Development strategy consulting

Turn a broad concern into a question

A request to improve a project is too broad to evaluate. A more workable question might be whether to investigate a smaller first phase before committing resources to a larger concept. Define the alternatives, the decision owner and the constraints that each alternative must respect. The purpose is to make the tradeoffs visible, including reasons why postponing the decision could be preferable to proceeding with weak evidence.

Build a work product that supports comparison

Depending on the agreed question, possible outputs include a strategy memo, an assumption register, a comparison of business alternatives or a staged action plan. Each should show its information sources, unresolved inputs and the conditions that would change the recommendation. A polished document is not enough if the team cannot trace the reasoning or tell which conclusions depend on outside verification.

• Identify the intended reader and the decision they control.
• Agree on the documents to review and the limits of that review.
• Define what a complete response to the question would contain.

Keep specialist judgments with specialists

Business consulting can organize questions for counsel, tax advisers, brokers and licensed design professionals; it does not supply their regulated services or certify technical feasibility. The proposal must define scope, responsibilities, deliverables and fees by mutual agreement. There is no guaranteed financing, entitlement or financial outcome. For an initial conversation, share the decision in plain language and explain what your team has already tried to resolve it.