Consulting Matters April 2020

AUTUMN 2020

Our Industry 2030

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Gravitating towards Anti Gravity

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Future of Engineering 2030

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Work with Meaning

SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, 29 October 2019 Park Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne, VIC

2020 Awards for Excellence

Consulting Matters

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CONTENTS

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Advocacy activities in response to Black Summer

Industry updates Industry updates

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New members

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What’s happening in Consult Australia From the President

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From the CEO

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State & Terriroty Updates

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Features

De-risking through digitisation

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Gravitating towards Anti Gravity

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Hybrid skill demands: are we looking for ‘unicorns’ or focusing on our overall skills profile?

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Consulting 2030

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Future of Engineering 2030

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Insurance in 2030

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FIDIC Key Decisions for 2020

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Corporate Social Responsibility Work with Meaning

Advocacy activities in response to Black Summer

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A new decade of major change and opportunity

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Gravitating towards Anti Gravity

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Not a member of Consult Australia?

To find out more about how your firm can benefit from membership contact Consult Australia on (02) 8252 6700 or email membership@consultaustralia.com.au www.consultaustralia.com.au

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Consulting Matters

Industry updates

Industry updates APPOINTMENTS Susan Reisbord has been appointed Cardno’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Susan led the transformation of Cardno’s Americas region and held the position of President of its Science and Environment Division. Susan holds a Masters of Physical Sciences (Geochemistry) from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science (Geology) from the University of Cincinnati.

Kate Drews has been promoted to lead SMEC’s Urban Communities business in Australia following the retirement of Michael Jones. Kate joined SMEC in 2018 as National Manager, Urban Renewal, and has more than 25 years of industry experience, including several senior leadership roles. She was recently appointed a Director on the Board of Consult Australia.

SLR Consulting has appointed Beccy Philby as its Asia Pacific Operations Manager – Land and Water. Based in SLR's Brisbane office, Beccy will be responsible for guiding the Hydrology and Hydrogeology, Land Quality and Remediation, Soil Sciences and Toxicology and Risk Assessment teams.

Beccy is an experienced operations leader and business developer with more than 15 years’ experience working in consulting environments in both the UK and Australia.

Kehoe Myers has announced the appointment of Grant Parker as a Director.

Grant is a highly experienced Engineer working in the Kehoe Myers Structural Engineering Team and now joins Terry Kehoe, John Pikramenos, Grant Pendlebury and Bjorn Jachmann on the Board of Directors.

Professionals Australia CEO Chris Walton has formally resigned from his position after 11 years of service, to take up a broader role in with the union movement. Gordon Brock has been appointed interim-CEO. Aurecon's Managing Director – Government, Australia and New Zealand, Aneetha de Silva, has been appointed as a Director to the group's Board. Aneetha is an infrastructure professional with over 22 years’ leadership experience in private and public sector infrastructure roles. She is also a Director of Roads Australia.

Main Roads WA Managing Director Peter Woronzow is the new Chairman of the Australian Road Research Board. Peter takes over from former Roads and Maritime Services boss Peter Duncan AM, who steps down after nearly eight years on the Board – the last three and a half as chair.

Peter Woronzow has more than 35 years’ experience in the transport industry and has worked with MRWA for the vast majority of that time in financial, commercial and corporate roles.

Tonkin + Taylor has appointed Nicole Neal as General Manager – Victoria. An awardwinning, industry recognised professional with 17 years in the sustainability and environmental space, Nicole brings an impressive management and leadership track record with consultants and contractors alike. She will be leading T+T’s growing team of over 50 environmental and geotechnical professionals based in Melbourne.

Gareth Robertshaw has joined Beca as Technical Director Ports and Maritime.

Based in Brisbane, Gareth brings to Beca more than 20 years’ experience working across the globe in the maritime industry, most notably leading the Halcrow/CH2M Ports business across the Asia Pacific region prior to the takeover by Jacobs.

GHD has extended its commitment to Australia’s emerging Hydrogen industry with its appointment as a Corporate Member on the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC).

GHD’s primary representative on the council is Rory Quinn, Technical Director Plant & Process. Rory brings to this role more than 20 years industry experience, and with a strong focus on future energy options.

MERGERS & ACQUISTIONS Arcadis has launched a new global digital – Arcadis Gen is Arcadis’ latest move towards becoming a fully digitally enabled business.

Operating as a separate legal entity, Arcadis Gen will be led by Chief Executive, Rachel White. With 200 employees based across the globe, it brings together recent acquisitions SEAMS and EAMS Group with software development specialists from the Arcadis business.

SMEC has welcomed the team from Roadswest Engineering Group Pty Ltd to the organisation, cementing a long history of collaboration between the two companies.

With a 25-year history working with all levels of Government, mining and private clients across metropolitan and regional Western Australia, Roadswest brings collective knowledge and experience that will combine with SMEC’s reach and resources to help grow Western Australia’s engineering industry.

AWARDS AND CELEBRATIONS Congratulation to our member firms who made the list of 2019-20 WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation holders. Well done to AECOM, Arcadis, Aurecon, Jacobs and SMEC! Happy 100th birthday Beca! Founded in Auckland in 1920 by William 'Arthur' Gray, who purchased a small engineering practice on his return from World War 1, Beca is now one of the largest employee-owned professional services consultancies in the Asia Pacific region with more than 3,300 employees in 20 offices around the world, having delivered projects in more than 70 countries.

Industry updates

Consult Australia is proud to be a supporter of the beaton Client Choice Awards which celebrate the top professional service organisations across Australia & New Zealand and, despite not getting a ceremony this year, we would like to congratulate all the Consult Australia member firms who were winners in 2020!

• Best Built Environment Firm (30-50m revenue) — GTA Consultants • Best Built Environment Firm (50-200m revenue) — Douglas Partners • Best Built Environment Firm (>200m revenue) — SMEC • Best Environmental Firm (>30m revenue) — EDP Consultants • Best Heritage Consulting Firm (<30m revenue) — GML Heritage • Best Built Environment Consultant — Phil Peet (Stantec) • Best Professional Services Firm (>200m revenue) — SMEC • Best Provider to Construction & Infrastructure — SMEC

Consulting Matters

NEW MEMBERS (SINCE 1 JULY 2019) CMC Asia Pacific Piper Alderman Lawyers (Associate) EIC Activities (Associate) Site & Civil Consulting Civil Geotechnical Consultants Infracorr Consulting Pitcher Partners – SA (Associate) Prime Engineering Consultants Qualis Power RDW Advisory Drummond Project Management Niche Environment and Heritage Pty Ltd BVT Engineering Pty Ltd Solid Void Brennan Consultants Australia Batch Mewing Lawyers (Associate) HKA (Associate) Kiri Parr Consulting Evangelisti & Associates Red Fire Engineers Fontalis Project Services JHK and Associates

Editor Mark Rock

President Gerry Doyle

Chief Executive Officer Nicola Grayson

Finance Manager Penny Clark

Executive Assistant to CEO Karen Pooley

Accounts Guillaume Marchand

Policy Advisor James Robertson

Policy Advisor

• Best Provider to Power & Utilities — BECA

Kristy Eulenstein

• Most Improved Net Promoter Score — SMEC

Marketing Manager

You can view the full list of winners and finalists for 2020 here.

Corporate Designer

Mark Rock

Voltaire Corpuz

Administration Assistant Sam Baker

State & Territory Managers SA/NT Manager Jan Irvine

NSW Manager Linda Gaunt

VIC & TAS Manager Kathy Uhlik

ACT Manager Caitlin Buttress

QLD Manager David Shillington

Editorial submissions mark@consultaustralia.com.au

Photos from the 2020 Leaders Conference that was held at Luna Park, Sydney. Click here to see more photos, the see the full program click here.

Advertising enquiries info@consultaustralia.com.au Consulting Matters is produced by Consult Australia Phone: (02) 8252 6700 Website: www.consultaustralia.com.au

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Consulting Matters

What’s happening at Consult Australia

From the President We have moved so far in the 20 years that I have been in the industry, with the way we have embraced technology and the changes we have made in client experience. I am filled with confidence that the cognitive thought that makes the people in our industry so valuable will survive provided we continue to grow and develop our skills and our communication.

Coming off the back of the exceptional Consult Australia Leaders Conference which looked at our industry in 2030 you would think this would be an easy column to write.

However, with the future uncertain and the only certainty that exists being that things will change it is difficult to know exactly what our industry will look like in 2030.

At the conference we discussed that transport in the future could finally involve the jet packs that were seen at the opening of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games; that the people who work in our companies will come from a variety of backgrounds and that most won’t possess the base qualifications we require today. We talked about where our clients are going and how we will need to change to meet their needs in the future.

We talked about technology and what it will mean for the way we do business.

Ultimately, we talked about change. And the one certainty is that 2030 will look different to 2020. Today we are dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic that is impacting the way we are travelling around the world. It is impacting the economy and the way we run our businesses. Today we are reeling from the impact of a summer of bushfires and floods and we are seeing more natural disasters that change the way we live.

Change is a constant. Some change comes about as a result of the actions of others and some comes directly from decisions we make ourselves. Some change we have absolutely no control over.

For me, I think our industry has shown that it is capable of adapting and changing. We have moved so far in the 20 years that I have been in the industry, with the way we have embraced technology and the changes we have made in client experience. I am filled with confidence that the cognitive thought that makes the people in our industry so valuable will survive provided we continue to grow and develop our skills and our communication. I know that artificial intelligence is getting better and better, but I still think that cognitive thought will always have value.

Our industry is changing and will continue to change over the next decade. The changes that come will bring difference to our jobs and our lives. These changes bring opportunity for us to adapt and grow as people and as consultants. Change and growth are the opportunities that will mean the businesses of 2030 will be exciting to be part of. I am looking forward to seeing how the changes to our industry enrich the lives of everyone on the planet.

Since writing this so much has changed as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic.

The COVID 19 pandemic is touching all of our lives and all of our businesses. We are adapting to a world where we stay at home, we communicate using technology rather than face to face, we minimise contact with people but try to maintain connection. This is a different world. The time will pass and things will change again, I don’t know if they will return to normal but they will change.

This is an opportunity for our businesses to learn things that we have had in place but haven’t really had to use – we now have to use them. During this time we need to lean into each other and provide the support needed for people to adapt. During this time I hope that you are staying safe and looking after your mental health, I hope that your business is adapting to the new world and is robust enough to survive this time and that the people you care about are safe and well.

Gerry Doyle Incoming President

What’s happening at Consult Australia

Consulting Matters

From the CEO I had thought that my introduction to the first edition of Consulting Matters for 2020 would include some exciting comparisons to last century’s roaring 20’s, but that feels far from appropriate given our collective experiences of the size and scale of the bushfires, which have impacted so many. We had barely begun to start work on recovery before being faced with the spread of COVID-19 and the impact people and businesses. In these volatile times, our industry has shown incredible adaptability and resilience.

Firstly, let’s take a moment to reflect on the generosity and support across the Australian community shown to those impacted by the fires. Many of you have made donations, not only monetary but also through offers of probono work. This has provided an opportunity for our industry to demonstrate its ability to respond quickly and provide emergency relief, and to help shape the policy conversation around rebuild and resilience.

Next consider the incredible shift to home/ remote working across our sector of the industry, showing the ability of businesses to adapt and maintain services for both our clients and our people. If I might talk about the team at Consult Australia for a moment, I am very proud of the speed in the team has switched the delivery of our content to you through video conferencing, and the step up in providing resources for your business to help you during these challenging times – see our dedicated resources page here.

We are engaging with governments on an almost daily basis across the country to discuss share insights on impact and how we can work together to assist. The consulting sector is well placed to support the Australian

economy, through more upfront design and advisory work and I’m pleased to say this message is being well received.

This year’s Leaders Conference (held in February prior to the social distancing restrictions) explored the Built Environment 2030 through the lenses of demand, technology, people, and structure. As our Master of Ceremonies and future of work expert, Kim Seeling Smith shared research on the future of work, which tell us that people are increasingly looking for employment that focuses on the experience, has purpose, and encourages collaboration.

Never has this been more relevant. In a Covid-19 world revisiting your purpose to ensure it has relevancy within the current and future operating environment is essential.

The conference themes are explored further in this edition of Consulting Matters, with Professor Danny Samson sharing six mega trends that will impact our industry’s operating environment (outside Covid-19).

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and rapid technology change is considered across a number of articles from different angles, including the opportunity to literally ‘rise above’ some of our environmental challenges. In looking at Laurence Gottlieb’s commentary on insurance ‘red zones’, it puts into sharp relief that finding ways to adapt to climate change and mitigate need rapid development and adoption.

Whilst some of these issues may have faded to the background in the current environment, the time for innovation has never been greater, so I hope that this edition will inspire and assist you building a stronger and more resilient business.

Photos from 2020 Leaders Conference in Sydney. See more here.

Consult Australia looks forward to engaging with you and supporting your industry, your business, and your career as we head courageously into this next decade.

Nicola Grayson CEO

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Consulting Matters

What’s happening at Consult Australia

State & Territory Updates With varying market conditions around the country Consult Australia’s state and territory managers share their insights on key challenges and opportunities for our member firms.

VIC

Kathy Uhlik The Victorian Division has seen some growth and changes to its Committee for 2020. We farewelled long-serving Committee member Tony Moodie and welcomed three new member firm representatives onto the Committee – Martin Gamble, from SME member firm Gamcorp; Derek Heiden from BG&E; and Iris Stewart from Cardno. Martin, Derek and Iris join our existing Committee members: Rachel Nicholls (Chair) from Arup; David Collett (deputy Chair) from SMEC; Andrew Bethune from Arcadis; Amy Child from AECOM; Emilio de Paulis from Jacobs; Melissa Griffith from KBR; Angus Leitch from Aurecon; Rodd Mickelson from GHD; Andrew Russell from Golder; and Matt Turinski from Beca.

The Professional Engineers Registration Scheme is still the focus of much attention, with Consult Australia being part of the Stakeholder Reference Group. The Reference Group, being led by the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DoJCS), met recently to start the process of determining how the Scheme will be realistically implemented, ascertaining the true implications it will have on businesses as well as individuals. There has already been significant discussion within the Group around the practicalities and the DoJCS is actively listening to our concerns. You can keep up to date via the DoJCS dedicated website https://engage.vic.gov.au/ engineers-registration In January, we had a meeting with the Department of Education and Training to discuss Consult Australia’s recently released STEM Thought Leadership paper. The Department was keen to hear our ideas and readily shared their thoughts and findings in the area.

They’re looking forward to potentially collaborating with us later in the year as we continue the STEM discussion.

We’ve had some wonderfully engaging speakers present at Events over the past couple of months. Late last year, Allen Garner, CEO, Major Road Projects Victoria spoke at a Meet the Client Breakfast at Colin Biggers & Paisley’s offices. Allen gave us an insight into how current MRPV projects are progressing, as well as not only the obstacles being faced but also the innovation solutions his team is coming up with.

This year, Richard Bolt, Principal at Nous Group, spoke at a very well attended roundtable-style breakfast, held at Arup. Richard engaged with the group on the current and future state of Energy Transformation in Australia and the vital role the consulting industry plays in ensuring the road towards zero emissions.

In March, CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, Michel Masson, spoke at our first Meet the Client Breakfast of 2020. Michel held a captive audience as he shared with us the next iteration of IV’s 30-year plan, as well as the growth in i-Bodies around the country and the impact of their Recycling strategy.

Our FutureNet cohort “rolled” things off for the year with their annual Lawn Bowls event. This fun evening is rapidly becoming a much-anticipated fixture in the calendar! Speaking with attendees about FutureNet events, a common sentiment is their appreciation of being able to meet other young professionals from different roles and businesses across the industry. These events provide them with the opportunity to learn more about their industry as a whole and are a wonderful tool in their development as future leaders.

It’s exciting news for our Tasmanian Division with work toward the formation of a new Committee, based in Hobart, well underway.

We will be having our first meeting in early April, so if you are keen to get involved, I’d be happy to hear from you. As with Committees around the country, the Tasmanian Committee will be integral to shaping advocacy conversations with local and state government, and creating events specific to the needs of the local industry.

For any division queries, contact Kathy on kathy@consultaustralia.com.au Please see the website for more details and to register for upcoming events, here.

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WA The WA Government is moving ahead on regulatory reforms in the building sector. Towards the end of 2019 the Government concluded consultation on its proposed reforms to the building approval process for single residential buildings. Following that, proposed reforms to the building approval process for commercial buildings were released for consultation (closing early April, available here). Consult Australia is working with the WA arms of numerous associations including the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors and Architects Institute of Australia to formulate a response to the reforms.

We are also aware of an upcoming consultation by Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) on a proposal to register engineers in WA. Members may be aware of Consult Australia’s advocacy for mutual registration in jurisdictions where registration is proposed (such as Victoria). That is, one fee one registration that covers an engineer throughout Australia. We have discussed the impacts of state-based registration with DMIRS at various meetings including one attended by Consult Australia CEO Nicola Grayson. We will continue our advocacy and will be asking members to help us put a financial estimate on the cost of registration in each state and territory. We have also published a Briefing Note on mutual registration, available on the members-only section of our website.

At the beginning of March, the Government tabled its response to the Public Accounts Committee’s Report on Government Procurement Knowing what good looks like – Challenges in managing major public sector contracts. The majority of the Committee’s recommendations are supported by the WA Government, at least in part. In respect of both the prohibition of contracting out of proportionate liability and the adoption of a ‘model client’ policy, the Government will be undertaking ‘further investigation’. Within the Department of Finance a Procurement Reform Group has been established and Consult Australia has secured a meeting with the officials tasked with the review in coming weeks.

While in WA, Nicola also attended, with members the regular WA Road Construction and Maintenance Industry Advisory Group (WARCMIAG) meeting with the Department of Main Roads. Issues discussed included; strategies to deal with COVID-19 and impacts on major projects, announcement of a new planning study for Eastlink WA and a future pavements workshop to be organised by the Department.

Another regular cross-industry group attended by Consult WA is the Urban Development Advisory Committee (UDAC). Many thanks for WA Committee Member Troy Boekeman for attending and presenting on behalf of Consult Australia.

FutureNet held a very successful first event for 2020, Future of Transport – Perth, The Innovations Changing our Transport Network. We also welcome new FutureNet Committee members.

In conclusion we’d like to acknowledge Steve Coghlan, who after four years as WA State Manager left Consult Australia in February. Our WA members note Steve’s commitment to the issues and his collaborative approach with other industry associations. As we look for a new State Manager, the rest of the Consult Australia team is here to assist WA members. For policy issues please contact Platinum Sponsors:

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QLD

Jillian Carney The Queensland Government has been proactive in its handling of COVID-19 impacts on the construction industry.

We have been invited to attend various all-industry workshops and updates including with Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. TMR is working with industry to modify contracts to include provisions to allow extensions of time and costs due to COVID-19 impacts. We have supported this reasonable approach that prioritises communication and mitigation where possible. In response to our policy brief, we met with TMR to discuss a framework for the response to, and recovery from COVID-19. The framework offers up ways in which Consult Australia members and TMR can work together to streamline existing processes and maintain open communication. We have given a fond farewell to Jillian Carney, who has left her position following a necessary restructure. This restructure of our organisation was undertaken to ensure that Consult Australia is set up for a successful and sustainable future. As part of this restructure the QLD State

Manager role has moved to a 0.6 FTE role and we look to introduce the new State Manager to you in due course.

We would like to welcome Tanya Sideris into the role of Vice-Chair for the QLD Committee. Tanya is the Director of Operations Defence & Regional Security ANZ for Jacobs. She has worked on numerous civil infrastructure projects, concentrating her engineering experience in the area of urban development. Tanya will support the Chair, Trevor Sullivan, SMEC and the rest of our wonderful committee to deliver their plan for 2020. They look forward to delivering successes through their advocacy work, collaboration with contractors through our ‘Building Bridges’ project with the QMCA, and a diverse pipeline of events and client networking.

Check out our webpage for all upcoming networking, events and training opportunities.

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What’s happening at Consult Australia

SA

Jan Irvine Consult Australia commends the SA Government's response to date regarding COVID-19 and continues engage with the relevant agencies regarding the ongoing delivery of building and infrastructure projects and COVID-19 safety measures.

We have written to the Premier and Treasurer of South Australia, and Ministers as well as Government Agency heads and will continue to advocate on behalf of our members, keeping all up to date via EDM’s as issues progress.

We have met with The Hon Stephan Knoll, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government and Minister for Planning to convey measures to ameliorate the impact of COVID-19 in the Building and Infrastructure sector. We strongly advocated for regular joint industry and government briefing sessions, maintaining the current pipeline of work, bringing maintenance and upfront design and advisory work forward and, should the Government deem it necessary to shutdown all bar essential services that we are designated an essential service.

We have also met with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) with the aim of keeping industry moving forward to provide employment to many and support the State’s economy. DPTI committed to working with industry to keep progressing the planning and design work. We were also advised that the Premier had set the challenge to all government agencies to pay all invoices within 7 days.

Proposed changes to South Australia's Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) In response to our direct advocacy, the SA Government has advised us that proposed changes to the state’s skilled migration arrangements will include our recommendation to include civil, transport and structural engineers, and civil draftspersons, as new target occupations. They will also adopt our recommendation to propose to the Australian Government concessions to the age threshold for these and related targeted occupations.

The South Australian Government has issued a response to the recommendations made from the South Australia Productivity Commission’s inquiry into Government procurement stage 2 final report. Of particular interest to our members is the SA Government supports repealing the State Procurement Act 2004 and replacing it with a new, streamlined framework In substitution of the State Procurement Act 2004 and the State Procurement Board, the government will establish an enhanced central procurement branch within the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF). One of the key functions of the DTF Procurement Branch will include: Engaging with industry, in conjunction with the Office of the Industry Advocate, to reduce the complexity and costs to business of tendering for government work and maximising the opportunity for local business participation.

To support improved outcomes from the use of standard contracts in construction procurement, the Commission recommends that: 3.6.1: DPTI finalise its position on standard contracts and clauses within nine months and communicate the details to stakeholders.

The SA Government supports this recommendation, recognises that the use of standard contracts and clauses for all procurement processes (including construction) simplifies the tendering process for business. The Implementation Plan for this recommendation is

The SA Government supports this recommendation, recognises that the use of standard contracts and clauses for all procurement processes (including construction) simplifies the tendering process for business. The Implementation Plan for this recommendation is that DPTI will finalise standard contracts and associated clauses to be used for all construction projects (including those undertaken by accredited agencies) within 12 months. that DPTI will finalise standard contracts and associated clauses to be used for all construction projects (including those undertaken by accredited agencies) within 12 months.

The challenge always raised by DPTI is for Industry to help provide a solution to the specific terms that would support appropriate risk allocation and a more balanced position on various issues, while providing value for money to the Government and the wider community.

Consult Australia is preparing a comments paper on DPTI’s current suite of contract terms and conditions for consideration and to provide assistance as the Department review is conducted.

Our events are continuing and will for the foreseeable future be delivered via video conferencing - as always, details of all our events can be found on our website and please feel free to contact sa@consultaustralia.com.au for any further information.

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NT

Jan Irvine We are pleased to announce Susan Danford of Pritchard Francis was elected NT Division Chair at the February committee meeting.

With a number of new faces around the table the group got to work on considering and confirming agreed priorities for 2020 which include:

• Ongoing advocacy for improved contract terms and conditions as industry continues to be concerned with many current conditions of contract, especially insurance and indemnity clauses.

• Tendering procedures within DIPL – putting the government principles into practice.

• Engagement with Power Water Corporation with regard to current contract terms.

Introducing Your NT Division Executive Committee 2020 Name Susan Danford (Chair) Paul Turyn (Deputy Chair) Anthony Bale Dan O’Shaughnessy Clint Tevlin David Sidie/ Craig Sanders Jaswant Deo Christine Bruno Stephen Flux Raza Mailk

Firm Name Pritchard Francis SLR Consulting AECOM GHD Aurecon Jacobs RP Project Management Tonkin Consulting NT Geotechnics MLEI Consulting Engineers

As our work progresses throughout the year we will inform members through our NT Updates. If you would like to join the emailing list to receive this information please contact jan@consultaustralia.com.au Gold Sponsors:

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Consulting Matters What’s happening at Consult Australia

ACT

Caitlin Buttress The last quarter has seen the ACT Division busy with events, consultation and advocacy, particularly with the ongoing development of the ACT Government’s engineering registration scheme.

The Planning and Construction Industry Chief Executive’s Reference Group (PACICERG) was held on 3 December 2019 hosted by the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) and attended by various government and industry stakeholders. Consult Australia had the opportunity to report on industry news, thanked the Chief Projects Officer for the opportunity to contribute to the letter to the Prime Minister regarding additional Commonwealth infrastructure funding, updated the group on the Christmas tendering campaign and thanked those that responded positively to it in the ACT. The group was informed that the ACT Government is considering the regulation of engineers in two contexts. The first is in relation to buildings and the building regulatory system specifically, which is part of the ACT Government’s Improving the ACT Building Regulatory System reforms. The second is the provision of broader engineering services.

The below was given as an indicative timeframe for progressing the initiative, comprising: • development of a jurisdictional analysis and an understanding of the ACT context in quarter one 2020; • a workshop with professional bodies in quarter two 2020; • discussion paper to inform options and broader engagement quarter two 2020; and • recommendations to Government during the second half of 2020.

EPSDD will share further details about consultation and engagement in relation to engineering registration early this year.

The ACT Government received a response from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to a letter sent in November 2019 requesting additional Commonwealth infrastructure funding, which was endorsed by Consult Australia and other industry associations. The Prime Minister acknowledged the letter and offered to bring $30 million in funding for the Monaro Highway Upgrade forward, but did not offer any further funds as part of the broader initiative.

The Victorian Minister for Finance and the Treasury contacted State and Territory governments earlier this year, urging them to support a proposal for a single national register for engineering registration.

In response to this, the ACT Division contacted ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay to urge the ACT Government to support this proposal. The ACT Government is currently developing an engineering registration scheme which, they have said, is likely to be modelled on the Victorian scheme.

It is unlikely that the scheme will be implemented in the ACT before 2021, so Consult Australia is continuing to advocate for mutual registration and supporting the proposal of a single register administered in Victoria during its development.

The ACT Manager met with the ACT Education Directorate’s Director of the Academy of Future Skills in February to discuss how Consult Australia and the ACT Government could collaborate to deliver additional STEM education and skills to students in Canberra. The organisations have agreed to co-host a careers day for a select number of upper primary and early high school-aged

students from around the ACT to inspire interest in problem-solving careers. Members of Consult Australia will address the students giving examples of interesting work they have conducted during their careers, and then will run activities with the children drawn from the examples given. More details on this event will be released in the coming months.

The ACT Manager and various Consult Australia members in the ACT were invited to attend the ACT Chief Engineer’s inaugural Innovation Forum in February which focused on the advantages and complexities digital engineering. Government and industry were both represented in the line-up of presenters as well as the audience, and the discussion gave great insights into how the digitisation of the industry may progress in Australia, and more locally in Canberra.

A draft of the Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2020 was introduced to the ACT Legislative Assembly on 20 February. After reviewing the drafting, Consult Australia wrote to the office of Suzanne Orr MLA, Minister for Government Services and Procurement to outline some concerns with the Bill, including some unintended consequences flowing from the broad drafting, and some recommendations to clarify and rectify the issues. We are still awaiting a response from the Minister’s office addressing our concerns.

ACT Chief Engineer Adrian Piani is currently developing an ACT Engineering Workforce Plan and has sought consultation and feedback from Consult Australia on the initial plans. We look forward to continuing to engage with the Chief Engineer during this process and would like to commend his work to date in the role.

Since late March and at the request of the Chief Minister, the ACT Manager has been meeting with representatives from the ACT Government and industry counterparts via video-conference on a daily basis as part of an ACT Infrastructure Sector group to address ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group is led by Chief Projects Officer from Major Projects Canberra, Duncan Edghill, and attended regularly by other relevant agencies such as the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD), Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS), Suburban Land Agency (SLA), Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD), Worksafe ACT, the Community Services Directorate (CSD), as well as utilities provides Icon Water. Topics of discussion have included; worksite health and safety, border closures, economic stimulus, market capacity, learnings from other jurisdictions (including NZ), material and PPE availability, infrastructure pipeline and types of projects to be advanced, planning approval, definition of ‘essential services’, and contract management.

Upcoming events in the ACT 7 April – Boardroom Lunch with ACT Leader of the Opposition, Alistair Coe MLA 21 May – FutureNet’s Future State of the Territory 2020: The Climate Emergency with Chief Minister Andrew Barr and ESA Commissioner Georgeina Whelan To book your tickets and see details of the upcoming events, please visit our webpage or contact the ACT Manager.

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NSW

Linda Gaunt Policy We are still working hard to ensure the Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2019 is an appropriate and proportionate legislative response to issues in the building sector. The Bill has yet to be accepted and we are meeting and contacting relevant stakeholders to drive changes in line with the issues raised by our members. Our concerns include when declarations are made and duty of care.

Regarding when declarations are made, we have been advised by government that our concerns will be addressed in the regulations.

On behalf of our members we have advised that we need to see the drafting of the Bill and how it flags the regulations to be convinced it will work.

In respect to the duty of care, we remain concerned about the insurance impacts of the statutory duty of care and our NSW members support our continued advocacy on this. We have spoken with a legal expert in the field of torts and construction law who agrees with our approach that the statutory duty should not repeat the indeterminacy that is prevalent in the common law. Therefore, we will continue to advocate for a statutory duty of care that is certain and addresses the discrete policy problem of giving owners of buildings an avenue to recover economic loss resulting from the failure of practitioners to do their work to the appropriate professional standard. Our preferred option would be to work with government to resolve this and we have suggested to government having a joint telephone call with one of our legal experts to understand the issues relevant to the duty of care.

In follow up to our Government briefing paper on how our membership can assist clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, we met with Simon Draper the CEO of Infrastructure NSW to discuss the impacts of COVID-19. Infrastructure NSW is coordinating with delivery agencies and communicating regularly with us providing assurance of the Government's ongoing commitment to a strong pipeline of infrastructure projects for our industry. This meeting involved CEO’s and Consult Australia Board members. Simon has agreed to another meeting in the next three weeks once we see further impacts of COVID-19.

Seat at the Table Boardroom Luncheons Due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 all NSW Boardroom Luncheons will be held via videoconference. To date the luncheon with Romilly Madew, CEO of Infrastructure Australia and with Rebecca Wark, CEO of Health Infrastructure NSW and with Anthony Manning, CEO of School Infrastructure, have been held via videoconference and they have been rich in content and very well evaluated by those in attendance.

We are currently on-boarding future speakers and always open to member ideas. Until further notice Boardroom Luncheons have been changed to Exclusive Boardroom Discussions and will be held via videoconference. By supplying a Boardroom Discussion series with strong and relevant topics and speakers we are aiming to provide our members with the most up-do-date knowledge regarding the pipeline of works in NSW. FutureNet Sydney and Newcastle FutureNet Sydney has many talented young individuals as members and we consider them the future of our industry. The committee

changes frequently due to job changes, promotions and workload, however it remains resilient. Once again, the committee have planned a well-thought-out series of professional development and networking events for 2020. These include the recently held and sold-out Heritage Walk as well as events covering innovation, pitching, the government architect and much more.

FutureNet Newcastle is going from strength with a well-organized committee who are seamlessly working on a plan of events for 2020. They kicked off the year with a Paint and Sip event which was well attended and provided a fabulous opportunity for young professionals in the Newcastle area to network.

Until further notice all FutureNet events will be held via videoconference.

Celebrating International Woman’s Day

#Each for Equal was the theme for International Woman’s Day 2020. One hundred and sixty NSW members and guests gathered to celebrate over breakfast. Kate Manuri a retired Chief Commander and Helicopter Pilot from the Royal Australian Navy gave an interesting presentation which resonated with many in the room.

Consult Australia Future Leaders Program The 2020 Future Leader Program kicked off in early March with 23 young professionals eager to grow their careers through advancing their leadership skills. The cohort will meet on a fortnightly basis and work through a number of topics including Managing Conflict; Negotiation Skills; Leadership Skills; Finance and Administration; Strategic Networking; Marketing and much more. During the program the cohort will be split into groups and they will be provided with a project to work on from design to delivery. Mentors will be provided to each group, judges allocated, and this is when the course learnings begin to be put into practice.

The 2020 Future Leader Program will continue during the COVID-19 period. Participants have been experiencing on-line learning and feedback to date has been positive.

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Consulting Matters Features

Advocacy activities in response to Black Summer It has been a devastating bushfire season over the last few months with the effects of Black Summer stretching across most parts of the country.

These recent events have highlighted that bushfire risks in Australia will likely continue to increase into the future. Harsher weather conditions such as droughts and the broader impacts of climate change are naturally creating an environment that is increasing the prevalence, spread and impact of bushfire events across the country.

Increased risks do require us to consider and reflect on how Australia prepares and responds to future bushfire events, and this naturally links to a number of considerations relating to the built environment. For example, we saw these picked up in Infrastructure Australia’s 2019 audit where climate change challenge over the next 15 years will likely result in increasingly frequent and severe weather events that will damage infrastructure assets. Infrastructure Australia also noted that without a more resilient infrastructure network, functionality could be limited, and the costs of upgrades could be substantial.1 These issues are why Consult Australia is supportive of the Australian Government’s recent announcement of a Royal Commission into national natural disaster arrangements – often referred to as the ‘Bushfires Royal Commission’. This inquiry, announced on 20 February 2020, will examine Australia’s coordination, preparedness for, response to and recovery from disasters, as well as improving Australia’s resilience and adapting to changing climate conditions and mitigating the impact of natural disasters.

Consult Australia believes the Royal Commission and the broader topic about how we respond to increasing bushfire risks

touches on the full breadth of our current four policy priorities (our ‘4 Ps’). These four policy priorities are our people and our workforce’s skills; the pipeline and future built environment projects; procurement practices in our industry; and the practice of our industry. For example:

• Does Australia require new standards that reflect future bushfire risks? Does this impact current standards relating to the National Construction Code and our development planning approach?

• Do increased bushfire risks create new skill demands on our industry as governments seek external assistance to prepare for and respond to future events?

Over the coming weeks, Consult Australia will be preparing a submission for the Royal Commission’s public consultation stage which concludes on Friday 3 April 2020.

• Does a renewed focus on ‘resilience’ to natural disasters require a change to our infrastructure priorities and the future pipeline of projects?

We also believe it is timely to increase our policy and advocacy activities on environmental sustainability and climate change, particularly on how these topics relate to our ‘4 Ps’. As such, we will shortly be releasing a policy statement on environmental sustainability and climate change and will be seeking to establish a working group focused to help promote responses to these issues from an infrastructure perspective. If you are a member firm and interested in helping support this work, please get in touch with us at james@consultaustralia.com.au.

• How can we ensure best practice procurement practices are enabling a rapid response to bushfire events rather than

Consult Australia believes the Royal Commission and the broader topic about how we respond to increasing bushfire risks touches on the full breadth of our current four policy priorities (our ‘4 Ps’). These four policy priorities are our people and our workforce’s skills; the pipeline and future built environment projects; procurement practices in our industry; and the practice of our industry.

creating roadblocks to a response?

James Robertson Consult Australia 1

Infrastructure Australia, 2019 Infrastructure Audit

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A new decade of major change and opportunity ONE WAY TO STRATEGICALLY PLAN FOR THE DECADE THAT HAS JUST STARTED IS TO REFLECT ON PAST DECADES AND NOTE THE ‘MEGA-TREND’ FORCES THAT WILL BE ACTING ON US THIS DECADE.

Professional service providers such as consulting engineers and architects are at the heart of the development of our built environment and have been so for some time. Where are we headed and what capabilities, strategies and leadership will we require? What can and must we do?

When I first started running management courses in Melbourne for Consult Australia, (then ACEA, in 1986), the industry was of low profile and was not highly professionalised, as it is today. While technical (engineering design) capability was in place, service levels were often wanting, according to clients. Companies have certainly grown and professionalised, and much industry rationalisation and consolidation has occurred, including internationalisation. Many companies have been able to improve their ability to articulate their ‘value add’ to clients, and fees have reflected the extent of the change from where services were highly commoditised, to where smart, differentiated services are now more commonplace. This professionalisation has also included improvements in promoting workforce diversity, admittedly from a low base. Looking forward, these changes are likely to continue because company directors are pursuing ‘survival of the fittest’ principles and attempting to be competitive in their markets, including labour markets. Yet this decade requires more and new ‘strategic initiatives’ from our firms, large and small.

Six Megatrends towards 2030 will drive us, and require new strategies and capabilities going forward, as follows: 1. C ontinued development of infrastructure and growth This is one megatrend where it is possible to forecast quite a long way forward.

Public infrastructure will provide an ongoing stream of work this decade and well beyond, as will privately funded developments. An opportunity exists here, which is to move further up the value chain of services: looking back thirty years it was engineering design only, then an increasing range of project management and other services. Looking forward, we can increasingly use creativity, business acumen and analytics to contribute

Many companies have been able to improve their ability to articulate their ‘value add’ to clients, and fees have reflected the extent of the change from where services were highly commoditised, to where smart, differentiated services are now more commonplace. further to clients’ outcomes, partnering with clients to contain the technical work within business model and strategic innovations. We can innovate to add value.

Governments and investors will outsource higher level work to those who can solve problems.

2. New levels of digitalisation New technologies that are maturing fast such as blockchain and artificial intelligence are being harnessed to increasingly great effect this decade and engineers are particularly well placed to get advantage from them. What can we intelligently automate, so as to save cost, increase productivity and improve service levels, while keeping our staff excited? This opportunity requires a technology strategy that connects well to the firm’s business strategy.

3. Urban growth and its challenges With further urbanisation and the congestion that comes with it, are a set of important problems that relate to points 1 and 2 above, and require innovation, ingenuity and political skills applied to the built environment. Can our sector plan and execute the future of how we can most effectively live, work and recreate?

4. P roblems in rural and regional Australia The recent bushfires and floods signal that there is opportunity to redo how people build and live outside our main cities.

A new opportunity comes from much needed ‘future-proofing’ of our country.

Expertise in water, energy, transport, building design, fire, agriculture and other areas will need to be integrated.

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Consulting Matters Features

Our firms have much to contribute in our own operating activities, but in this sector we can lead debates and broad responses to these challenges by bringing science and technology together with economic and social sciences to bear on designing and implementing sustainable futures.

5. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) advances Climate changes are finally being accepted by almost everyone as a key challenge requiring change and involving social outcomes too. Our firms have much to contribute in our own operating activities, but in this sector we can lead debates and broad responses to these challenges by bringing science and technology together with economic and social sciences to bear on designing and implementing sustainable futures. We have collective expertise in transport, energy, building, utilities, and all other aspects of the built environment to bring to these challenges.

6. Global opportunities continue Solutions to challenges and strategies that work in Australia are likely to create key knowledge for adaption to other countries, where many of us already have projects, and networks. Indonesia is a prime example of a large population with many challenges, waiting for expertise and solutions.

This decade is indeed going to be a big one for the human race, with many experts saying that problems such as climate need to be a key focus, well beyond the current

trajectory of initiatives. On all the areas outlined above, the engineering businesses and other professions such as architects can make a difference, predicated on one thing: we must become individually and collectively proactive. To finish on a somewhat controversial note, I propose that we have previously under-reacted to these challenges, undermanaged our responses, and even been occasionally opportunistic in finding revenue streams from them, whilst not addressing core issues.

This decade, led by major firms but involving all, the opportunity is to lead society and show government and developers what is possible, and necessary. At least, every firm should have a decade long strategy. I have studied very many firms deeply, and advised a good few, from banking to mining, engineering and manufacturing, and the key differentiators were the quality of ‘strategic leadership’, meaning the quality of visionary leadership, and effectiveness of the strategic path and decisions that they implement, over a decade.

Professor Danny Samson University of Melbourne Professor Danny Samson conducts Consult Australia’s ‘Service Excellence and Innovation’ education program in Melbourne every November.

Comments/questions to d.samson@unimelb.edu.au

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De-risking through digitisation There is a myriad of ways that we can envision our digital future, including flying cars and autonomous robots. But in reality, the most important technologies will be data technologies that let us realise efficiencies and hopefully allow us to de-risk projects.

When a risk turns into reality it can disrupt and derail a project. Therefore, it is vital to identify and manage risks. Risks can be financial, contractual, operational and environmental and can be caused by both internal and external sources. Each project is unique and comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities making risk identification a sometimes-tricky process.

There is accordingly real value in exploring how digitisation could alleviate some of the pain in risk identification and assessment.

As Aurecon’s Chief Digital Officer Dr Andrew Maher has pointed out, the consultant sector (architecture, engineering and construction) has not yet experienced significant digital disruption – partly due to the physical nature of the sector’s products.1 This is changing fast with parties realising the potential of technology to accelerate projects, reduce costs, and improve safety.

The most recognisable digital tool for consultants is Building Information Modelling (BIM) which provides valuable input into construction practices. While the UK and the USA lead the way in implementing BIM, Australia is catching up. Although, here there is only limited mandated use of BIM. For example, the NSW Government has mandated use of BIM for the Sydney Metro Northwest – a $8.3 billion project.2 While large projects are increasing the use of BIM, there is still a barrier for smaller projects.

Not only do smaller businesses need to develop an understanding of BIM, we need contracting models that can be appropriately incorporated into it.

Government’s too realise the potential of digital. Victoria just released its Digital Asset Strategy, which it hopes the use of digital engineering will ‘develop and maintain cost-effective, innovative and value-adding assets for all Victorians for decades to come’.

The Victorian government says that the strategy is a step change in the way Victorian Government departments and agencies plan, deliver, operate and maintain the assets they manage on behalf of the people of Victoria.3 The NSW Government’s Spatial Digital Twin was recently launched which can record past conditions and visualise future scenarios for the state’s physical environment. It already includes approximately 20,000km of roads, 7000 strata plans and 546,206 buildings.4

Digitisation of records is a key pillar of the NSW building reform agenda. This is a major advancement and de-risking measure as it gives all future owners and occupiers the full picture of the building’s design and construction.

We can see the further evolution of digital technologies driving de-risking with ‘nPlan’ in the UK. It uses machine learning to predict project risks, including time delays.

While a human project manager might only have a relatively small number of major infrastructure projects under their belt to draw on to consider risks, the nPlan system can digest hundreds of millions of data sets including data from past projects: • by the same consultant team; • by the same constructor team; • in the same location as the current project; and • from other jurisdictions, including overseas, that are similar in scope, size or complexity – the Canberra light rail might be the first light rail project in Canberra, but it isn’t in Australia or worldwide.

The system is able to detect and understand patterns in performance and scheduling to generate predictions ‘ensuring superhuman accuracy’.5 This will allow the parties to properly engage in risk allocation by focusing on the issues most likely to arise.

While this an exciting use of technology and machine learning, it does require one important asset – data. It is not news to anyone working on major projects that we have not yet grappled with undertaking regular project reviews. Infrastructure Australia’s 2019 Audit points to this as a real challenge; ‘…the lack of consistent review processes means taxpayers cannot be sure that this funding is efficient and delivers value for money.’6 But that’s not all – without post completion evaluations we don’t have the data needed by digital solutions such as nPlan to assist us to de-risk.

Data is crucial in our digital future. We already see how data capture and manipulation is essential to develop accurate and effective virtual models that can test the performance of a design. Therefore, we must start now by prioritising consistent reliable data and information. It should be managed as an asset and maintained throughout project delivery and asset operations and maintenance.7 Then we need to unlock the power and function of the data because simply having the data and digitising assets wont in itself de-risk projects. The ability of tools to use the information to inform our decisions is key. We need digitally savvy consultants who understand and work with data.8 The opportunity to capture value through gains in productivity and de-risk are enormous, and all parties should consider where and how they can capture a slice of that value.9 Kristy Eulenstein Consult Australia 1 https://www.aurecongroup.com/about/latestnews/2020/march/aurecon-digital-horizon-report 2 https://morrisseylaw.com.au/future-of-bim-inaustralia/ 3 http://www.opv.vic.gov.au/Victorian-Chief-Engineer/ Victorian-Digital-Asset-Strategy 4 https://www.cio.com/article/3528710/nsw-governments-spatial-digital-twin-goes-live.html 5 https://www.nplan.io/ 6 https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-08/Australian%20Infrastructure%20 Audit%202019.pdf 7 https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/digital-engineering 8 https://www.aurecongroup.com/expertise/digital-engineering-and-advisory/defining-digital-engineering 9 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/ capital-projects-and-infrastructure/our-insights/ breaking-the-mold-the-construction-players-of-thefuture?cid=other-soc-lkn-mcp-mcp-oth-2003

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Gravitating towards Anti Gravity PERHAPS IT IS A LAW OF ATTRACTION, BUT WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR THE NEXT WAY TO DEFY GRAVITY. IT’S AS IF OUR WHOLE BEING CRAVES THAT SENSE OF FREEDOM WE FEEL WHEN WE ARE NOT WEIGHED DOWN. LAZILY SUSPENDED IN THE DEAD SEA, SOARING IN SPACE, FLYING IN PLANES – AND THEN ALSO JUMPING OUT OF THEM. SWINGS, TRAMPOLINES, SCUBA DIVING – ALL IN SOME WAY GIVE US THAT SENSE OF WEIGHTLESSNESS AND THE LIBERATING FEELING THAT COMES WITH IT. EVEN ARCHIMEDES HAD HIS EUREKA MOMENT WHILE FLOATING IN A BATHTUB.

The Wright brothers are widely regarded as the pioneers of flight. But to be very technical, they are credited with the first ‘manned, powered, heavier-than-air and (to some degree) controlled’ flight. The Montgolfier brothers engineered the first hot air balloon flights in 1783, with a chemistry and physics teacher onboard as the first passenger (revenge by any chance?). The first powered flight was Henri Giffard’s steampowered airship in 1852.

Humankind has been defying gravity for thousands of years, experimenting not only in getting ourselves off the ground, but also the objects around us. As magnetic levitation (maglev) technology enables our trains to glide quickly, quietly and safely without wheels and engines, what other possibilities can our cities unlock if we combine engineering with ‘magic’ and make everything float? Could we escape the burden of heaviness if we suspend buildings or entire cities in thin air?

Humankind has been defying gravity for thousands of years, experimenting not only in getting ourselves off the ground, but also the objects around us. As magnetic levitation (maglev) technology enables our trains to glide quickly, quietly and safely without wheels and engines, what other possibilities can our cities unlock if we combine engineering with ‘magic’ and make everything float?

Rising to the challenge The building of superstructures is one massive gravity-defying exercise, with the most fascinating example probably being the Great Pyramid of Giza. Even in this technologically advanced era, we are still scratching our heads as to the unknown, ancient techniques used in producing the jaw-dropping monument that still stands after nearly 4600 years.

Generation after generation has tried to figure out how it was made and one of the many theories suggests that it was acoustic levitation that made it happen. While there was no direct evidence pointing to this, the pyramids’ extraordinary acoustic elements indicate that the Egyptians knew a great deal about sound and “how it could be used to produce powerful effects – possibly including levitation.”

Then there’s the mysterious construction of Coral Castle. It has been compared to the pyramids and Stonehenge, but it had only one builder – a 45 kilogram, 1.5 metres-tall Latvian man who set out to prove to the world, and the woman who left him at the altar, that he could do something great.

Edward Leedskalnin single-handedly moved 30-ton blocks, simply explaining that he

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The Japanese are already using the idea of floating buildings by using air to lift buildings in seismic events. By levitating buildings a couple of centimetres above the ground, loss of life will be prevented, together with helping solve the problems of mass evacuation and the emotional and economic toll of rebuilding a shattered habitat. used elementary leverage and gravity in the way the Egyptians used to construct the pyramids. He also hinted at magnetism and electricity.

Safe and afloat Fast forwarding to the twenty first century, technology firm Arx Pax is developing Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA), a technology that is based on Lenz’s Law to control electromagnetic energy to make objects hover. While they used this technology to produce the Hendo Hoverboard, their real ambition is to levitate buildings to produce sustainable structures that can survive earthquakes and other natural disasters.

“As an architect, I have an obligation to protect people and property from natural disasters,” says co-founder Greg Henderson. “We’ve had people reaching out to us from the transportation industry, from entertainment, from recreation, from education, from seismic isolation. It’s difficult to comprehend how the rules change when you no longer have to touch the ground.”

The Japanese are already using the idea of floating buildings by using air to lift buildings in seismic events. By levitating buildings a couple of centimetres above the ground, loss of life will be prevented, together with helping solve the problems of mass evacuation and the emotional and economic

toll of rebuilding a shattered habitat.

While a maglev building would remain intact in an earthquake, it would still need to be restrained so that it simply doesn’t ‘float away’ into the ether. In order to keep the building from ‘floating away’, discrete exoskeletal facade bracing could be utilised to restrain the building. With the uprising of Mass Engineered Timber (MET), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) could be used with magnetic strips glued in between its panels, and with a big magnet buried in the ground underneath, you’re set to take off with the flick of a switch.

However, the biggest constraint currently is the amount of energy maglev buildings will require. But in a world of fusion, fission and perfect conductors, who knows?

Head in the clouds With the freedom from gravity comes the freedom of form. Just imagine if we don’t have to encumber design with columns, and when we are no longer restrained by the general rules of physics and engineering… we could draw anything and make it happen.

The architectural innovation in building design would be limitless. Real estate would be thrilled with completely unobstructed views.

Such designs would need maglev elevators, which ThyssenKrupp in Germany is already

implementing in a trial building. These elevators are free to travel horizontally and vertically, eradicating any height or design limitations inside a building with wonderful curves.

Spurned love. A royal commission.

Preservation of life. Whatever our motive for the next groundbreaking (or ground-repelling) structure, maglev technology might just be what we need. University professors have already bought into the idea and have entered into partnerships to investigate the possibilities.

It is said that the Britannia Bridge engineer, Robert Stephenson, received some flak from his fellow engineers who told him he raised all kinds of difficulties with the project.

“Yes,” he replied, “I raise them so that I may solve them.” So, next time you sit around a table with your colleagues, struggling to find a solution to a client’s impossible brief and total disregard for Newton, try freefalling headlong into a sea of possibilities and sweep them right off their feet.

Pratik Shrestha Aurecon Aurecon’s award-winning blog, Just Imagine provides a glimpse into the future for curious readers, exploring ideas that are probable, possible and for the imagination. This post originally appeared on Aurecon’s Just Imagine blog. Get access to the latest blog posts as soon as they are published by subscribing to the blog.

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Hybrid skill demands: are we looking for ‘unicorns’ or focusing on our overall skills profile?

The built and natural environment, and the delivery of new projects, is transforming through new technologies, practices and other innovations. This change is naturally impacting our sector’s future workforce demands, particularly on the types of skills needed in our firms. We are already seeing the use of automated intelligence, advanced analytics technologies, augmented reality, the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) and other smart technologies improve how infrastructure is designed, increase the efficiency of construction methods, and increase the performance and user experience of assets.

The rise of many increasingly complex and interrelated global challenges (such as climate change, population growth and congestion, and housing affordability pressures) is also arguably pushing our sector into new areas and skill requirements. For example, the complex nature of these challenges will likely stretch the problem-solving skills of engineers and their interrelatedness will likely increase demand for technical skills earlier in the decision-making process in a way that will transcend traditional fields of expertise.1 These industry changes (from both known and unknown future workforce demands) will lead to a significant transformation in our industry which will impact how firms recruit, train and develop their talent. Furthermore, our industry will need to be in a position where we can advocate for an education system that is responding to these industry changes, and is appropriately developing a high-quality pipeline of future talent and skills.

A hypothesis – a move towards hybrid skill demands While we currently lack clarity on our sector’s exact future skill requirements, it is clear we are starting to see a trend towards hybrid skill demands to complement, improve and efficiently deliver the range of services provided by our industry. For example, new technology skills and creating and critical thinking can help improve how we deliver engineering solutions. This trend is suggesting that many roles in our sector will require a breadth of skills that sit outside traditional requirements, and many of which that are not traditionally complementary or aligned with other skills.2

While we currently lack clarity on our sector’s exact future skill requirements, it is clear we are starting to see a trend towards hybrid skill demands to complement, improve and efficiently deliver the range of services provided by our industry.

Some of the hybrid skills and characteristics required to support the delivery of our industry’s services include: • Strong technology skills – more than 50 per cent of jobs across the economy will require significant digital skills in the years to come, and more than half of Australian workers will need to be able to configure or build digital system.3 Our technical workforce will need to play a key role to help enable the uptake and benefits of technological changes and help address uncertainties; • Being able to work nimbly across technical disciplines and blend theory and practice with technical and professional skills;

•C omplex problem-solving skills being tested further by new technology-enabled solutions, assessing their risks and benefits on cities, people, and the environment, and addressing problems arising from the integration of technology into the existing built environment; •M ore intuitive critical and creative thinking skills where professional may be required to solve a problem that they have not seen before or through a different approach – ‘thinking outside the box before you know what is in the box’; •S trong people management skills to oversee the development and delivery of engineering designs and solutions that have been enabled through new technology.

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This will likely increase the importance of coordination and leadership, conflict resolution and decision-making skills;4 and • A desire to continue learning to incorporate further changes and technology advancements in engineering activities, and to broaden and develop new skills.

How do we meet changing skill demands?

In late 2019, Consult Australia’s Victorian Committee hosted a discussion on our skill demands and how we meet current challenges as part of its quarterly workshops on the big issues facing our industry.

One idea raised in this discussion is that our industry is running the risk of looking for individuals with the full range of emerging skillsets required – something that could be described as a ‘unicorn’ given the challenges of finding someone, particularly at the graduate level, with an extensive combination of technical and non-technical skills across a range of traditional fields. It was instead highlighted that firms in our industry should be looking at their overall skills profile, and building teams that bring together the extensive range of skills to support the delivery of services.

It was also suggested that our industry could benefit by looking at different areas to complement the talent pool of traditional skills or typical education pathways. The view from the group was that we also need to consider any skills that we are willing to forego if we are wanting to complement our service offerings with new skill types. This sometimes requires a higher risk appetite to try different skillsets and look at technology opportunities to cover other aspects of a role – a significant challenge when trying to balance immediate client demands with a forward-thinking approach to service delivery in the future.

The last key takeaway from this discussion was that we may be ‘barking up the wrong tree’ when thinking about how we prepare our industry with digital skills to improve service offerings. The group believed that it is worthwhile reflecting on what digital skill demands actually mean – are we building the calculator, knowing how to use the calculator, or analysing the results from the calculator and conveying the relevant stakeholders?

It was suggested that our industry’s biggest value add will continue to be the outward facing capabilities that generate ideas, rather than cranking the handle.

It is worth noting that students coming out of universities today are already in a digital minded world – many of these skills are intuitive. This could suggest that the bigger skill challenge facing our industry is the soft skills needed to add value to the use of data and new technology such as automated intelligence.

James Robertson Consult Australia Consult Australia will be developing a research report in late 2020 on our industry’s emerging skill requirements. If you are interested in supporting the development of this work, please contact James Robertson at james@consultaustralia.com.au.

1

merican Society for Engineering Education, A The Engineer of the Future (2019)

2

Wall Street Journal, The ‘hybrid’ skills that tomorrow’s jobs will require (2019)

3

RMIT University, Engineering skills to take you into the future

4

ngineering.com, Four cornerstone skills engineers need for the future of work E (2018)

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Consulting 2030 The pace of technological change over the last decade is undeniable. We have seen the creation of a multitude of new professions that didn’t even exist in 2010, and the elimination and outsourcing of many others.

As we head towards 2030 it is inevitable that this phenomenon will continue, if not accelerate. There will certainly be two categories of consultants: those who embrace the changes and become even more successful, and those who hold on desperately to the ways that they know and ultimately become irrelevant. This is my prediction for consulting in 2030: Looking backwards to look forward History shows us a multitude of disruptions in the consulting industry and other industries that should serve as cautionary tales to consultants today. For example, prior to 1979 there was a thriving industry in creating “spreadsheets” – not the Excel type but huge, physical sheets that accounting clerks would manually fill in. When VisiCalc was first released there was an enormous backlash and predictions of doom from this industry. Today there are 400,000 less accounting clerks than in 1980, but also 600,000 more accountants. (Cassel, 2019), (Kestenbaum, 2015). The world is better off as a result of this - there are now more jobs that are better paying and more satisfying.

There are many, many more examples of this.

Another example outside of consulting is the rise and rise of Tesla. Its founding did not come out of the manufacturing industry, but rather it was founded by technology entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning and most famously the PayPal cofounder Elon Musk. Whereas the traditional car manufacturers were making incremental improvements on old technologies, Tesla took a new course with radical improvements in electric propulsion technologies (Gregersen, 2018). At the time of publishing this article, Tesla is the world’s second most valuable car manufacturer, behind only Toyota. If a technology company can disrupt an industry like car manufacturing so spectacularly, it is almost inevitable that this kind of disruption will come to the consulting industry. This disruption can come either from within our industry or it will come from outside.

Increased transparency The notable marketing professor Philip Kotler describes services as essentially intangible (cannot be experienced before they are purchased), inseparable (depend on the consumer and much as the producer) and

The most successful consultants in 2030 will be those who best use these tools.

They will either act as a local focal point to bring together the automated and outsourced components of the consulting engagement, or they will focus on a very specific, high value area and use the available communication tools to reach a much larger client population.

Shedding the old to make way for the new.

highly variable (results depend on the specific situation). Consulting is on the extreme for all of these services aspects. (Keller, 2016) This is compounded by the dynamic that even after receiving results it is often difficult to assess the value for money from a consultant.

Previously consumers would turn to reputable names in consulting for this confidence, which was a huge asset for large consulting firms. With the spread of information however, consumers are able to give and receive better feedback on the performance of consultants, meaning that firms can no longer hide behind a brand. Data analytics tools will become much better at separating the influence of consultants and their clients on outcomes.

This will be great for small firms or individuals who have a great depth of capability – less so for large and prestigious firms that rely primarily on their brand name and marketing activities to charge inflated rates.

Opportunities to create greater value Every day the tools for consultants to leverage their value are improving. Many lowvalue and repetitive tasks are being either automated or outsourced. There are even many tasks previously considered high value that are being disrupted – this trend is likely to accelerate, and few traditional professions are safe.

In 2030 some of the big names in consulting will either no longer exist or will be mere shadows of their former selves. The way that Kodak fell so spectacularly with the advent of digital photography, many consulting firms will be trapped by their success of today.

As we head towards 2030 it will be necessary to cannibalise existing business models to remain at the forefront of consulting practice. We must all be looking for ways to increase our utility to our clients with every possible tool available, not looking for ways to improve our profitability. As consultants, if we do not do it, the next Elon Musk of the world will.

James Baker ARS Imperatoria Cassel, D. (2019, June 2). How VisiCalc’s Spreadsheets Changed the World. Retrieved from The New Stack: https://thenewstack.io/how-visicalcs-spreadsheets-changed-the-world/ Gregersen, B. A. (2018, September 18). Tesla, Inc. Retrieved from Encyclopaedia Britannica: https://www. britannica.com/topic/Tesla-Motors Keller, K. a. (2016). A Framework for Marketing Management. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Kestenbaum, D. (2015, February 25). Episode 606: Spreadsheets! Retrieved from NPR Planet Money: Episode 606: Spreadsheets!

As we head towards 2030 it will be necessary to cannibalise existing business models to remain at the forefront of consulting practice. We must all be looking for ways to increase our utility to our clients with every possible tool available, not looking for ways to improve our profitability.

Feature Consulting Matters

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Future of Engineering 2030 WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR OUR INDUSTRY IN 2030? HOW WILL OUR WORK CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND WHERE WILL WE BE BY THE END OF THIS DECADE? IF YOU AREN’T THINKING ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS NOW, YOU ARE ALREADY BEHIND THE PACE. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE IDENTITY SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, AND WAYS YOUR FIRM CAN ADAPT AND BENEFIT FROM THEM INTO THE FUTURE.

Development of Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence (AI) is encroaching on our everyday lives—affecting what we do and how we do it. As these systems and technologies develop and become more reliable, they will be integrated into design processes with the power to solve complex problems and the ability to create limitless variations—replacing, enhancing, or replicating the work that was previously completed by the designer.

take over) a new culture will emerge in your firm. This generation will have a new way of doing things that is quicker, easier, more considered. They will, however, be more demanding and have higher expectations.

Conversely, clients will also have the same expectations—they want the project completed quicker, more effectively, more sustainably. They will demand that work is performed perfectly the first time, and they want to pay less for it.

Your firm must be prepared to embrace change and be flexible to new approaches to working. You need to be thinking ahead and be open to the possibilities of technology.

To do this, you will need to stay current with new and emerging technologies every year, including software, applications, languages and programs.

As a leader of your firm, you need to be thinking of ways to address this and get ahead of the fast-paced changes that are evolving. Perhaps focus on incremental changes, such as eliminating time-recording and replacing this with the achievement of agreed objectives. Hours worked is irrelevant to Gen Z’ers.

Artificial Intelligence will have the capability to think ahead and make more and more decisions that are currently performed by humans. Our machines will have the capacity to design, complete project planning, do the economics on projects, and assist in just about everything we do. Audio inputs will allow us to describe our concepts and designs verbally so that the system can then produce a myriad of physical documents and solutions. The role of the engineer will be profoundly impacted by technology over the next 10 years.

Ultimately, you must be willing to change your current business practices and embrace the new ways of working that an in-demand and changing talent pool will be seeking. In essence, they will be the leaders and drivers of change in the coming future.

The underlying methodology is that design is initiated and developed via sophisticated coding. Once the options are developed and tested the resultant solution can be codified, stored, repeated, and altered. The design process will not only make the design process far more comprehensive but also far more efficient.

Gen Z’s will be taking over As the next generation – “Generation Z” - becomes more influential (and begins to

Leadership transition will be extremely important Ownership transition will be different in the next decade and it is something that your firm will need to have a strong focus on into the future. Research has indicated that the retirement (transition) age in the industry continues to increase, and leaders have become less willing—or less able— to transition their businesses to the next generation, while the younger generation doesn’t necessarily see the value of buying into existing firms.

It is now time to rethink your approach to ownership transition. Your firm won’t continue to develop or progress without the involvement of new leaders. Begin involving “millennials” in key decisions for

Artificial Intelligence will have the capability to think ahead and make more and more decisions that are currently performed by humans.

your firm, let them brainstorm ideas and ways to move your business forward. Have a regular “millennial” meeting, where you discuss things that will drive your business forward and improve the current ways of working and strategies. Entrust millennials now - engage them in leadership decisions.

There is a great personal and financial reward in leadership succession. If you can change your thinking around leadership succession, you'll be ahead of many other Engineering practices. Start with transitioning your decision making, your client relationships, and your design decisions. Give your people exposure to business management and give them clear expectations and responsibilities.

The New Industrial Revolution Advanced technologies are changing the way things are designed and made. The changes are so profound that many people call it a new industrial revolution. Generative design, virtual reality, robots, interconnected systems of sensors, 3D printing or additive manufacturing, and biological synthesis will all play a part in the formation of the built environment of 2030.

What are your firm’s capabilities, how will your systems adapt, and how are you upskilling and broadening your capabilities in these areas? As a leader in your firm, you need to be cognisant of the value you provide to your clients. Your firm is not the work you do, it’s the solutions you provide—regardless of how they are achieved.

Where there is change there is opportunity.

Rather than these technologies replacing jobs, the scope of engineering’s influence will continue to grow. As such, engineering is poised to experience a renaissance—new applications and jobs will be popping up around every corner, especially in disrupted industries.

David Clark Management for Design

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Consulting Matters Feature

Insurance in 2030 ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES THAT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY FACES IN THE COMING DECADES WILL BE THAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE. HOW THE WORLD ADDRESSES THE CHALLENGE WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME - GOOD OR BAD. “We are in a climate crisis, and there’s a good, bad and ugly way out of it. The good way ends at no more than 1.5 degrees of warming and huge economic opportunities from green growth and development solutions. Our current commitments and policies put us on a bad path – well beyond 2 degrees of warming that will irreversibly alter physical systems and limit our ability to grow our economies and spread prosperity.”

(Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, former UN Deputy Secretary General).

In order for a risk to be insurable, the insurer must: • Be able to identify and quantify the frequency or severity of potential risks and the resulting losses.

• Be satisfied that the risks are unintended and fortuitous • Be able to sustain potential losses • Be able to price the risk satisfactorily If climate change takes the bad path, losses linked directly or indirectly to climate-related risks are likely to keep increasing. The potential for natural disasters to overwhelm insurer capacity to absorb climate-related losses is very real. For example, a US insurer in 2018 was unable to pay out all claims due to the wildfires in California and was forced into liquidation.

Australia faces the possibility of insurance “red zones”. Increased frequency of severe fires and floods may result in more red zones where property insurance is unaffordable or no longer available. If red zones expand, this will have a flow on effect on property values, assessment of mortgage serviceability and the economic survival of the affected communities. This bad path could have

dramatic effects not only environmentally but socially. Sharanjit Paddam, Head of ESG risk at QBE Insurance Group, in an interview with Deloitte, said: “One of the difficulties of this [climate risk] problem is the interaction between environmental and social challenges. For example, if you have a house that is built on a flood plain, then insurance will become more and more expensive over time and living in the house will become less desirable. The house price will fall and consequentially people with less income or wealth would buy that house.

That means over time we may see socially vulnerable segments of the population living in environmentally vulnerable homes. Ultimately, this exacerbates both environmental and social vulnerability, which is a very undesirable outcome, and we have to start thinking about how we decouple these environmental and social outcomes so that our socially vulnerable people have safe houses.”

If insurers are to assist in ensuring the good path is achieved, they will need to reexamine the way risks are assessed. Insurers are already working with climate change scientists to utilise advanced analytics in assessing historical weather records, property data, and assumptions regarding future climate conditions to improve risk selection and pricing.

Global insurers are increasingly employing experts such as meteorologists, data scientists, engineers, agronomists and mathematicians. The future of insurance for many industries such as agriculture, energy, transport and construction may lie in parametric insurance. Parametric insurance is simple in concept. It relies on indices that are correlated to the insured’s actual losses (temperature,

rainfall, wind speed, yield, magnitude, etc.).

If the index reaches a predefined trigger, the insured receives an immediate pay-out of a predefined amount. AXA Climate has been at the forefront of this insurance which will become more prevalent in the future as insurers seek better ways to quantify risks and potential losses. Two examples of parametric insurance placed by AXA Climate are: 1. Bridge Construction in Australia Insured’s need – A pedestrian bridge construction site seeking a solution to protect itself against possible excess of wind that could cause construction delays.

AXA Climate solution – STRONG WIND Protection cover based on the number of critical days with a significant wind speed (over 15 meters per second), that compensates business interruption through a rapid payout.

Payout structure was $100,000 per critical day above the threshold of five critical days.

Maximum payout limit set at $1.5M. 2. Municipality in Columbia Insured’s need – A large municipality in Colombia is looking for an insurance coverage that could protect against an increase in reconstruction and emergency clean-up costs due to flooding to the city.

No such cover available from traditional insurance markets.

AXA Climate solution – EXCESS RAINFALL Protection is customized to the insured’s flooding exposure. Insured provides the area to be insured and AXA finds either satellite rainfall data or nearby weather stations with rainfall data to model the risk. If the rainfall surpasses a certain amount over 4 weeks, a payout is triggered. Payout structure was US$25,000 for every mm of rainfall above the threshold of 320mm. Maximum payout limit set at US$5M. In the next decade and beyond, the insurance industry will have an important part to play in facing the global challenge of climate change. While governments and industries will obviously be at the forefront of the battle, insurers will be relied upon to provide products that support communities and increase society’s resilience to climate change. This will ensure we manage the crisis to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Laurence Gottlieb Planned Cover

Business essentials Consulting Matters

23

Dear Colleagues,

FIDIC Key Decisions for 2020

Ten key decisions taken by the FIDIC board at its latest meeting in Geneva on 5-6 December 2019 Thank you for your continued support in FIDIC. I wanted to update you on some key

At the last FIDIC board meeting in December, 4. M ore board nominations from women It was noted that based on the year’s decisions taken by the FIDIC board since it last met in Geneva on8. 5-6 December 2019. We ten key decisions were agreed to for 2020. working in the industry will be encouraged. financial results, there will not be had a very productive meeting our board newly offices and the decisions They are: TheinFIDIC willrenovated encourage member any ten challenges for the decided projection of associations to identify appropriate diverse expenditure to continue with FIDIC plans on are listed below.

1. N ew FIDIC contract committee members candidates for 2020. in the near future (i.e. credentialing, more were appointed for the period 2019-2023. staff recruitment, etc).

These were Kiri Parr Husnicontract5.committee The DNS Advisory Councilwere will beappointed tasked 1. (Australia), New FIDIC members for the period 2019-2023.

Madi (Jordan) and Peter Collie (UK). to provide direct input for a strategic A new Collie FIDIC State of the World Report These were Kiri Parr (Australia), Husni Madi (Jordan) and9.Peter (UK). development of the FIDIC annual on Water will be prepared in 2020. The 2. From now on FIDIC documents translated conference and related activities (i.e. board will encourage the participation of into other languages will have two parts. awards). the FIDIC to develop the 2. From now on FIDIC documents translated into other languages will Future haveLeaders two parts.

An English original version and the report.

An English original version and the translated element in the same book to be translated element in the same book to be 6. F IDIC and EFCA (European Federation of supported with appropriate copyright. supported with appropriate copyright.

Engineering Consultancy Associations) 10. A FIDIC Ambassador programme will signed a collaboration agreement for the be developed to leverage the profile of 3. T erms of reference (ToRs) for FIDIC period 2020-2024. A copy of the recently FIDIC and the industry it represents. This 3. will Terms of reference (ToRs) for FIDIC working committees willinitiative be revamped with working committees be revamped completed regional survey report will be will be rolled out in March/April with reviewed strategic priorities. ToRs reviewed strategic priorities.

ToRs will be updated every two years and a budget will made available to all members.

2020. will be updated every be twoassigned years and a to facilitate some face-to-face meetings and production of publications. budget will be assigned to facilitate some 7. The FIDIC CEO will complete the Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE Invitations to member associations will be issued in January 2020 to nominate new face-to-face meetings and production registration and set-up of a FIDIC FIDIC candidates to committees. of publications. Invitations to member credentialing office in China in the coming associations were issued in January weeks. Full details of the new entity will be 2020 to nominate4.newMore candidates to provided to women members working and stakeholders. board nominations from in the industry will be encouraged. The committees.

FIDIC board will encourage member associations to identify appropriate diverse candidates for 2020.

5. The DNS Advisory Council will be tasked to provide direct input for a strategic development of the FIDIC annual conference and related activities (i.e. awards).

MANAGEMENT

6. FIDIC and EFCA (European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations) signed a collaboration agreement for the period 2020-2024. A copy of the recently FOR DESIGN completed regional survey report will be made available to all members.

7. The FIDIC CEO will complete the registration and set-up of a FIDIC credentialing office in China in the coming weeks. Full details of the new entity will be provided to members and stakeholders.

How will your work change throughout the next

The Future of Work

10 years and where will you be by the end of

8. It was noted that based on the year’s financial results, If there not bethinking any this decade? youwill aren’t about these challenges for the projection of expenditure to continue with FIDIC plans in the near questions now, you are already behind the pace. future (i.e. credentialing, more staff recruitment, etc).

Design 9. A new FIDIC State of the World ReportManagement on Water will befor prepared in can 2020.help The you boardto prepare will encourage the participation of the FIDIC Future Leaders to develop the report. for the future of work. Get in touch to free up

your time to focus on what you do best—building

10. A FIDIC Ambassador programme will be developed to leverage the profile of FIDIC your business and creating great design and the industry it represents. This initiative will be rolled out in March/April 2020.

m4d.com.au

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Consulting Matters

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26

Consulting Matters Business essentials

Work with Meaning APPLYING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TO THE HUMANITARIAN SECTOR

Oxfam SS WFP – Jacqui on the road in Upper Nile State, South Sudan, waiting for a world food program air drop of food for Sudanese refugees to be completed.

Jacqui Symonds began her career in environmental management, working for the state government in South Australia, before joining a humanitarian roster and applying her skills to water and sanitation projects abroad. She has contributed to health and development outcomes in Vanuatu, Liberia, South Sudan and Iraq, and has been involved in humanitarian responses in many other countries. She now uses her wealth of experience to train professionals curious about transferring their skills to humanitarian work. She shares with us her journey into the sector as well as some tips for anyone curious about humanitarian work.

Taking the first step into humanitarian aid Jacqui’s first role was a deployment to Liberia in West Africa where she worked in water, sanitation and hygiene with members of the local community.

ARC septic tank construction Simeulue – Jacqui at fibreglass septic tank construction site in Salang subdistrict of Simeulue Island, Aceh province, as part of the tsunami recovery program.

“During this deployment, we had engineers in our team who were installing infrastructure such as hand pumps and toilets, however a holistic approach on the issue also required professionals in health, and hygiene promotion. My role was to educate the community about the basics – hand washing,

family hygiene and how to minimise the spread of diseases.”

“Working in Liberia was an eye-opener that really kick-started my humanitarian career.

I felt really proud to be working in this environment and I wanted to continue to use my skills to help communities that had very little.”

Returning to Australia, Jacqui was offered another role, this time in Indonesia, helping communities with water and sanitation two years on from the 2004 Tsunami. Jacqui had taken a leave of absence from her day job to go to Liberia but in order to take the role in Indonesia, she needed to make a choice.

“In order to take this deployment, I had to choose whether to stay in my job or go - and I decided to go. I am really glad I did, as it opened up a whole new world for me,” said Jacqui.

The satisfaction of making a difference Jacqui acknowledges there are many challenges working in humanitarian aid, including witnessing people living in extremely difficult, disaster-affected contexts. However, she is motivated to

Consulting Matters

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Consulting Matters Corporate social responsibility

Jacqui’s five top tips for aspiring humanitarians 1. D evelop the skills that are required in the sector Do your research and equip yourself with additional skills that will make you indispensable to humanitarian aid organisations. Key areas include Disaster Risk Management, Gender and Disability Inclusion, and Environmental Engineering to name a few.

2. Don’t rule out your skills Humanitarian work is not just for engineers or doctors. If you work in HR, finance or a role requiring stakeholder coordination, your skills could be useful. The RedR Australia website has a comprehensive list of key skills currently in demand.

3. Focus on what drives you

Oxfam Gendrassa camp SS – Jacqui with colleague Stella in Gendrassa camp where they lived in UNHCR tents and worked providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene to Sudanese refugees

continue her work through the connections she makes with people and the difference she can make to their quality of life -- giving her a sense of purpose and satisfaction that drives her career.

“When you come home to running water, or step out the door and there is a tram or bus, you realise the privilege and freedom we have – it really makes you stop and reflect.”

“I find it is the little things that are more valuable and influential on my life than the big things. While you can spend a lot of your time on project management and getting things done, at the end of the day it’s about helping people. The interactions and experiences I have had with individual people have been the most rewarding and meaningful to me.

It’s this experience I draw on to help people understand what humanitarian work is all about, and something that RedR Australia imparts through our training,” said Jacqui.

A wide range of skills are in demand Jacqui stresses that an ever broadening range of skill sets are required to respond to ongoing complex emergencies.

“Don’t rule out your skills,” she says. “You may think the work you do in your day job has nothing to do with the humanitarian sector, but there are many cross-cutting issues.”

In Jacqui’s current role as Senior Humanitarian Trainer at RedR Australia, she uses her field expertise to deliver a suite of courses designed to prepare diverse professionals for work in the humanitarian field.

“The collective field experience of the trainers makes the RedR training extremely unique and of a really high quality.”

Among these courses is the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Emergencies (WASH) course, which has been designed for engineering and public health professionals, and the Essentials of Humanitarian Practice (EHP). EHP is for professionals from a range of backgrounds seeking to understand the foundations of humanitarian practice, or to test out whether the sector is right for them.

“The RedR training courses ensure people are fully equipped to deal with lots of different situations in the field, combining their existing technical expertise with crucial knowledge of the humanitarian sector,” explains Jacqui.

Humanitarian work is not just for engineers or doctors. If you work in HR, finance or a role requiring stakeholder coordination, your skills could be useful.

Think about what motivates you to do humanitarian work. Is there a particular cause you feel strongly about? In what areas do you think you could make a difference? The answers to these questions are your selling point.

4. Undertake training Participating in a training course such as the EHP course is a fantastic way to dip a toe into the sector and network with other professionals at all stages of their career journey. You can meet people who work full-time in the sector, as well as others who have found flexibility around family or other jobs by just committing to a few deployments.

5. Join the RedR Australia roster Some people are ready to sign up to the roster – and if that’s you, go for it. RedR Australia will provide you with the support to help you through the process while taking into consideration your personal circumstances. Once you are on the roster you get to see all the global opportunities that can really expand your horizons and take your career in a direction you would have never expected.

Lucy Piper RedR RedR Australia can answer any questions you have about training and joining the roster – feel free to send an email to communications@redr.org.au. You can also register now at redr.org.au for our 2020 courses.

Photo next page: Oxfam Global Handwashing Day SS – Jacqui talking with a Mongolian peacekeeper during Global Handwashing Day, organised in conjunction with Lakes State Departments of Water and Sanitation, Education and Health, WASH Cluster agencies, and local schools in Rumbek. The Mongolian Peacekeeping force provided logistical support for the event.

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Project case study Consulting Matters

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Take the first step in joining the humanitarian sector with RedR’s internationally recognised training courses.

RedR Australia’s Essentials of Humanitarian Practice course provides critical foundational knowledge for working within the modern humanitarian system, and responding to an international crisis that involves a global response.

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Consult Australia offers a number of intensive training programs to provide consultants with invaluable skills, knowledge and advice. This powerful training puts you in control and allows you to better protect your business.

For more information visit: http://bit.ly/caeducation

Contracts for Consultants

Safety in Design • Designer duties under current legislation

2020 dates: 30 Apr-1 May

Learn vital information about: • Contract formulation & terms

• Hazard identification tools

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• Best practice examples

Facilitated by Tony Horan - one of the most knowledgeable and experienced barristers working in the construction industry in Australia.

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2020 dates: 14-15 May 18-20 June

2020 dates: 13 May 17 June

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Member price: $3,446 (Online course $3,101 incl GST) Non-Member price: $4,368 (Online course $3,931 incl GST)

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Prices for in-house courses are very competitive and you can get more information here or by emailing education@consultaustralia.com.au.

Member price: $1,750 (Online course $1,575 incl GST) Non-Member price: $2,343 (Online course $2,108 incl GST)

Note only online courses are being currently offered.

These will be run via video conferencing

Mar 2020

Learn vital information about: