To get the problem statement right

When searching for information on security, ran across a document about the "Shrinking Perimeter" . The article contained the statement"

To get a good result the engineer, the financial planner, and the corporate visionary all have the same core focus: To get the problem statement right. The wrong problem statement gets us "solutions in search of a problem" or "we solved the wrong problem" or "these sunk investments did not yield value." In every case, it is getting the problem statement right that makes the difference.

This certainly could be and should be expanded to consultants (and most anyone else). Many times the consultant is brought in to do a project that was determined by someone else. The consultant is essentially being asked to validate problem statement created by someone else. Way too often I see consultant happily take the clients money knowing all along that the problem statement is treating a symptom of or masking the real problem.

The consultant is usually brought in as a subject matter expert and the easy thing to do is to go along with what the client said they wanted and not speak up. Is it not the consultant's purpose and obligation to speak up?

To do the hard thing and talk to the client about the "real" problem?
-jim