How we work

We use AI tools to research and draft faster. People define the method, make every judgement, check every source and sign off every deliverable. We tell you exactly where AI was used.

Process

The same six stages on every engagement, from a two-page brief to a full evaluation.

  1. Scope

    A kickoff to agree the question, audience, deliverable, date and price. Confirmed in writing.

    Principal

  2. Method

    A short method note before work begins, so you can see how conclusions will be reached.

    Principal

  3. Research and draft

    Searching, screening, data work and first drafts, with AI tools used for speed.

    AI-assisted, human-led

  4. Verify

    Every claim traced to its source, every figure recalculated, every citation opened and checked.

    Human review

  5. Accessibility and format

    Built in your template, checked to WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA.

    Human review

  6. Sign-off and delivery

    Final read and release, with an AI use note and a plain-language summary.

    Principal

AI use, in plain terms

AI-assisted drafting is how we deliver quickly at a fair price. Here is where the line sits.

Where we use AI toolsAlways done by a person
  • Suggesting search terms and screening candidates
  • Summarizing long source documents
  • First drafts of descriptive sections
  • Consistency, formatting and style checks
  • First drafts of alt text
  • Defining the question and method
  • Deciding what counts as evidence
  • Analysis, conclusions and recommendations
  • Opening and checking every citation
  • Final review and sign-off

Our commitments

  • Every deliverable includes a short note saying where AI tools were used.
  • We do not use AI tools where a contract or solicitation prohibits them.
  • Client documents and data are never used to train AI models. We use tools whose terms exclude training on our inputs.
  • No citation, figure or quotation leaves us without a person checking it against the source.

Quality checks

Run on every deliverable before release, and recorded in the working file.

CheckWhat it confirms
Source traceEach factual statement links to a source in the working file.
NumbersEvery figure, table and chart is recalculated from the underlying data.
CitationsEvery reference exists, says what we say it says, and is formatted consistently.
MethodThe work followed the method note, and limitations are stated.
Plain languageHeadings, summaries and sentence length meet the readability target agreed at scoping.
AccessibilityFiles pass automated checks (PAC for PDF) and a manual screen reader pass.
Sign-offThe principal reads the final version and approves its release.

Standards

We name the standards we follow in each proposal. Following a standard is not the same as being certified against it, and we do not claim certification.

AreaStandards and methods
AccessibilityWCAG 2.1 AA; PDF/UA-1 (ISO 14289-1); Matterhorn Protocol; Section 508; EN 301 549; AODA
Evidence reviewsCochrane Rapid Reviews methods guidance; PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-ScR
EvaluationOECD DAC criteria; Treasury Board Policy on Results; Program Evaluation Standards (JCSEE)
HousingBC Housing Needs Report Regulation and HNR Method; Statistics Canada and CMHC data
WritingISO 24495-1:2023 plain language; The Canadian Style or your style guide
Translation reviewISO 17100 as a reference; TERMIUM Plus or your terminology bank
E-learningSCORM 1.2 and 2004; xAPI
Cyber and IT governanceNIST CSF 2.0; ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A; CIS Controls v8

Information handling

  • Information is used only for the engagement it was provided for.
  • We follow each contract's privacy, security and data-residency terms, and applicable law such as PIPEDA, BC FIPPA and the UK and EU GDPR.
  • Access is limited to the people named on the engagement.
  • Files are returned or deleted at the end of the engagement, as the contract specifies.