WE HAVE ACTED ON BILLIONS OF PPP PROJECTS

Our Consultancy team have always focused on building strong client relationships. In doing so, we’ve developed our service offering into the more peripheral areas of quantity surveying, helping clients achieve the best commercial outcome. Our technical advisory services are a prime example. They’ve been a significant source of repeat business for us, because clients know they’re in safe hands when it comes to cost control.

We successfully support clients through each phase of the major project development lifecycle. From developing the commercial foundations of a robust and bankable bid, through management of construction, operational commencement and even asset disposal, our highly experienced team helps clients achieve the best possible financial result.

Over the past 12 years, we’ve acted on billions of dollars’ worth of PPP projects. In the process, we’ve developed market-leading data, built a dynamic team and an acquired the ability to adapt in the often hugely challenging bid environment. We offer multifaceted advisory services including commercial bid support, government advisory, Lender’s Technical Advisor (LTA), independent reviewer and financier’s certifier.

Our range of technical advisory services includes:

Project structuring covers the feasibility, business case, financing, consultant selection and procurement approach for projects. Having played a critical role in the delivery of a vast array of projects throughout Australia across a broad range of sectors, our team has seen great examples of well-structured projects. However, in almost in equal measure, we have seen projects which could be improved. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work, so we’ve developed a project structuring service that ensures that a tailor-made fit is achieved.

Our approach focuses on:

  • Providing expert advice prior to commitment
  • Adopting the correct contractual structure
  • Balancing cost, risk and time
  • Undertaking analysis and providing challenge on all aspects of the development cost
  • Setting measured project objectives
  • Delivering end-to-end project advocacy.

Whilst our role may be short or long-term, it can have a long-lasting positive effect on the outcome of a project.

As a LTA, we provide an independent assessment of a project from a variety of technical viewpoints that helps the financing parties interpret risk. This facilitates investment decisions across senior debt, mezzanine debt and private equity investments. The role utilises specific commercial and risk skills through modelling and financial testing of each proposal.

Distinct from the obligations of the LTA, we are often asked for specific commercial support to help a consortium in its negotiation of a bid proposal between the Special Purpose Vehicle and the Design & Construct (D&C) / Facilities Management operator. Typically this entails providing an independent bid based on the design documentation developed by the D&C team. This is then used to facilitate a structured process of review, analysis, value management and negotiation.

We can provide regular review and certification of all matters associated with the drawdown of funds from debt, equity and other funding sources from financial close through to completion as well as regular cost-to-complete testing.

We provide independent reviews and technical opinions on a variety of matters arising throughout the design and construction process post-financial close. These include the discharge of obligations with project materials, and the provision of pre-emptive dispute resolution.

Read more about our experience as an Independent Certifier/Independent Reviewer.

Whether undertaken at origination, tender or construction phase, our forensic program analysis offering delivers greater assurance to projects and our clients.

We undertake a granular review of construction programmes utilising “industry-insider” software which lifts the lid on the quality and durability of a contractor’s strategy.

Through deployment of sophisticated analytical software, and the know how to interpret the results, we quickly identify key hotspots in the program as well as opportunities for greater efficiency. We then leverage extensive global programming benchmark data to generate meaningful comparisons to bring about change and proactively mitigate risk. This enhanced analysis is also leveraged to undertake detailed delay scenarios and contract dispute determinations.

Our review doesn’t just focus on durations but the quality of the programme and its constituent parts based on key industry metrics. Ultimately we take this extensive data and insight finally distilling it into meaningful jargon-free advice for our clients.

As is common place in the market, we recognise that many funding parties may seek to divest from the PPP soon after commencement of the operational phase. Familiarity and continuity in the technical review of the PPP investment provides an efficient assurance mechanism to new investors through provision of pre-investment diligence reporting.