Code of Practice

We are committed to maintaining the highest degree of integrity in all our dealings with potential, current and past clients in terms of normal commercial confidentiality and protecting all information received in the course of providing the business services concerned. We extend the same standards to all our customers, suppliers, employees, partners and associates.

We always conduct our services honestly and honourably and expect our clients and suppliers to do the same. Our advice, strategic assistance, and the methods imparted through our training take proper account of ethical considerations, together with the protection and enhancement of our clients’ and suppliers' moral position.

Our actions and advice will always conform to relevant law, and we believe that all businesses and organisations, including this consultancy, should avoid causing any adverse effect on the human rights of people in the organisations we deal with, the local and wider environments, and the well-being of society at large.

Due to our particular consultancy services' sensitivity, we will not provide a service to a client's direct competitor during an engagement. Even after the cessation of services to a client, we will never knowingly compromise our professional responsibility to maintain client information confidentiality.

Pitching is hard work, and managing a pitch is both time-consuming and costly. Although we feel very honoured by invitations to pitch, we will always decline unless you’re prepared to pay for our expertise. This is for four main reasons. Firstly, the process of consultation and adaptation is entirely bypassed with a pitch. Secondly, we have the data to prove that the time and money we invest in a pitch seldom recovered after winning. Thirdly, what has made past engagements successful has been the relationships we have with our clients. Finally, we feel our credentials speak for themselves.

Our contract will usually be in the form of a detailed proposal, including aims, activities, costs, timescales and deliverables. The quality of our service and the value of our support provide the only true basis for continuity. We always try to meet our clients' contractual requirements, particularly when an external funding provider requires more official parameters and controls. To ensure mutual respect has been established, we will not start working for a client until either a signed contract has been returned, a purchase order issued, or advanced payment is received.

Our fees are always competitive for what we provide, a high quality, tailored, specialised service. As such, we do not generally offer arbitrary discounts; generally, a price reduction is only possible by reducing the level or extent of services to be delivered. We always try to propose solutions that accommodate our clients' available budgets and timescales. Wherever possible, we agree on our fees and the basis of charges clearly in advance so that our clients and we can plan reliably for what lies ahead and how it is to be achieved and financially justified.

Advanced payment before commencement will always apply. We aim to be as flexible as possible in how our services are charged. Some clients prefer fixed project fees; others are happier with retainers, and we try to fit in with what will be best for the client. We expect payments to be made when agreed and often provide a discretional discount for prompt payment.

We retain the moral rights in, and ownership of, all intellectual property we create unless agreed otherwise in advance with our clients. This includes retaining ownership of all concepts, know-how, tools, questionnaires and assessments, modules, courses, frameworks, software, algorithms, databases, content, models, and industry perspectives developed or enhanced outside of or connected with the services we provide. In return, we respect the moral and intellectual copyright vested in our client's intellectual property. It is understood that none of the tools we create will contain our clients’ confidential information.

We maintain the quality of what we do through constant ongoing review with our clients of all aims, activities, outcomes, and every activity's cost-effectiveness. We encourage regular review meetings and provide regular progress reports. This consultancy plans to be accredited under several quality assurance schemes. As such, further details will be available on request.

We conduct all of our activities professionally and with integrity. We take great care to be completely objective in our judgment and any recommendations we give so that issues are never influenced by anything other than the best and proper interests.

We always strive to be fair and objective in our advice and actions. We are never influenced in our decisions, actions or recommendations by gender, race, colour, age, sexuality, or personal disability.