Independent contract management, cost and commercial assurance specialists for capital projects, major infrastructure, and operational programmes.
MJA helps clients and delivery partners manage costs, strengthen commercial decisions and build the capability to deliver across projects, programmes and portfolios.
Practical commercial support and independent enterprise assurance
MJA helps clients and delivery partners manage costs, strengthen commercial decisions and build the capability to deliver across projects, programmes and portfolios. We combine practical commercial support with independent assurance, tailoring our services to the scale, risk and complexity of each assignment, from focused reviews to support across major portfolios. Our work spans cost and contract management, open-book cost verification, ledger review and auditing Defined Cost under NEC contracts, testing costs against contractual requirements and supporting evidence to strengthen transparency, accountability and value for money.
Our wider assurance services include acting as Alliance Auditor, scrutinising alliance costs, commercial arrangements and performance, and delivering enterprise assurance as an Enterprise Assurance Team under Project 13, with independent assessment, testing and scoring across all lines of defence. Across our work, we turn findings into practical action, support continuous improvement and build client capability, maintaining clear responsibilities and reporting routes that preserve independent judgement.
Assurance put into practice.
Hinkley Point C
Designed and implemented commercial assurance and cost verification processes, supporting the transition from FIDIC to NEC across £6bn+ of civils delivery, operations and professional services work.
Southern Renewals Enterprise
With executive sponsorship, MJA designed and implemented assurance across the Enterprise’s delivery and cost outputs for contract years 1 and 2. We then helped strengthen partner and project assurance capability and embed a forward programme for years 3–5 and beyond, designed to continue through Control Periods 7 and 8.
REAL Alliance
Independent cost assurance and commercial advice for the Project Alliance Board, including target cost review and investigation of cost issues.
Assurance from the start and throughout delivery
We help clients establish assurance from the outset and use it throughout delivery. We assess how governance and commercial controls work in practice, test evidence and score performance against agreed criteria. We work with clients to address gaps, track improvement actions and check that changes are effective, giving leaders a clearer basis for decisions.
Our expertise combines quantity surveying and contract management, including NEC, with accountancy, open-book cost review and ledger analysis as a full service. We provide hands-on commercial support from procurement and day-to-day delivery through to final account and claims resolution, helping teams apply assurance findings to the decisions and pressures they face.
Building client capability through delivery
Our team brings senior commercial and project leadership experience from both client and contractor organisations.
Through coaching, shared tools and knowledge transfer, we help clients strengthen their own judgement, controls and assurance capability. The aim is lasting improvement that teams can sustain in everyday delivery.
Strengthen your commercial decisions and delivery
Talk to MJA about practical commercial support, alliance or enterprise assurance, and building the capability of your team.
How we can help
Practical commercial support and independent assurance for infrastructure delivery. We help clients and delivery partners manage costs and contracts, strengthen assurance and build their own capability. Our support ranges from focused assignments to alliances and wider portfolios.
01
Cost Management
Establish an assured cost baseline to support confident commercial decisions. We prepare and review estimates, budgets and forecasts, undertake open-book and ledger reviews, and verify Defined Cost under NEC contracts against contractual requirements and supporting records.
This provides a dependable basis for reviewing overhead allocation and recovery, testing profit and incentive calculations, and assessing the impact of change and risk. We help teams use the findings to manage expenditure, strengthen cost controls and build their own capability.
02
Estimating Assurance
Build confidence in the estimates behind your investment and delivery decisions. We independently test scope, methods, quantities, rates and assumptions, including inflation, risk and uncertainty. We assess evidence, benchmark costs where appropriate and consider design maturity, schedules and commercial arrangements.
From focused reviews to support at key approvals, we explain the level of confidence, identify gaps and prioritise improvements. Working with your team, we strengthen estimating processes and capability to support realistic budgets, informed approvals and dependable cost baselines.
03
Contract Management
Keep contracts working effectively throughout delivery. We support NEC, Project 13, Alliance Agreements and other contract forms, helping clients and delivery partners manage their obligations, protect their commercial position and maintain clear records through contract administration, payments, change and final accounts.
For major projects and programmes, we can integrate an assurance manager or team into the contract management function, with clear responsibilities and reporting routes that preserve independent judgement. We help teams identify issues early, test compliance and act on findings, strengthening day-to-day commercial control and building client capability.
04
Commercial Assurance
Build confidence in your costs, controls and commercial decisions through independent, proportionate assurance. We support projects, programmes and portfolios of all sizes, from focused reviews to assurance across an enterprise. Our work includes open-book cost verification, ledger review and auditing Defined Cost under NEC contracts, alongside assessment of commercial arrangements, controls and performance.
We also act as Alliance Auditor and deliver enterprise assurance as the Enterprise Assurance Team under Project 13, providing independent assessment, testing and scoring across all lines of defence. We turn findings into practical improvements and share knowledge to build client competence and confidence, with clear responsibilities and reporting routes that preserve independent judgement.
05
Commercial Assurance Design and Implementation
Build assurance into everyday delivery. We design new arrangements and improve those no longer fit for purpose, tailoring governance, controls, assessment criteria, testing and reporting to the work’s scale, risk and complexity.
Our approach covers open-book cost verification, ledger review and NEC Defined Cost, with clear responsibilities across all lines of defence, including Alliance and Enterprise models.
We implement improvements, test their effectiveness and equip teams through coaching, shared tools and knowledge transfer to sustain effective assurance.
06
Trusted Adviser and Critical Friend
Bring independent judgement and constructive challenge to important decisions. We advise leaders, delivery teams and funders on procurement, tendering, design management and maturity, value engineering, claims resolution and internal audit.
From critical friend reviews to targeted interventions when performance is under pressure, we test assumptions and evidence, prioritise practical actions and follow through on underlying issues.
Our proportionate, plain-English advice helps clients make informed choices, strengthen their competence and confidence, and sustain improvements across projects, programmes and portfolios.
Need a clearer view
Talk to MJA about your costs, contracts or commercial or delivery decision.`