Governments have long looked to external experts, former senior officials or political colleagues, or other qualified people to conduct independent reviews. These lead reviewers require a strong secretariat to support their work, including to carry out research, run consultations, and draft reports.

Nous has played this vital secretariat role on more than 20 high-profile reviews. We have also acted as the independent reviewers or served on review panels. This has prompted us to consider the ingredients of a successful review.

While the styles of leadership and the focus of the reviews vary considerably, there are few things to get right when both setting up and supporting them, regardless of whether the commissioning agency is using an internal or external secretariat.

Nous recently developed a document designed to offer practical advice to anyone embarking on an independent review. A kind of how-to for public servants and others, it is divided into two sections: setting the foundations for an efficient and effective review, and how to best support the work of the independent reviewer or panel once their work is underway.

It discusses the importance of planning for success, including things an agency might consider when selecting a reviewer or review panel, how to establish and agree upon expectations around how the review is to be run and what its deliverables will be, and how to devise Terms of Reference that minimise ambiguity and overlap.

It further suggests strategies to establish a positive rapport between the reviewer or review panel and the secretariat to ensure that the review runs as smoothly as possible. These include the importance of clearly establishing the roles of all parties concerned, as well as a healthy relationship to risk, as well as various ways of maintaining pace, rhythm, and a focus on outcomes – all of which can be difficult, particularly during the delivery phase, when deadlines are beginning to tighten.

These various points are illustrated with examples from our experiences working on independent reviews, demonstrating how things can go well and how they can, on occasion, go otherwise. We think that people will find it a useful go-guide as they set out to establish independent reviews moving forward and ensure both smooth sailing and the achievement of their desired outcomes.

The document, ‘Tips on setting up and supporting independent reviews: a guide for public servants’, is available for download here.

Get in touch to discuss strategies for establishing and effectively running an independent review.

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