Former Engineers Ireland president and RPS director PJ Rudden has founded Aengus Consulting to advise clients on improving construction project delivery.

The new firm will assist both public and private sectors "to build better into the future", said Rudden.

PJ Rudden, right, being presented with the 2016 Outstanding Achievement Award by Kevin Sheridan of the Irish branch of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

"Ireland is now challenged to deliver major infrastructure projects to meet the demands of future population growth, in terms of housing and associated support services," he said.

"The next generation of projects in Project 2040 will have to be smarter in terms of innovation, circular economy, climate proofing, digital planning design and construction. We have to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Lack of planning and collaboration

"Cost overruns often derive from low-budget estimation and tendering as a result of the lack of planning and collaboration between clients and contractors in terms of contract conditions.

"Better public communications are needed at all stages of the infrastructure cycle from planning through design, procurement and construction.

"Projects are experiencing programme delays by inadequate or late stakeholder consultations, some of which fail to connect in everyday language with the project audience. Many necessary projects completely fail in this respect.

"We now need to place both clients and stakeholders at the centre of projects so they can have a shared participation in project outcomes.

"We need to manage public expectations better with regard to the unavoidable temporary disruption which infrastructure provision can necessarily cause," said Rudden.

A chartered engineer who has led the delivery of many major national projects over the past 35 years. Rudden can be contacted via the website: www.aengusconsulting.com.