Investigation services
Investigation consultancy
Scope development, interview planning, evidence-gap assessment and factual report review.
An enquiry plan, evidence-gap review or focused reporting assessment.
Commission the assistance you need.
An organisation may have an internal investigation underway, a report to assess or a new concern that needs a clearer brief. Everguard can assist with a defined task while the client retains responsibility for the wider process. The appointment identifies which questions the work will address and what information is available.
A scoping discussion, evidence-gap review or interview plan does not transfer responsibility for an entire matter. Establish the process owner, authorised instructing person, reporting audience and any relevant conflict before deciding how the consultancy work will be used.
Turn the requirement into a workable plan.
The work may focus on the beginning of an enquiry or a particular gap after evidence has been gathered. Possible assignments include:
- Developing a proposed investigation scope or terms of reference.
- Identifying material questions and mapping the available evidence.
- Preparing an issues-led interview plan or enquiry sequence.
- Reviewing a factual report against supplied supporting records.
- Assessing chronology, source references, reasoning and stated limitations.
Connect each enquiry with a material question.
A useful plan explains what the commissioning team needs to understand and which sources may address it. It can distinguish questions already supported by records from those requiring witness or documentary clarification. The expected output should be defined alongside the proposed method.
Interview planning considers the witness’s role, direct knowledge and relevant records without scripting a preferred account. Enquiry sequencing can identify dependencies, such as documents needed before an interview or a statement requiring review before final reporting. Requested deadlines should be assessed against the actual work and source availability.
The detail behind the enquiry.
Explore the scope, evidence requirements and practical considerations.
Review the connection between evidence and conclusion.
A factual report review can trace material propositions to their references, consider whether a chronology preserves competing accounts, and examine whether analysis remains distinct from witness evidence. It can identify missing source material, unanswered questions or reasoning that needs clarification.
The review is bounded by the questions commissioned and the material supplied. A missing annexure may prevent assessment of one proposition without determining the quality of every part of the file. The memorandum should state what was examined, what could be assessed and what further material or explanation would assist.
Provide a defined and usable output.
Agreed deliverables can include a scope document, terms of reference, material-issues matrix, evidence-gap schedule, interview plan or report-review memorandum. Further-enquiry options should identify their purpose and any material dependencies, rather than implying that every possible enquiry is necessary.
The organisation and its advisers decide how to use the output within the wider process. Legal advice, disciplinary decisions and specialist technical conclusions remain outside a factual consultancy brief unless separately and appropriately commissioned.
Describe the nature of the review accurately.
Review of Everguard’s own work is internal quality assurance. An independent external review requires an appropriate appointment and conflict assessment. Neither description should be inferred merely because a second person reads a report.
Where a review raises new questions, any further investigation requires an agreed scope. The review should not be described as a fresh investigation when no new witness or source enquiries were undertaken.
Before we begin
Practical questions.
Practical questions.
Can you assist with an investigation our organisation manages?
Yes. The brief can be limited to scope development, interview planning, an evidence-gap assessment or another defined task. Identify who retains overall process responsibility and who may approve changes.
Can you review another investigator’s report?
A review can be considered against the authority, conflicts, supplied material and questions to be addressed. The output states what was reviewed and its limits.
Is review of Everguard’s own report independent?
No. Review of our own work is internal quality assurance. It is kept distinct from an independent external appointment.
What material is useful for a report review?
The report, original instructions, referenced annexures and a clear explanation of the points requiring assessment are useful starting material. Agree transfer and handling arrangements before sending the file.
Related services
Who we support
Begin with a clear brief
Clarify the next investigative step.
Tell us whether you need a scope, an enquiry plan, a defined evidence review or assistance with a report.