Advice & Guidance

To deliver Advice and Guidance (A&G), tCI provides the client with a menu of services from which they can draw on our expertise as needed. A lead Associate will be appointed to work with the client but their support will also be supplemented by access to the wider team the Institute has to offer, each of whom has specialist knowledge on particular issues.

Engagement projects are often fluid and a flexible approach is taken in changing the scope of delivery where the circumstances of the client require it.

Sector experience includes:

• Interpreting legislative and ‘legitimate expectation’ requirements to consult and involve
• Building and maintaining ‘continuous engagement’ mechanisms
• Equalities aspects of engagement and consultation
• Undertaking stakeholder analysis (inc. stakeholder mapping etc.)
• Scoping a consultation
• Advising on options development and appraisal
• How to draft consultation narratives (i.e. the consultation paper)
• Devising project plans for consultations
• Best practice consultation data analysis
• Best practice use of online consultations and social media
• How to facilitate engagement exercises (e.g. focus groups)
• How to prepare consultation feedback and other reports

Under an advice and guidance contract, the Institute’s role is to act as an advisor on any aspect of consultation or engagement on which the client requires clarification or advice. This could cover requests to review and evaluate the engagement work, identify risks, explore concerns and recommend areas of improvement. We can provide a final report detailing how the Institute considers each of the key areas that have been undertaken and an overall opinion.

Advice and Guidance does not lead to a public endorsement of your work. The Institute offers two services that can provide a public endorsement of consultation projects: Certificate of Consultation Readiness and Quality Assurance.