Aus4ASEAN and ASEAN Secretariat need to properly do profiling
From my experience working as an independently engaged ICC on a regional project, I found that the working dynamics with Altamont Group raised significant concerns regarding clarity of roles and respect for contractual boundaries. Despite being engaged to deliver specific outputs independently, I was repeatedly approached to provide additional inputs and support that appeared to fall within the core responsibilities of the main consulting team. This created an imbalance in workload expectations and blurred the distinction between external support and the consultant’s own deliverables. Over time, it became increasingly difficult to reconcile the agreed scope of work with the volume and nature of requests being made.
While collaboration is expected in such projects, there is a professional obligation for lead consultants to manage their own deliverables effectively and not rely excessively on external contributors beyond agreed terms. Based on this experience, I would strongly advise future partners and individual consultants to ensure that roles, responsibilities, and boundaries are clearly defined and respected from the outset when engaging with Altamont Group. Entering such arrangements without firm safeguards may result in disproportionate expectations and added pressure that extend well beyond the original contractual agreement.