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PCO / Other Professional Practice Protection
Other Professional · Practice Protection · South Africa

What happens to a professional firm if the principal cannot give instructions?

For professional consulting and other owner-managed firms where essential client commitments, specialist knowledge, systems, approvals or operating decisions depend on one or a small number of people.

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The practical problem

Trusted people are not the same as tested authority.

PCO looks at what must keep working when the normal decision-maker is unexpectedly unavailable and unable to give instructions — who steps in, what they may do, which systems they can use, what limits apply and what still depends on a professional, provider or formal approval.

Practice structures

The Diagnostic changes with the way the practice is structured.

01 · Structure

Sole principal

One person holds most professional and operating responsibility.

02 · Structure

Small partnership

Two or three principals share or divide decision rights.

03 · Structure

Owner-managed firm

A broader team exists, but critical decisions still depend on a small group.

Profession-specific focus

What PCO would examine in a other professional practice.

Decision rights
Key people
Critical systems
Client commitments
Financial controls
Deadlines
Provider dependencies
Fallbacks
Questions that matter

The Diagnostic tests the operating reality, not just whether a document exists.

Examples from the Other Professional pathway:

01If the principal became unexpectedly unavailable and could not give instructions for 30 days, which client decisions would stop because nobody else is clearly authorised?
02Which systems, portals, licences or specialist tools can only the principal access?
03Which client deliverables or deadlines exist only in the principal’s inbox or memory?
04Can payroll, suppliers and routine operating payments continue within written limits?
05Which actions should a fallback specifically be prohibited from taking without specialist advice or client approval?
Practice Protection Diagnostic fees

Three structures. A defined entry price for each.

The Diagnostic price reflects the amount of work normally created by the profession and structure. After the Diagnostic, PCO assesses the actual work required and provides one fixed Practice Protection Implementation fee covering the Guided Governance Review and preparation and completion of the Practice Protection Plan.

Sole principal
R4,500
excl. VAT · standard published scope

Profession-specific Practice Protection Diagnostic for this structure.

Small partnership
R6,500
excl. VAT · standard published scope

Profession-specific Practice Protection Diagnostic for this structure.

Owner-managed firm
R9,500
excl. VAT · standard published scope

Profession-specific Practice Protection Diagnostic for this structure.

Standard published scope: one legal entity and an ordinary small-to-medium professional practice. Multi-entity groups, more than 10 professionals, or more than two operating locations / branches are confirmed by PCO before payment.
The full Diagnostic

Twelve protection areas have to work together.

01Decision responsibilityWho normally decides, who can step in, and where decisions must escalate.
02Professional eligibilityRegistration, scope, competence, supervision or other eligibility required for regulated work.
03Client / patient / matter handoverWhat is live, urgent, incomplete or at risk if the principal stops giving instructions.
04Records & information custodyWho may see records, what must stay confidential, and how access is controlled.
05Systems & authenticationNamed-user access, portals, MFA, recovery routes and single-person credential dependencies.
06Money & payment limitsBanking, payroll, suppliers, refunds, client money where relevant, approval limits and backups.
07Contracts, mandates & approvalsWho may instruct, approve, sign, vary, renew or escalate commitments.
08Providers & third partiesBanks, SARS, regulators, laboratories, insurers, vendors and other external dependencies.
09Deadlines & renewalsFilings, court dates, project milestones, licence renewals, audits and client promises.
10Staff & operating coordinationWhat managers and staff may do, where their limits sit, and what cannot be casually delegated.
11Escalation & prohibited actionsWhat must not be done without the principal or required professional/provider approval.
12Evidence, testing & reviewWhat proves the arrangement exists, who accepted the role, and whether access and fallbacks were tested.
How it works

From free indication to a controlled plan.

01Practice Protection DiagnosticPCO tests the full 12-area pathway and produces findings.
02Practice Protection ImplementationPCO conducts the Guided Governance Review and develops the Practice Protection Plan.
03Your Practice Protection PlanThe completed PPP becomes the controlled operational outcome of the implementation.
04Ongoing Protection / NEXUSKeep the plan current as people, authority, providers, systems and circumstances change.
Important boundary: neither the free assessment nor the Diagnostic verifies that a POA, bank mandate, professional registration, provider permission, system entitlement or other arrangement is legally or operationally effective merely because the client says it exists. PCO identifies and tests the dependency; the relevant adviser, institution, regulator or provider confirms what only they can confirm.
Two useful starting questions

Would the practice know what to do tomorrow?

01If the principal became unexpectedly unavailable and could not give instructions for 30 days, which client decisions would stop because nobody else is clearly authorised?
02Which systems, portals, licences or specialist tools can only the principal access?
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