A number of things make A4e Insight different from some other consultants.

First and foremost, we are part of a much bigger organisation which has huge experience of delivering public services and implementing change.  When we need to, we can draw on the direct operational expertise of more than 3,000 people.  So our advice is very much based on real world experience.

Second, our consultancy team is itself highly experienced and we are literally and metaphorically “grey hairs”.  We are not only experienced consultants, but all have direct experience of working for the public sector and/or a number of private companies in senior management positions.  Through our wider links to the A4e Group, we can also call on the support of highly professional social and market research teams, and service experts in many areas of social exclusion and social justice.

Third, we have genuine expertise across both the public and private sectors. We understand that there are different pressures and different expectations in each sector.  We work closely with private sector investors in public sector markets and are very well placed to help decision makers in either sector understand the other.

Similarly, when working with public sector teams we can draw on our experience and understanding not only of working with numerous teams in the past, but also of having been civil servants or public sector employees ourselves.

Finally, we believe strongly that no amount of knowledge or experience is of use unless it translates into good advice.  We try always to give a clear, strong opinion and make recommendations that our clients can take forward. We hope and expect that our clients are never left wondering what we thought, or uncertain what to do next.