Three principles guide our approach to our work:

Clarity The outcomes from consultation studies are meaningless unless those consulted have really understood the questions being asked. However complex the policy issues, it is essential that the policy choices involved are explained in ways that can be readily understood by all those consulted.

Transparency Whatever methodologies are employed, the consultation or evaluation process must be seen to be both open and fair. We are committed to involving both decision makers and the public they serve as fully as possible in the studies we undertake.

Policy specific Clients never commission research for its own sake. The data from any study must feed in and support the decision making process both in terms of its relevance and timetable. This means liaising with clients at the start of a project to ensure there is a clear policy focus and then, when the study is completed, working with them to draw out the policy implications from the results.