Why Projects Blow the Budget: Consultants Tell All
Welcome to a deep-dive conversation on the realities of consulting and project management. In this episode, Rene sits down with industry leaders —Tarrant Elkington (GM, Snowden Optiro Consultants), Andrew Hall (MD, AMC Consultants), and Mark Noppé (ex-CEO, XSTRACT Consultants & Chair of SRK) —to explore why so many projects run over budget and what consultants can do about it. We kick off with a candid look at “strategic misrepresentation” and the cognitive biases that affect both consultants and clients, and why even the best teams underestimate costs.
Hear candid stories, practical tips, and lessons learned on scoping, client communication, and the power of peer review. If you want to know what really happens behind the scenes in consulting, —and how to avoid common pitfalls, —this conversation is for you!.
Timestamps:
16:11 - Having discussions as early as possible
17:05 - Frustration with Procurement departments?
18:59 - It's about communication, stupid!
20:17 - Flyvbjerg's Anchoring approach to project scoping
22:02 - Are you aware of your own anchoring bias?
22:22 - Iteration!
24:46 - Hidden cost, take it on the chin!
29:47 - Fixed-price quotes?
41:26 - Building feedback loops and milestones
43:33 - The Power of Peer Reviews
46:50 - Risk management, governance, boards.
Measured is RSC’s podcast series, with RSC Managing Director and Principal Consultant René Sterk conversing with a range of industry personalities. Expect a range of talking points, many with a technical theme, but also some of our industry friends sharing anecdotes about their career in the mineral exploration and mining sector and thoughts on some of the issues the industry faces.

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