An excellent new report from ACE New Zealand highlights and details the value that engineering consultants bring to the projects that they work on.

The new report, Unlocking the Value of Consulting, is a brilliant tool to support conversations with clients about consulting value and spend and to advocate for fair procurement, value-based pricing and early involvement in project design. It also highlights the importance of investing in talent, knowledge systems and strong client relationships.

It’s often an ongoing challenge to put a number on the value that engineering consultancies deliver, but the new report, which was commissioned by ACE New Zealand (ACE NZ) and carried out by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, for the first time, quantifies the value ACE NZ member firms deliver as they solve complex problems, drive innovation and support the success of public and private sector projects.

Through robust, independent evidence, the Unlocking the Value of Consulting report puts a number on the expertise, flexibility and independent perspective that consultants bring to every engagement. The findings show that for every infrastructure dollar spent on consulting, New Zealand receives more than two dollars in value. For ACE members specifically, they help clients avoid nearly $2 billion in costs annually, and the total net benefit to the country is close to $6 billion each year.

Sitting behind those numbers are evidence-informed insights into how consultants create value, what clients value most from their engineering consultants, and how clients and consultants can work together to elevate the overall value of consulting investment.

Though aimed at the market in New Zealand, the report is sure to be useful to all FIDIC member associations as they look to frame their advocacy work around the real and lasting value that their members bring to construction and infrastructure projects and to society more widely.

Click here to find out more about the research and download the report.