Selection and Engagement of Professional Consulting Services: Decision-Making Processes used by Project Management Offices in South Australia

Authors

  • Anthony John Wood University of South Australia Australia
  • Callum Rodgers consultant and contractor
  • Tan Hai “Dang” Nguyen University of Adelaide

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19255/JMPM02808

Keywords:

Project Management Office, PMO, Decision-Making, Consulting Services

Abstract

This study investigates decision-making processes used by South Australian Project Management Offices to select and engage professional consulting services. A range of published literature was examined to determine the extent to which decision-making processes and inputs have been documented to date; the review found that while the literature discusses a variety of client-consultant interactions, it is typically viewed from a post-selection context, and provides little evidence-based examination of the decision-making factors that precede such engagements. Research into this topic was conducted by interviewing 8 project management professionals from different industry backgrounds and employment arrangements. The factors and relationships described were used to develop and promulgate a decision-making framework. Client organisations are anticipated to find this framework useful when establishing the most appropriate resourcing arrangements of their projects, or in making more generalised decisions around their use of consultant services. Consultants are also anticipated to find value from this framework as it will provide a useful reference-point of client engagement motivators and processes.

Author Biographies

  • Anthony John Wood, University of South Australia Australia

    Anthony Wood is a lecturer and researcher in project management at the University of South Australia. Anthony is particularly interested in the interface between the worlds of project management theory and practice, thus his academic interests are principally oriented to ways to bridge the gap between these two perspectives. Previously, Anthony has been a project and program manager with many years of experience in a wide range of sectors. He has consulted in statutory authority and local government organisations and has taught post-graduate classes in project management to many hundreds of university students locally, on-line, and overseas.

  • Callum Rodgers, consultant and contractor

    Callum Rodgers is a consultant working in Adelaide, Australia for an international consultancy. Callum has a background in construction and his career has spanned a range of roles in client, consultant and contractor organisations in Australia and the UK. His work has encompassed project management, transformational program management, commercial management, governance and reporting. Callum has an interest in understanding the drivers of project dynamics and evaluating the effect of team composition on project success.

  • Tan Hai “Dang” Nguyen, University of Adelaide

    Tan Hai “Dang” Nguyen is a Lecturer of Project Management at Adelaide Business School, University of Adelaide. Dang has more than 12 years’ experience working in both the construction industry and academia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Construction Economics and Project Management, and a master’s and a doctorate degree in Project Management. His professional competence has been recognised in the form of independently assessed, competency-based certifications, including PMP, Prince2, Praxis Framework and Certified Commercial and Contract Practitioner. His research interests include investigating external stakeholders’ behaviour and response strategies to stakeholder influence.

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Published

2022-05-20

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022): The Journal of Modern Project Management

Section

Articles-JMPM

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Copyright (c) 2022 Anthony John Wood, Callum Rodgers, Tan Hai “Dang” Nguyen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Selection and Engagement of Professional Consulting Services: Decision-Making Processes used by Project Management Offices in South Australia. (2022). The Journal of Modern Project Management, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.19255/JMPM02808

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