1) Find a project
The project is where it all begins. LSE Consulting actively searches for opportunities via several different tender portals. We also encourage you to search for projects that might be of interest. You could find one through direct contact and conversation with the project funder or client, or it could be an open opportunity via a competitive process, known as public procurement. Once you’ve found a project that matches your skills, ethics, and scope of interest, you’ll need to determine how to land it. This is an ideal time to touch base with LSE Consulting – we can help you develop a game plan.
2) Build a team
Some projects may require a team of experts to complete the work. We help build a team where needed. We can draw on experts at various levels, both internally and externally. We can also help find partner organisations, subject to the scope of the project. We also welcome your suggestions regarding colleagues, team members, and partner organisations that you may wish to work with.
3) Write a proposal
All projects require a proposal in order to define the tasks, approach, timeframe, budget, and team. There are various ways in which we can support with the proposal preparation. This ranges from preparing the proposal in full to providing a light-touch check to a proposal you have developed. Part of the proposal preparation includes understanding the project brief or specifications, writing the methodology for the project, and preparing a budget including expenses and payment for your team’s time.
4) Submit and win
Once the proposal is finalised, it’s ready to be submitted which we can do on your behalf. Expect waiting times to vary from project to project and depending on the client.
1) Negotiate contract
You’ve won a consulting project. Congratulations! LSE Consulting will review and sign the contract on your behalf. We can help you ensure many important things, such as ethics approval, intellectual property, project liability, and data-sharing arrangements.
2) Manage project set up
Once the contract is in place, it is our job to get the team contracted. Each of your team members will need an individual sub-contract through LSE Consulting via LSE Enterprise Ltd (wholly-owned subsidiary of LSE and where all consulting activity is routed through).
3) Start the project
This is where your experience and expertise really come into play. As the project begins, it is important to work towards the agreed project deliverables and timeline. Whether the project management is undertaken by LSE Consulting or by an individual in the team, it’s important to ensure adequate communication with the client and progress updates are maintained.
4) Submit deliverables
Ensure that you have met the project requirements by submitting the deliverables within the agreed timeline. The client will provide feedback which is likely to lead to some further revisions in order to finalise the project output that the client may wish to publish.
1) Disseminate and promote
Work with the client and LSE Consulting to share the project output. This can be promoting a report internally, either featuring the report on your Department’s/Centre’s website or personal pages or promoting the work to a wider audience with a PR plan managed by the client. All promotion of project outputs is subject to client agreements which LSE Consulting will manage on your behalf.
2) Close project
LSE Consulting will ensure you and your team have been paid and the project account is closed. There are some choices around how you are paid and wish to use your fee.
3) Explore future potential
Increasingly, we see an opportunity to maintain the client relationship and explore the potential of new projects. This could, for example, be done by keeping clients updated on your research and inviting them to LSE events in their area of interest which helps to develop a long-term partnership. Alternatively, we can explore the potential to offer similar services to new clients.
