NBN Co brings in consultants for strategic review

NBN Co has contracted three consulting firms to work on the 60-day strategic review of the project commissioned by communications minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The company said in a brief statement it had appointed Deloitte, KordaMentha and Boston Consulting Group after a week-long tender process with a selection of consultancies.

"Deloitte will provide governance and program management office services to ensure the strategic review fits within the parameters and tight deadline for submission set by the Government," NBN Co said.

"KordaMentha will contribute to the analysis of the current NBN operational and financial performance, [while] Boston Consulting Group will participate in the review of the timing, financials and product offers under alternative models for delivering very fast broadband".

Although KordaMentha is best known for its work in insolvencies, it bills itself as a leader in "corporate recovery, turnaround and restructuring".

NBN Co said the consultants would work with a "cross-divisional team of NBN Co employees".

Turnbull said at the time the strategic review was announced that while it would "have the input of experts and advisers", the review would be driven by NBN Co's internal team.

"it is not my intention to have a firm of consultants produce a review that is not owned by the people that then have to live with it and execute it," he said at the time.

The strategic review is expected to be a "key input" into NBN Co's 2014-17 corporate plan, which the government will have sometime in the first half of next year.