Entering the ACE Awards is easy – it's all about storytelling
Will you stand up and share your story about how the consulting services you delivered contributed to great outcomes for your client, stakeholders and the community? The ACE Awards offer a platform to shout out about the award-worthy things our members are doing, and we want to hear from you. Expressions of interest close on Sunday 30 March so it's time to think about what you have done and what excited you. Where did your passion lie? What difference did you make? We talk to ACE Awards Convenor David Bridges about the importance of storytelling and why entering the awards is easy.
Why are you involved in the ACE Awards?
The most compelling reason is that it showcases what our profession does and reminds me why I am proud to call myself a consultant. Each year during the judging process I’m awed about what we actually do and the big difference it makes.
But sadly, we’re not telling our stories well enough. Engineers and consultants typically finish one piece of work and never share their story – the challenge for them is the next piece of work. However, telling our stories is critical because it makes people aware of the huge difference we make to the communities we live and work in, and we can only do this if ACE members tell us what they’re doing, why they’re proud of it and what impact it makes.
The ACE Awards is one vehicle by which we can tell and showcase our stories. This is especially crucial now when we’re undergoing so much societal change and have multiple challenges ahead.
How do I know if my consulting service is award-worthy?
This is easy. Just ask yourself:
- What did I do that made a difference? What story do I want to tell?
- What aspect of the consulting services provided am I proudest of? i.e. What do I want to tell my friends about? What will I get excited about when I’m telling them the story?
- Why does this aspect of the consulting service or outcome exemplify excellence? How does it make a difference or how has it changed how we do things?
For example, the Manganui Gorge Suspension Bridge won gold at the 2024 ACE Awards because of outstanding consulting services provided to the Department of Conservation (DOC). DC Structures Studio’s services were exceptional because of the sensitivity of the solution and integration with the natural landscape; the extent of collaboration and engagement; value for money; innovation; and, most significantly, how they changed DOC’s expectations of what great consulting services are and what it can expect from consultants in the future. The services provided were a gamechanger, which made a significant difference and delivered a more cost-effective solution for DOC.
Do I have time to prepare a submission?
The answer is YES!! It’s very simple – it's about telling your story. The hardest part is talking about what you’ve done. Think about how you would tell your family and friends about the services you provided, and the outcomes delivered. Talk about what excited you, where the passion was, and why it made a difference. If you can describe this, you have the synopsis of an entry and all you need to do is write it down and flesh it out with some supporting evidence. Simple!!
Can I afford the cost?
Submitting an entry only costs as much as you want to throw at it. Some firms spend significant amounts of money engaging marketing and communications specialists, professional writers and having top-end video created. But hyperbole is no substitute for substance. If you write the story around the services or outcomes that you are most proud of and are clear about what you want recognised by the judges, you’ve got the bones of the entry.
As judges, we often find that the most compelling submissions are from small firms where the person who owned and delivered the service tells the story because it’s told from the heart – what they did, why it made a difference, and the outcomes delivered.
Are the ACE Awards only for big companies?
No. It’s a misconception that the awards are just for big companies and big projects. We’d love to see more smaller companies enter – their work is equally award worthy. The ACE Awards are about the great provision of consulting services that make a difference, not the project. The project is just the vehicle for showcasing the great consulting that was provided.
Two examples of award-worthy work are:
- A subconsultant on a multi-storey high-end development changed the process for getting gib up to the various floors. This took multiple weeks off the project timeline and, more importantly, created a new norm for delivering gib to multi-storey high-rise developments. This is 100% award-worthy and was achieved by a subconsultant doing a small facet of a multi-disciplinary project. As judges we want to hear about this. ACE wants to be able to celebrate it from the rooftops.
- One of the most exciting projects for me in the last 15 years was a very small project commissioned by Wellington Water. It involved the development of a very smart piece of software that optimised the flow of water to the water storage reservoirs in the greater Wellington water supply area, which alleviated the need for significant pipeline upgrades and additional reservoirs at the time. Many considered it just a piece of software, but it made a real difference, and the fee involved was minimal.
Is the size or cost of the project important?
The awards are about excellence in the delivery of consulting services and outcomes. Projects or services are the vehicle for demonstrating this and can be of any size. It’s a complete misconception that the awards are only for large civil, structural and transportation projects. There’s a whole range of projects that sit outside this traditional area and we want to celebrate them.
Our consulting world encompasses a vast range of award-worthy things such as business case preparation, health and safety (two previous outstanding health and safety award entries include one which changed how the fishing industry addresses health and safety; and another which developed a process for managing brownfields processing sites from a health and safety perspective), milk pricing optimisation, software development, RMA consenting, overseas aid, geographic information systems and flood disaster recovery.
So, if you have provided consulting advice or services that you think are award-worthy, enter the awards. Size doesn't matter. Many of the projects may not have traditional design elements. They may have strategy and policy development, which is changing how we work.
Do you have any tips for making a submission? What are the judges looking for?
One thing judges struggle with are the entries that try to tick every box on the forms and focus on each judging outcome. These submissions often miss the mark. Instead, focus on the outcomes and excellence of the services you provided that made a difference and you want recognised for an award – don't worry about ticking all the boxes.
It’s important to be aware that we’re not ranking or judging entries against each other. Each entry is judged solely on its merit and the difference it makes.
Do judges have any pet hates?
- Don’t name drop contact details. Give us people who have knowledge of the project and are contactable – clients and contractors who can verify exactly what the consultant has done.
- Hyped-up entries lacking substance and clarity regarding the service or outcome that make the submission award-worthy.
What's your final piece of advice?
The overarching question to ask is – is it better than business as usual? Our clients expect a business-as-usual level of service. To be award-worthy, the consulting services must lift the bar and create a new norm for business as usual.