River Path AssociatesThe Basics

KNOWLEDGE CONSULTANCY

PROFESSOR JAYASHREE SADRI

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

USING THE RIVER PATH APPROACH

Knowledge has become the key economic

resource and the dominant, if not the only,

source of competitive advantage.Peter Drucker

“

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Headlines

• Independent knowledge consultancy, founded in 1997

• Pathfinders in research, strategic counsel and creative solutions

• Experience of working with the world’s largest private and public sector organisations

• Track record of successful collaboration with other consultancies and associates

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Why knowledge consultancy?

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

The River Path approach

What’s your problem?

Complex, hard to define

Crosses boundaries

Tight time pressures

Needs a fresh approach

What’s our solution?

Bespoke methodologies

Adaptable, resourceful

Fast, attention-grabbing

Turning results into action

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

River Path services

• Research– Scanning the environment– From ‘what you know’ to ‘what you don’t know’

• Strategic counsel– Robust, independent assessment– Controlling risks, increasing innovation

• Creative solutions– Transformative thinking– Prototypes and pilots

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

River Path toolkit

• Research– Communication audits– Top level briefings– Rigorous think pieces

• Strategic Counsel– Scoping reports– Strategy labs– Scenario planning

• Creative Solutions– Creative labs– Identity, experience and branding– Social software and cutting edge technologies

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

River Path AssociatesResearch Case Studies

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 1: Opinion Former Research

• Client: Vodafone

• Annual research into attitudes of key stakeholders for Vodafone’s corporate communications team

• In-depth telephone interview methodology combining quantitative and qualitative question sets

• Exhaustive analysis in report and presentation form to guide planning and benchmark against competitors

• Substantial trend data emerging as year 5 approaches

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 2: Analysis of Complex Issues

• Client: World Economic Forum

• Analysis and presentation of annual research into private sector responses to HIV/AIDS

• Detailed analysis of data from 8000+ business leaders in over 100 countries to build global picture of concerns, action and views of the future

• Creation of report and executive summary for publication and annual launch at Davos

• Working in partnership with Harvard School of Public Health

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Selected publications

• Something to be done: treating HIV/AIDS, David E Bloom and River Path Associates, Science, Volume 288, pp2171-2173, June 2000

• A Long Peace? The future of unionism, Mick Fealty, Trevor Ringland and David Steven, Joseph Rowntree Trust, 2003

• Governance Matters: the role of governance in Asian development, David E Bloom, Larry Rosenberg, David Steven and Mark Weston, World Economics, Volume 5, Number 4, October-December 2004

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

River Path AssociatesStrategic Counsel Case Studies

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 1: Strategic Development

• Client: Alpha Airports Group

• Series of workshops on the strategic development of Alpha Airports Group’s retail operation

• Joint exercise with Alpha’s most important customer, Manchester Airport

• Developed and presented an innovative vision for the future of the ‘airport experience’

• Foundation for development of strategic alliance between Alpha and Manchester Airport

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 2: Fundamental Reviews

• Client: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Independent strategic review of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy

• Assessed the effectiveness of the Foundation and outlined options for its future role

• Recommendations made to FCO ministers, and put out to public consultation

• Field work in Sierra Leone, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

River Path AssociatesCreative Solutions Case Studies

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 1: Strategic Communications

• Client: One 2 One/T-Mobile

• Everything Communicates - River Path programme helping position One 2 One to market itself to small businesses

• Series of activities including an awards programme for business support organisations

• Culminated in ‘Everything Communicates’ – a definitive guide to communication for small business owners

• Partnership with CDT Design

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 2: Online and Social Software

• Client: European Network for Debt and Development

• Website tracking the appointment of a new head of the World Bank

• A ‘must read’ for Bank senior management, US government officials, and the media

• International media coverage following President Bush’s controversial nomination of Paul Wolfowitz

• Extended River Path’s impressive track record of innovation in blogging and use of other forms of social software

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

River Path AssociatesCurrent Projects

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 1: Strategic Development

• Client: University of East London

• Strategic and business development for a 120m2 gaming lab being built in UEL’s Knowledge Dock

• Focus (i) Casual gaming: gaming for non-gamers; (ii) Active gaming - physical/virtual crossover; (iii) Life-gaming - play-focused emergent communities

• Hub for UEL’s dispersed knowledge centres; interface to corporates/SMEs/public sector

• Experience-based foresight, strategic development, organisational learning

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Case Study 2: Programme Design

• Client: British Council

• A global programme for the British Council to coincide with G8 and EU presidencies, and post-Kyoto climate change talks

• Aimed to reframe the international climate change debate through a focus on the energy challenges facing the world’s greatest cities.

• Partnership with Magnum Photography, Climate Group, Open Democracy

• £4-6m programme with activity in 60 countries – ran through 2006

• River Path now reviewing and refreshing programme design

River Path AssociatesThe Basics

Don't get involved in partial problems, but always

take flight to where there is a free view over the whole single great problem, even if this view is

still not a clear one.Wittgenstein

“For more information, or to obtain samples of our published work, contact:

Victoria Collis on 01202 849993, or via victoria@riverpath.com or...

David Steven on 01202 849993, or via david@riverpath.com.

River Path AssociatesThe Basics