Quality Assurance | Lite Review
Quality Assurance – Lite Review (QA Lite) provides an independent consultation review where full consultation isn’t required. We check consultation compliance and test your engagement process against the Gunning Principles to ensure it is fair, balanced, and capable of delivering defensible decisions.
External Assurance that Strengthens Trust in Contentious Decisions
QA Lite provides proportionate, independent consultation review and assurance for service changes that don’t require full public consultation but still face political or reputational scrutiny. It offers a light-touch check to confirm consultation compliance and that your engagement process is fair, balanced, and capable of delivering defensible decisions.
This review is designed for projects where consultation is not legally mandated, but transparency and integrity remain essential. We focus on process—not the substance of your proposals—through an engagement review that tests whether your approach meets the Gunning Principles and can withstand political, legal, or public challenge.
Typically delivered in under a month, QA Lite involves a structured review of documents, plans, and governance processes, with clear feedback and a formal assurance letter for governance records. Where needed, we can also support in-person meetings or advisory sessions to strengthen confidence further.
Organisations often use QA Lite when:
Proposals are politically sensitive or reputationally exposed
There is no legal duty to consult, but scrutiny is still expected
Committees, boards, or stakeholders need assurance that engagement has been handled with care
Past challenges have shown the cost of getting smaller changes wrong
QA Lite gives leaders confidence that engagement has been tested independently, helping them demonstrate fairness, defend decisions, and maintain trust even when risks are informal rather than legal.
FAQÂ
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.
Does a QA Lite replace legal advice?
No. The QA Lite Review provides independent assurance on process, not legal advice on the substance of proposals. We can, however, highlight areas where legal input may be helpful.
What types of proposals typically use a QA Lite?
Examples include pilot service changes, temporary NHS changes, and local policy updates. These projects often attract political attention or public scrutiny without triggering statutory consultation.
Can a QA Lite be upgraded to full Quality Assurance?
Yes. If your project escalates in risk or scope, QA Lite Review can be extended into a full Quality Assurance process. This provides end-to-end oversight of a formal consultation.
How does it differ from QA Lite or 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 designed specifically for live consultations.
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