STRATEGIC ADVICE

What are we trying to achieve?

We help clients think their way through the key stages of an assignment, from tender phase to project initiation and into implementation. We examine the fundamental question of “What are we trying to achieve” as the starting point so that your strategy and plans target the outcome required. Ensuring that these objectives are clearly communicated to and understood by your team and stakeholders, that the right people and skills are in place, are all critical elements to making a success of transformation programmes. Areas where we provide expert assistance include:

Visioning - Working as a group to define goals, create a clear shared statement of the desired future and achieve buy-in to the vision

Strategy Development - Defining how that vision should be delivered, type of organisational structure required, implications of planning or consents needed (such as Transport & Works Act Order, Development Consent Order) identifying roles, responsibilities and stakeholders

Collaborative Working - Introducing team structures and organisational arrangements that enable a collaborative way of working, including chartering, all underpinned by a thorough understanding of shared objectives and goals and ‘One Team’ approach

Problem solving - Helping to analyse situations and providing a neutral “safe space” to bring any underlying problems to the surface, working together to identify options and actions to resolve these issues

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

You are central to our scheme…

Successfully managing your stakeholder relationships is critical to success of any scheme or programme, particularly if a planning and consenting process is required. Most major projects will impact a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external. Engaging early encourages their contribution to your scheme’s development to arrive at a solution they will support or that at least minimises the basis for objections.

We can help you devise effective engagement and consultation strategies, plans and communications protocols that involve stakeholders at the right time in the right way to help find common ground, inform your design, build support for your scheme and provide meticulous records for evidence and audit. We place great emphasis on accessibility and inclusion in public consultation to allow people to have their say and feel properly informed.

COACHING

We can provide coaching for you on a one-to-one basis or facilitate small team or multi-discipline groups. In each case, we create a reflective organised space and complete confidentiality. 

We listen to you and then ask questions, beginning a dialogue that continues throughout the assignment. You hold the knowledge: we help you to formulate the answers or to consider issues from a different perspective.

FACILITATION

Let’s talk…

An independent facilitator who is both impartial and neutral can be invaluable in helping to define goals, introduce or develop project strategies and monitor programme or team performance. We can help you create consensus throughout your teams and test assumptions key to your project’s delivery. Our aim is to build confidence in the effectiveness of your solutions. We have designed and delivered large stakeholder workshops and round tables on leadership, empowering teams, collaborative working, readiness testing, incident management, strategy development, lessons learnt and behavioural change.

We will explore with you the outcome and outputs you desire. After discussing any preliminary stakeholder feedback with you, we will plan the agenda, design the structure of the workshop and present our recommendations for your review. Once any refinements have been made and the design is agreed, we will liaise with your team for logistics planning and ensure the quality of delivery.

TENDER PREPARATION

We frequently support clients with bid preparation, starting from first base by working with bid management and technical teams to ensure clients' objectives are properly understood. As an independent advisor, we can provide impartial advice on bid-winning strategies, looking at strengths and weaknesses and how to address them. Working as an integral member of your team,we help with story-boarding, development and coordination of tender preparation. We challenge accepted responses, inspiring you to deliver bids that meet or exceed client requirements.