How we can help…
Network businesses
We can help network businesses successfully deliver a range of regulatory and strategic projects, including:
assistance preparing regulatory proposals and submissions
providing strategic regulatory and policy analysis and advice
assistance preparing high-quality asset management and business documentation
performing strategic analysis, modelling, research and advice on asset management and expenditure forecasting
assistance preparing project and program justifications and business cases
We can work directly with the regulatory or network group, and we often act as an interface between the groups on important strategic regulatory projects.
Preparing high quality and robust regulatory proposals and submissions
We have significant experience both assisting network businesses prepare regulatory proposals and assessing them on behalf of regulators. We typically focus on the expenditure elements of proposals (i.e. historical and forecast capital and operating expenditure) and other technical components of a proposal.
Importantly, our experience advising regulators gives us a detailed understanding of how a proposal could be considered by a regulator and therefore how best to present and support a proposal. As a result, we can provide a range of services to assist network businesses prepare high-quality and robust proposals, for example:
strategic project design, planning and management
“gap” reviews of business documentation to gauge how suitable it may be to support a proposal and recommend improvements
reviewing expenditure forecasting methodologies
stress testing forecasts - applying regulatory assessment techniques to gauge the suitability of a forecast and identify weak areas
independent forecasting and analysis e.g. applying the AER’s repex and augex models
independent expert reports
reviewing critical projects and programs, and their supporting documents
assistance in preparing proposal sections or special-purpose supporting documents
assistance in revising and improving business documents e.g. asset management plans and business cases
conducting internal workshops to raise the regulatory understanding of technical staff
reviewing and advising on regulatory decisions (eg to assist in developing a response strategy).
Strategic regulatory and policy analysis and advice
Regulatory rules, regulatory assessment techniques and other obligations and requirements on network businesses are often being reviewed and changed.
We can assist network business assess possible changes in order to develop or support their position.
The types of service we can provide, include:
advice on methods to assess changes, particularly with regard to predicting its effect on expenditure, network service levels, and risks
conducting industry surveys and research e.g. national and internal surveys and literature searches
providing independent expert reports
assistance in preparing internal documents or submissions to external parties
assistance in interacting with other stakeholders, including reviewing or responding to their submission or views.
Asset management and business documents
Communication within a business is critical to good decision-making and in turn an efficient business. It is also critical to effectively interact with stakeholders. An important element of this communication is high-quality asset management and business documentation. Documents need to serve their purpose effectively within the asset management and business frameworks, ensuring they communicate the appropriate information to the intended audience.
We have significant experience drafting documents to achieve a clear aim and communicate often complex technical matters in a readily digestible fashion. Critical factors in these assignments, including:
drafting technical documents for non-technical audience
ensuring the purpose and audience of the document are clear and catered for
ensuring key messages and themes are clear
ensuring there is a logical flow through the document
ensuring positions and recommendations are supported.
We can help businesses prepare a range of documents, from asset management strategies to business cases to board papers. Services we can provide, include:
reviewing existing documents and recommending changes
designing and structuring new documents
drafting documents
interacting and meeting with external stakeholders.
Strategic analysis, modelling and research
All businesses will be continually exploring changes to their practices in order to realise greater efficiencies and optimise risks.
Our regulatory focus mean we are well placed to assist a business assess important matters with proposed changes, such as its prudency and efficiency, effect on customer services, compliance with rules, and ability to achieving greater productivity.
The types of service we may provide, include:
advice on methods to assess changes, particularly with regard to predicting its effect on expenditure, network service levels, and risks
developing and applying business models
conducting industry surveys and research e.g. national and internal surveys and literature searches
assistance in preparing supporting internal and stakeholder documents.
Project and program review and justification
In a modern business, effective project and program justification documents (ie business cases) are critical to gaining project funding, and more broadly to improve the standing of the relevant business unit within the business.
The need for high-quality and robust business cases can be even more important if it could be reviewed by external parties. In these circumstances poor business cases can result in reputational issues, which can have damaging effects on other matters such as regulatory decisions. For example, in today’s environment it important to ensure that business cases have adequately considered non-network solutions and ensured that the effects on customer services are affectively analysed and communicated.
Our regulatory work provides us with significant experience reviewing and preparing business cases and supporting analysis. This in turn gives us a unique exposure to good and bad business cases.
We can help you prepare high-quality and robust business cases. The types of service we can provide, include:
review of existing business cases and analysis to assess strengths and weaknesses, and recommend changes
advice on methods to calculate costs, risks, benefits; the range of options considered; and methods to evaluate options
advice on the relevance to economic regulatory requirements
assistance in preparing and applying technical models, undertaking cost-benefit and financial analysis
assistance in preparing a business case and presenting findings.