Behind the fearmongering: What is management consultancy?

Rachel Mazzucato’s “The Big Con” made significant waves when it was published last summer.  Her portrayal of the relationship between the public sector and management consultants pulled no punches.  It suggested that government has been “infantilised” by its reliance on management consultants.  It went on to state that “a consultant’s job is to convince customers they have the answers, whether or not that’s true”. This idea of the consultant as simply a fountain of knowledge is a stereotype we consistently challenge. 

A management consultant’s value comes not from “dispensing wisdom”, but from nurturing groups to identify their collective mission and support them in finding cross cutting solutions. 

The rationale behind this approach is simple.  Shared ambition provides the motivation and the “glue” between teams.  Solutions to problems that are developed and then owned by those teams get delivered!

Fourth Story has long-standing experience consulting with local and regional authorities to solve complex challenges.  Our success comes from combining systems thinking with a process that creates shared ambition and champions collaborative working within disparate groups. 

For Fourth Story, consultancy is not about being the “smartest kid in the class”.  It’s about providing the leadership, guidance and space to help subject matter experts find their own sustainable solutions.  We champion the thinking of others, not our own.   

A further challenge levelled at consultancies by Mazzucato is the time taken in project delivery.  Most projects, it posits, are extenuated, accruing cost and causing long term disruption. At Fourth Story, we demonstrate the value of an accelerated process that minimises disruption and maximises value.  That’s why we’ve develop a concentrated methodology that delivers results in 10 – 12 weeks.  Keeping a weekly meeting cadence maintains focus, motivation and momentum. 

The accusations levelled by “The Big Con”?  have encouraged us to have even greater confidence in our systems thinking method. We are proud to deliver low-risk, high-impact solutions to local and regional authorities. To view our work, click here. 

Contact us to find out how we can deliver your partnership ambition.

Is Partnership Delivering for your Authority? 5 Challenges that Stop Success

In today’s challenging environment, partnership is vital for local authorities in achieving goals whilst managing limited resources. However, partnership strategies are often not as effective as needed.

Public sector partnerships extend beyond cooperation. They often address complex challenges, requiring multiple, interconnected relationships to meet diverse community needs. A collaborative approach enhances efficiency and delivers practical solutions when resources are constrained.

So, why do so many collaborative initiatives fail?

With over ten years of experience building successful partnerships for Public and Private sector organisations, Fourth Story have identified five interconnected challenges that limit the impact of partnerships across the public sector:

1. No shared ambition (Why are we doing this?) - Often, partnerships are established with a sense of goodwill but without a joint ambition that combines and critically motivates all parties to succeed.

2. Limited clarity on objectives (What will we achieve?) – Working without measurable goals means you cannot assess your smart objectives to drive your ambition forward.

3. Lack of internal buy-in (Will we deliver our part?) – Teams from all sides need to acknowledge the benefits and costs of the partnership; they need to agree and support the ambition and be willing to work towards success.

4. Opaque management and governance (Who is in charge?) – Partnerships need transparent governance and control structures that recognise that power may be diffuse and that ‘contractual’ pressures may not exist.

5. Focus on procurement (How do we establish a partnership?) – Successful partnerships focus on shared value. Existing procurement processes often struggle in this environment because of their focus on contractual terms and financial value.

These challenges ensure that partnerships either never occur or become merely a service dressed as a partnership.

Fourth Story has profound, long-standing experience working with Local Authorities on complex challenges, to develop partnership solutions. Our Performance Design approach has successfully addressed the challenges that limit partnership success to ensure all stakeholders deliver on their ambition.

To view our previous projects, click here.

Call Mark on +44 7525680288 or email Mark@fourthstory.co.uk to find out how we can deliver your partnership ambition.