review clarifies risk and readiness; the project team retains ownership of the work itself.


Q. What industries does ROMAN support?
A. ROMAN supports capital-intensive industries including oil & gas, LNG, petrochemicals, power generation, mining, and renewables.

Related Reading

With more than 25 years of global front-end project expertise, we specialize in independent estimate reviews, scope maturity assessments, and risk evaluations that deliver clarity, alignment, and defensible data before execution begins.

Contact

1880 South Dairy Ashford Rd Houston, TX 77077
713-438-5566
info@romancg.com

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