Consultancy and Strategy
We help providers address specific challenges by designing and implementing bespoke solutions.
What’s the problem?
FE and HE institutions face real pressure from all sides. Budget cuts, falling student numbers, OfS and Ofsted requirements and AI disruption all demand urgent attention.
Many colleges and universities struggle with these issues while trying to maintain quality. Internal teams are often stretched too thin, making it hard to step back and see the big picture or bring in fresh thinking.
How do we solve it?
We work with you to pinpoint key problems, create practical plans, and put workable quality enhancement solutions in place that fit with your institution’s values and goals.
Our approach brings together learning design know-how with strategic planning to solve specific issues while building lasting skills within your own team.
”Ding provided some excellent, out of the box thinking to determine which of our products sat where within the Higher Education framework, and how best to showcase them. They listened and understood what we wanted, went away and delivered exactly that. We would highly recommend working with them if you need expert advice pertaining to understanding and delivering in the HE sector.”
Who do we work with?
We support Vice Chancellors, Directors of Learning, Quality Managers and Department Heads who need practical guidance to solve particular problems while upholding academic standards.
We partner with universities, further education colleges, and training providers who want to improve quality and effectiveness in their provision.
What makes us different?
Instead of off-the-shelf answers and best practice, we take time to understand your specific setting, challenges, and aims before creating tailored solutions that address the root causes of poor quality.
We blend big-picture thinking with hands-on support, leaving you with practical tools and enhanced skills that continue to deliver value well after our work together ends.
Use Cases
Scenario-Based Learning
Enhancing Employability at
IO-Sphere
Creating Applied Learning
Improving Apprenticeships at Multiverse
Leveraging Video
Providing Flexible Access and Participation at Measurelab
Benefits of working with Ding
Clear Direction
We cut through the noise to identify core issues and develop focused solutions with measurable outcomes.
Practical Advice
Our suggestions balance fresh thinking with realistic implementation that respects your constraints and culture.
Evidence-Based
Our solutions draw on solid research and proven approaches, ensuring real improvements in quality.
How it works
Step 1: Understand your context
We start by getting to grips with your specific challenge, institutional setting, and key priorities to ensure our work addresses your actual needs.
Step 2: Develop strategic solutions
Our team creates a tailored approach to tackle your challenges, using proven methods and frameworks that align with your institutional values.
Step 3: Support implementation
We provide hands-on guidance for putting strategic solutions into practice, including frameworks, training, and assessment tools that ensure lasting impact.
Frequently asked questions
We're often asked about the practicalities of consultancy work
"How do you ensure solutions fit our specific institutional context?"
We begin by listening carefully to understand your unique challenges and institutional culture. Our team takes time to speak with key stakeholders and review relevant documentation before suggesting any changes. This thorough approach means our recommendations will be practical, aligned with your values, and designed to work within your existing structures.
"What's your approach to managing resistance to change?"
We’ve found that resistance often comes from genuine concerns that need addressing rather than simple opposition. We involve key stakeholders from the start, create safe spaces for concerns to be voiced, and focus on building consensus around shared goals. Our experience as course leaders in adult education environments means we understand the sensitivities involved and can help navigate them respectfully.
"How do you measure the success of consultancy work?"
We agree on specific, measurable outcomes at the beginning so everyone has clarity about what success looks like. Throughout the project, we track progress using appropriate metrics and make adjustments as needed. At completion, we provide a comprehensive assessment showing clear evidence of impact, ensuring you can demonstrate value to stakeholders and governing bodies.
"Can you work alongside our existing teams and processes?"
Yes – we see ourselves as complementing rather than replacing your internal expertise. We design our approach to fit within your current structures, minimising disruption while maximising positive impact. Your teams remain central to the work, with our role being to provide additional support, fresh perspectives, and specialised knowledge where it adds most value.
"How do you ensure knowledge transfer to our internal teams?"
Knowledge transfer is built into every stage of our approach, not added as an afterthought. We work closely with your staff through workshops, collaborative sessions, and coaching conversations. All frameworks and tools we develop come with clear documentation, and we provide follow-up support to ensure your team feels confident maintaining momentum after our formal involvement ends.
"What timeline should we expect for strategic work?"
Most projects run for between 4 and 12 months, though we can adjust to your specific needs and urgency. We create a clear project timeline at the outset, with defined phases and milestones so you always know where we are in the process. For particularly pressing issues, we can design more focused interventions that deliver initial results more quickly, while still building toward sustainable long-term change.
Get in touch
Have a chat
We’re always happy to talk about learning challenges. Put in a meeting and we can chat over a coffee.
Connect with us
We share insights and stories about our adventures, and run regular live events.
Tell us your needs
Find out how we can help you increase the performance of your courses and training.
Find out how we transform apprenticeships
We have a robust process for evaluating and improving apprenticeship programmes.
We’ve put together a white paper which summarises our approach.