Process
SARO's engagement model follows the facility development lifecycle. Each phase builds on the last. Most clients engage for one or two phases; some require the full sequence. The scope is always calibrated to what the project and organisation actually need.
Discovery and Needs Analysis
Every engagement begins with a structured discovery process. I review existing documentation, conduct stakeholder interviews, and develop a clear picture of what the organisation actually needs, separating aspiration from viable program.
Clubs, federations, and councils at the start of a project, before any design work is engaged.
Strategic Report and Feasibility Study
The strategic report is the foundational document for any facility project. It defines the spatial program, construction cost parameters, site constraints, operational requirements, and risk profile, in language suitable for board approval and funding submissions.
Organisations needing a credible internal business case or a supporting document for a government funding application.
Funding Strategy and Grant Applications
I identify the right funding programs for each project, assess eligibility, and manage end-to-end grant application production, including all supporting documentation, budget preparation, compliance statements, and submission coordination.
Community clubs and councils applying to state and federal infrastructure programs. Prior delivery experience includes the Victorian Government ($64.6M), Geelong City Council, Goulburn Mulwaree Council, and Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council.
Procurement Advisory and Architect Briefing
Choosing the right delivery method and the right design team is the most consequential decision in any project. I prepare design briefs, evaluate delivery options (D&C, traditional contract, superintendent models), run architect shortlisting, and manage appointment processes.
Clients who have secured funding and are preparing to engage a design team.
Design Review and Independent Oversight
Once a design team is appointed, I provide independent peer review through design development and documentation: checking that the brief is being met, the budget is being respected, and the client's interests are protected. This is particularly valuable for clients without in-house technical capacity.
Clients who have engaged a design team but lack the in-house expertise to interrogate design decisions.
Scope to the situation
Not every client needs every phase. Engagements are structured around what the project actually requires. A community club applying for its first government grant needs different support than a council running a competitive architect tender.
Fixed-fee, milestone-aligned
SARO works on fixed-fee packages aligned to project milestones, not open-ended retainers. Clients know what they are getting and what it costs before work begins.
No design conflict
SARO does not compete for design commissions on projects it has advised on. Procurement advice, architect shortlisting, and tender evaluation are genuinely independent.
Registered architect accountability
All advice is provided by a registered architect (QLD, NZ, SA). Reports and feasibility studies carry professional weight that generic consultants cannot match.
Fees are bespoke to the project. A community club applying for its first grant and a council running a competitive architect tender are not the same piece of work, and a published rate card would only misprice both.
Every engagement is quoted as a fixed fee against an agreed scope, set out before any work begins, with milestones you can hold the work to. No open-ended retainers, and no variations you did not see coming.
If you are unsure which phase applies to your situation, the right starting point is a scoping conversation: 30 minutes, no obligation, no jargon.
SARO works with organisations at every stage, from clubs that have just started thinking about a new facility to councils that have a site and a budget but no team.
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