Complex advisory doesn’t fail in the analysis. It fails in the setup.
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
When a government commissions an identity system assessment, the instinct — on both sides — is to start working immediately. Conduct interviews. Visit sites. Review documents. Show progress.
This instinct is almost always wrong.
The most consequential phase of any advisory engagement is the one that produces no visible output: project setup. Its objective is deceptively simple — ensure that all stakeholders can interact and perform as a team, with a clear understanding of objectives and agreement on methodology.
Skip this, and every subsequent phase costs more and delivers less. Interviews are conducted without a common framework. Site visits observe without knowing what to look for. Analysis proceeds against criteria that were never agreed. The final report arrives and the client says: “This isn’t what we asked for.”
SECOIA structures every complex engagement in three phases. Phase one: initial assessment and scope definition, producing a Detailed Work Plan. Phase two: continued research and analysis across defined priorities. Phase three: final editing, report submission, and implementation workshop.
The discipline is in the sequence. The Detailed Work Plan is not an administrative formality — it is the contract between the advisory team and the client on what will be delivered, to what standard, and by when.
The most valuable document in any advisory engagement is the one written before the work begins.
SECOIA Executive Consultants Ltd is a Swiss boutique consultancy specialising in identity management, border security, biometrics, secure documents, and ePassports. The firm holds active memberships in ICAO ICBWG, ISO/IEC, and CEN standardisation bodies.
We welcome dialogue with professionals navigating these questions. Reach out through our website , arrange for a meeting or connect with us on LinkedIn.
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