Without the expertise of Consult Australia members, Australia’s infrastructure and construction projects wouldn’t happen.

It’s a statement we say regularly in the halls of power, and one worth repeating given the recent scrutiny on management consultants.

Australia has close to 60,000 businesses employing 285,000-plus people who provide highly technical and specialised engineering, design and advisory services. These businesses deliver solutions to our nation’s most complex design and engineering challenges. They are distinct from the management consultancy services often referred to under the label of ‘consulting’. 

This distinction is important. The deep technical services of Consult Australia members are engaged at the earliest stages of problem identification, options analysis, planning and business case development, through to design, construction, asset handover, management, and then into maintenance, demolition or refurbishment. This expertise is critical to inform the decisions that ensure Australia’s infrastructure investments deliver the best outcomes for our nation and the highest value for money for the taxpayer.

Consult Australia’s work across government is focused on ensuring that the procurement of our members’ services supports these objectives. We are also focused on supporting the long-term sustainability of our industry – one characterised by unique risks inherent in the provision of their services.

Consult Australia’s members commit to upholding professional standards outlined in the Consult Australia Code of Ethics, fortified by three core principles of collaboration, fairness and integrity. 

In recent months we have refined our complaints and disciplinary procedures under the Consult Australia Constitution. This reinforces our commitment to our Code of Ethics and demonstrates the clear point of difference of Consult Australia members in the marketplace.

Governments are right to expect the businesses they contract with to act ethically and to deliver value for money. But in a high-risk environment, it is essential that governments respond with evidence-based policy. We know true value for money must be underpinned by a commitment to collaboration, transparency and fair risk allocation, which is why we champion the Model Client Policy. 

We also know adding extra layers of regulation and red tape simply limits our members’ ability to service the market, and to innovate. 

Innovation is mission critical as we move towards a net zero future, and the ability of our members to effectively innovate to deliver the solutions demanded by governments will be determined by the preparedness of those governments to shift to Model Client behaviours. 

Some governments clients are already embracing the Model Client ethos, which is why we have introduced a new category to the Consult Australia Awards: the Collaboration for Project Excellence – Working with Government Award. We are looking for teams that don’t only deliver exceptional project outcomes. We also want to see collaboration in action when working with government.

Speaking of collaboration, I am thrilled to announce our new Board of Directors, following our Annual General Meeting this week. Outgoing President Rowenna Walker has passed the baton on to Tasos Katopodis and a new era begins.

As an engineer with 35 years of experience who has held executive-level positions in operations and strategy, Tasos has led large-scale digital, sustainability and cultural change programs, has chaired Consult Australia’s finance committee and has an enduring commitment to our industry. We spotlight Tasos in this issue of Consulting Matters.

A huge thanks to Rowenna, who steered Consult Australia through the choppy waters of Covid and the changeover in CEO. She has overseen the development of our new strategy, achieved higher levels of influence with key government stakeholders and deeper engagement with industry – and she did this alongside her day job as Aurecon’s Managing Director for NSW and the ACT. I’m sure I speak for us all when I say we are a stronger association for Rowenna’s contribution.

Finally, collaboration was the theme of our Meeting of the Minds event in Melbourne as part of World Mental Health Day on 10 October. The World Health Organisation notes that one in eight people globally are living with a mental health condition. When mental health is a widespread challenge, our response must be to work together as an industry. Meeting of the Minds continued a critical conversation about how we collaborate to support not only our own teams, but those of our partners, clients and supply chains too.

If you missed Meeting of the Minds, watch a video recording of the event online. Or check out our Mental Health Knowledge Hub, which features guides, stories from members and links to a raft of external resources. We launched the Hub in 2018 and in September we were very proud to see it gain international recognition in Singapore at the Federation of International Consulting Engineering Awards. To the many members who collaborated with us on the Hub, this recognition is a credit to your leadership.