Clients most often appoint a project management consultant once a project is already in trouble. The value is far higher before that.
The most common time to appoint a PMC is the month after a project has visibly gone wrong — the programme has slipped, the cost has moved, and the client wants an independent view. We are glad to do that work, but it is the expensive way to buy it.
Before the tender
The highest-leverage moment is before the contractor is appointed. Scope definition, tender documentation and contract terms determine what can be enforced later. Once a weak contract is signed, no amount of supervision fully recovers it.
Before the design is frozen
A consultant reviewing the design for buildability and cost while changes are still cheap will usually save more than the fee. The same review after construction starts produces variations instead of savings.
The honest test
If a client cannot say with confidence what the project will cost at completion, when it will finish, and who is responsible for each of those answers, that is the point at which independent project management starts paying for itself.
