ACE New Zealand and Consult Australia have formalised a closer trans-Tasman relationship, signing a new alignment agreement to strengthen collaboration on the issues shaping consulting, design and engineering businesses in both countries.
ACE New Zealand President Penny Kneebone and Consult Australia President Natalie Muir signed the Alignment Agreement recently.
The agreement reflects an increasingly connected industry, where consulting businesses in Aotearoa and Australia serve many of the same clients and face similar regulatory, economic and industry challenges.
Under the agreement, ACE and Consult Australia will look for opportunities to collaborate on advocacy and thought leadership, particularly across workforce, digital transformation, sustainability and procurement reform.
We’ll share data and insights, support professional exchanges and explore opportunities to improve member services and organisational capability.
The signing provided an immediate opportunity to put the agreement into practice, with representatives from large member firms coming to discuss the opportunities and obstacles facing businesses operating on both sides of the Tasman.
“Together, we are stronger advocates for a thriving, sustainable and connected consulting and engineering industry across Australasia,” Penny Kneebone and Natalie Muir said.
Protecting cost certainty
One opportunity for closer alignment is sharing Consult Australia’s analysis that examines how risks should be assessed and managed to deliver cost certainty at each stage of a project, and where current practice falls short.
The Protecting Cost Certainty report identifies five actions to improve how risk is managed, how scope is defined and how decisions are made across the lifecycle.
The report shows that cost certainty is built through decisions at each stage and protected by clear governance, active management and a collaborative culture when circumstances change.