The Art of the Brief: How to Get Better Work From Consultants

Behind every successful consulting engagement is a strong brief. It doesn’t need to be long, but it must be clear. Organisations often assume that good consultants can fill in the gaps — and while they can to a degree, unclear briefs invariably lead to slower progress, misaligned expectations, and unnecessary rework.

A well-written brief accelerates everything. It directs focus, clarifies outcomes, and sets the tone for collaboration. Often, the difference between an efficient project and a frustrating one comes down to how well the problem was defined at the start.

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What makes a strong brief?

A strong brief has three qualities:

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1. It defines the problem, not just the deliverable.

Instead of saying “We need a strategy,” it explains why the strategy is needed, who it affects, and how success will be measured.

2. It establishes clear constraints and expectations.

Resource limits, deadlines, sensitivities, approval processes — these are essential for consultants to know from the outset.

3. It clarifies who the audience is.

Is the output for the public, ministers, donor agencies, investors, beneficiaries, or internal teams? Each requires a different tone, structure, and level of detail.

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A real-world example

When a Caribbean government tasked us with supporting the transformation of one of its key revenue-generating programmes into a world-class wealth migration agency, the clarity of their brief became one of the project’s biggest strengths. They understood the strategic direction they wanted to move toward, but needed expertise to validate assumptions, analyse the market, and guide their brand repositioning.

Armed with a clear brief, we were able to perform a comprehensive brand audit, conduct market analysis, and design monitoring and evaluation frameworks that aligned precisely with their vision. Because the problem was well-defined, we could go straight into high-quality execution — saving time and maximising value.

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Why poor briefs slow down work

Weak briefs usually result in:

• Scope confusion (Are we fixing the problem or just documenting it?)
• Misaligned expectations (What does “done” look like?)
• Wasted time (Iterating before aligning reduces quality)
• Low morale (Teams lose confidence when direction is unclear)
• In contrast, strong briefs help consultants act as true partners, not guessers.

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Helping clients write better briefs

The best consulting relationships involve co-creating briefs. A brief doesn’t need to be perfect — it simply needs to be honest and focused. Consultants can then help refine it until it becomes a solid foundation for collaboration.

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Pull Quote:

“Great consultants can only do great work when the brief is great too.”

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