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Services/Quality Assurance/Lite Review
QA Lite · Proportionate assurance

Right-sized assurance for the changes that don't need full consultation.

An independent, light-touch review for service changes that aren't legally required to consult, but still face political or reputational scrutiny. We test your engagement against the Gunning Principles and confirm it can deliver a defensible decision.

Talk to us → Compare options
Match the assurance to the risk Lighter ⟶ heavier
Lightest
Informal engagement No independent check. Fine for low-risk, low-visibility changes.
Proportionate You are here
QA Lite Review An independent, light-touch check where no legal duty applies but scrutiny is expected.
Fullest
Full Quality Assurance Start-to-finish oversight of a formal, statutory consultation, through to final report.

When a Lite Review earns its place

There is no legal duty to consult, but the change is visible enough that someone will ask whether it was handled fairly. These are the moments teams call us.

01

A proposal is politically sensitive or reputationally exposed.

02

There is no legal duty to consult, but scrutiny is still expected.

03

Committees, boards or stakeholders need assurance that engagement was handled with care.

04

Past challenges have shown the cost of getting smaller changes wrong.

A team discussing a proposed change
Proportionate, not perfunctory

A lighter review is still a real one, tested against the same principles, so a smaller change can still stand up to scrutiny.

Fig. 01 · Scaled to the moment
What we review

We test the process, not your proposals.

✓ In scope
How your engagement was planned and run
Whether the approach meets the Gunning Principles
Documents, plans and governance records
Fairness, balance and transparency of the process
, Not in scope
Full or statutory public consultations, which need full Quality Assurance
The merits of the proposal itself
Legal advice on the substance of your decision
Re-running or replacing your engagement
How it runs

Typically done in under a month.

< 4 wks
Start to assurance letter
Week 1

Scope & hand-over

We agree what is being reviewed and you send the documents, plans and governance records.

Weeks 1 to 2

Structured review

We test the engagement process against the Gunning Principles and best practice.

Weeks 2 to 3

Feedback

Clear, practical findings, with optional in-person meetings or advisory sessions.

By week 4

Assurance letter

A formal, dated letter for your governance file, confirming what was reviewed and advised.

You receive A formal assurance letter , clear feedback plus a dated letter for your governance records, with optional advisory sessions if you want to go further.

QA Lite, or the full review?

QA Lite is the proportionate check. When a change is statutory, contested or high-value, the full Quality Assurance review carries oversight from start to finish. Here is the difference.

Compare
QA Lite
Proportionate check
Full Quality Assurance
Start-to-finish oversight
Best for
Engagement where full consultation is not needed
Full or statutory public consultations
Duration
Under a month
Runs alongside the full consultation
Depth
Light-touch, proportionate check
Start-to-finish, stage-by-stage oversight
You receive
Feedback + formal assurance letter
Ongoing review + Certificate of Consultation Readiness
Legal duty
Voluntary assurance
Supports a statutory process
Earlier stage? See Early Assurance →

Questions, answered

Tap to open
01 Is a QA Lite legally required?

No. The QA Lite Review is voluntary assurance. It helps organisations demonstrate good practice and reduce reputational risk even when a formal consultation duty does not apply.

02 Does it replace legal advice?

No. QA Lite provides independent assurance on process, not legal advice on the substance of proposals. We can, however, highlight areas where legal input may be helpful.

03 What types of proposals typically use it?

Pilot service changes, temporary NHS changes, and local policy updates, projects that often attract political attention or public scrutiny without triggering statutory consultation.

04 Can it be upgraded to full Quality Assurance?

Yes. If your project escalates in risk or scope, a Lite Review can be extended into a full Quality Assurance process, giving start-to-finish oversight of a formal consultation.

05 How does it differ from Early Assurance?

QA Lite is a proportionate check for smaller changes that don’t require full consultation. Early Assurance is a pre-consultation review during scoping. The Certificate of Consultation Readiness is the full, formal assurance for live statutory consultations.

§ Explore Quality Assurance
The frameworkQuality Assurance ProcessView → Before decisionCertificate of AssuranceView → QA outputCertificate of ReadinessView → TrainingCharter WorkshopView → Pre-launchEarly AssuranceView →
Not sure which review you need?

Tell us about the change. We'll size it up.

A short call is usually enough to tell whether a Lite Review fits, or whether you need something more.

Talk to us →
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