STRATEGIC ADVICE

We help clients think their way through the key stages of an assignment, from tender phase to project initiation and into implementation. We understand the fluctuating demands placed on teams in fast-paced and frequently changing environments. We can support you through often conflicting stakeholder and sponsor requirements to “see the wood for the trees” and focus on the goals and objectives which may have become obscured by multiple demands. Areas where we provide expert assistance include:

Visioning - Participative approach to goal setting by working as a group to create clear shared statement of the desired future and achieving buy-in to the vision

Strategy Development - Defining how that vision should be delivered, type of organisational structure required, planning or consents needed, 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

COACHING

We can provide coaching for you on a one-to-one basis, facilitate small team groups or large stakeholder workshops and round tables. In each case, we create a reflective organised “safe” 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.

stakeholder engagement

Successfully managing your stakeholder relationships is critical to success of any scheme or programme, particularly through the consenting process. Co-design and co-production with stakeholders as key participants are increasingly becoming standard. 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 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.

Case study - HIGHWAYS ENGLAND LOWER THAMES CROSSING

Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation

Strategic advisor and director of the stakeholder engagement team supporting Highways England and Arcadis CH2M JV during options development of this £6.7bn new river crossing. Advised on stakeholder engagement and consultation approaches, the requirements of the Development Consent Order and associated consents processes. Worked with senior management to help to define the project vision and objectives and facilitated training workshops.

Responsible for development and implementation of stakeholder engagement plans, public consultation, managing risk,cost and resources. Stakeholder groups included political, industry, local government and environmental organizations and interest groups, local communities and road users. Over 47,000 responses were received from public consultation, analysed in a consultation report that led to preferred route announcement.

FACILITATION

An independent facilitator who is both impartial and neutral can be invaluable in helping to define goals, 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 workshops 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 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. We challenge accepted responses, inspiring you to deliver bids that meet or exceed client requirements.

Case Studies - advice and support on complex infrastructure bids

HS2 Stations - TfL Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Bridge - Nexus