2024 ACE Awards showcase how consultants make an impact
The 2024 ACE Awards Gala this October in Christchurch is fast approaching, and with the calibre of entries particularly impressive this year, you’ll want to join us to celebrate the award winners’ exceptional mahi.
With judging completed for another year, we asked Rebecca Jackson – environmental engineer, professional development mentor and coach, and 2024 ACE Awards convenor – about this year’s entries and the key themes that emerged.
How was the calibre of the 2024 award entries?
It was especially high this year. It is so cool to see the amazing things consultants are doing to shape New Zealand and the world around us. The judges provided clear guidance this year on what we are looking for in a great entry, and it looks like that guidance has been helpful for entrants in showcasing their excellence in consulting.
The awards have evolved greatly over the years. Historically, they focused on technical content and innovation, which may have driven a certain style of entry.
Excellence in consulting is so much more than the technical. This year we spent a lot of time challenging and encouraging our judging panel to think about the entry’s impact – the difference it had made to the community, client or world in general. There were some great consulting examples this year that may have been challenging to judge in the past because they didn't have a tangible outcome.
Why is the entry’s impact important?
Demonstrating an impact enhances the consultants’ understanding of their place in the world and helps their brand. It broadens the horizon of consulting. I think consultants are in the world to contribute to it, not just to build or design stuff.
That’s also why I do this convenor job. I love seeing how consultants are contributing to our world. It's very easy to become caught up in the detail of what is being delivered, but the real gold lies in understanding where that sits in the world around us.
The best entries demonstrate their impact. For example, a business case or programme of work may not have resulted in a piece of physical infrastructure, but instead involved setting up systems that changed or improved an entire organisation and benefitted many people. Understanding this can be quite challenging and it’s a skill for an entrant to present this.
If you are thinking about entering the ACE awards next year, I really encourage you to think about not only what you did, but how your work has impacted not just the client, but key stakeholders, the community, the environment and more.
Were there any standout themes?
Entries often come in waves in response to what has taken place, such as political change. This year, natural disaster response and how consultants helped their clients and community respond was a key theme.
We also saw some business case entries where consultants had done work to achieve the very important outcome of receiving funding to do something else.
Another theme revolved around consultants delivering overall programmes of work rather than an individual project. There were examples of consultants working within the client organisations - as well as alongside - to improve how the client delivers on their own objectives. For example, setting up systems and processes enabling an organisation to deliver its business, rather than the consultant delivering something on its behalf.
Entries involving digital elements continue to increase, but there were fewer sustainability aspect entries than anticipated this year. I did find this surprising given the global challenges we are facing. I would personally love to see more sustainability-focused entries in 2025.
Was there anything that stood out among this year’s winners? What are ACE members doing really well?
There were many standouts this year, but the key aspect was seeing how our ACE members are making an impact. We had a couple of really well-presented entries, the best I have seen in nine years of judging. The entries were in plain English, provided great evidence about the work undertaken, and indicated the difference the consulting had made to the client and New Zealanders.
We also had some great examples of our special awards – community, client, and sustainability awards. There was some real gold in there. And we had a few first-time entrants and some from small and medium-sized firms, which was fantastic. We love seeing these entries.
Do you have any advice for those considering entering next year?
It’s helpful for consultants to tell the judges who they should speak with in the community because this enhances their understanding of the entry’s impact. This might include key stakeholders or a member of the local Chamber of Commerce or community board, not just the client.