How to work with us
How are we usually commissioned?
1
Direct award below threshold
Most of our work with local authorities and ICBs begins this way (RFP / RFQ). We provide a scoped proposal with a fixed price against your standard terms. We can normally turn a proposal around in five working days.
Quotation and mini-competition
We respond to three-quote exercises and mini-competitions regularly. Send us the specification and we will tell you within five working days whether we are bidding, so you are not left waiting.
Formal tender
We bid for open tenders where the fit is genuine. We would prefer to tell you that we’re not the right team than submit a bid we don’t believe in or feel qualified to deliver.
How are we usually engaged?
2
Diagnostic sprint (DS)
Much of the population health skillset is in defining the correct problem. Over two to four weeks, we can quickly corroborate the evidence and context: defining the challenge and enabling you to commission the next piece of work or service.
Project approach (PA)
Best applied where the deliverables are known at the start, this method provides confidence on scope and cost, with outputs agreed either up-front or after a short diagnostic phase. Ethica deploys a design-thinking methodology based on the Double Diamond method, for testing and developing the brief.
Retained expertise (RE)
Some challenges call for senior judgement in real-time rather than another slide deck. Retained expertise gives you an agreed number of days each month with a named, accredited and experienced partner, drawn down as your priorities arise. Arrangements typically run for six to twelve months, giving you continuity of counsel across the decisions that shape your organisation.
We do not place any grade of staff into client organisations or officer roles on less than full time (LTFT) or full time basis.
How do we price?
3
We price on transparent day rates and we tell you who is doing the work. There is no partner-rate mark-up on work delivered by an analyst, and no pyramid of juniors billed at senior rates. For Project Approach (PA) work we quote a fixed price and we absorb the overrun if we have estimated badly.
We can provide our rate card on request, with rate cards running April to March each year.
What happens next?
4
Get in touch and describe the problem. A partner will respond, not an inbox.
We will offer a thirty minute conversation, at no cost, to work out whether we can help.
If we can, you will have a scoped proposal with a fixed price within five working days. If we cannot, we will say so and point you to someone who can.
Contact us.
A partner will come back to you next working day.