Recruitment

Potential Associate Consultants are invited to complete the online application form to register their interest in becoming an Academy Associate Consultant. We will then supply a Capability Questionnaire which should be returned when completed with an up to date CV or company brochure.

These documents will be evaluated and, where relevant, an interview arranged. At this interview contractual arrangements and project possibilities will be discussed in more detail – and if all goes well references taken up.

This will then give the Academy all the information needed to offer work to Associates as projects become available. Associate Consultants will be appointed to individual projects by individual Academy Theme Managers as indicated above.

Contractual arrangements

On appointment an Associate Consultant will be asked to enter into a single, generic contract (available on application) which sets out the terms and conditions of his or her appointment (where possible including remuneration rates although these may vary from one assignment to another and be in part linked to performance/outcomes).

Annexes to the generic contract will be added on a project by project basis to confirm explicit details of the work to be done by the Associate and particular terms attached thereto.

Culture and Communications

We shall aim to:

  • Embed an Associate Consultant culture within the Academy to facilitate the ease in joint working between internal staff and Associate
  • Encourage Associate Consultants to bring forward project proposals to the Academy (financial incentives to be discussed)
  • Include news of the work of Associate Consultants in e-bulletins, of which they will automatically be on the circulation list
  • Develop and maintain a dedicated Associate Consultant zone on the Academy website

Management and co-ordination

Management and coordination of the Associates will be dependent on the project in question. These will be made clear to the associate at the time of appointment.

Funding

Associate Consultants will only be employed on a project-funding basis. This may come from publicly funded projects or “Commercial” activities, in the latter case strictly on the basis of approved business plans.

In some instances Associate Consultants might work on a “contingency” basis – ie. with their payment tied to a particular outcome which in itself provides income to the Academy.

Quality assurance

Registration as an Academy Associate Consultant will entail:

  • Thorough recruitment procedures, with references taken up in all cases
  • Independent evaluation to be integral to all projects proposals, with a detailed review of the results against agreed criteria
  • The possible recruitment of a quality practitioner associate to advise in more detail.