One Year Working Independently

Just over a year ago, I decided to try working independently within the fire and rescue sector.

That decision came roughly a year after leaving ORH, where I’d spent nearly 20 years working across a wide range of projects with emergency services in the UK and overseas.

In between, I spent some time travelling, took the opportunity to properly reset after a long period in full-time work, and explored a few different options for what came next, including applying for more traditional roles.

The more I thought about it, however, the more I kept coming back to the same idea: I wanted to see whether I could build something slightly different for myself within the sector, with the flexibility to work across different types of projects and organisations, rather than stepping back into a permanent role.

Twelve months on, I thought it would be interesting to reflect honestly on how that’s gone. Not as a guide on how to become a consultant, and definitely not as one of those posts claiming to have all the answers, but simply as a reflection on what’s surprised me, what I’ve enjoyed, and what I’ve learned along the way.

What I Thought This Would Look Like

Some of my early ideas centred around helping fire services better understand how they use data and analysis internally: not just the technical side, but the relationship between analysts, strategic planners and decision-makers. I was interested in the gap that sometimes exists between producing analysis and actually using it effectively within organisations. There is definitely still something in that concept, and it’s probably something I’ll explore more over time.

Looking back, I assumed I needed to define quite clearly what my role or “offer” was going to be as an independent consultant. I spent a lot of time thinking about where I could add value, what sort of projects I wanted to focus on, and how to shape something distinctive and useful within the sector.

Over time though, I’ve realised that the work I’ve found most interesting hasn’t really fitted into one neat category. The projects have varied quite a lot, as have the roles I’ve ended up playing within them. In some cases that’s been quite technical, in others more strategic, and quite often somewhere in between. That flexibility has probably become one of the more enjoyable aspects of working independently.

How it Evolved

Rather than narrowing down into a specific niche, I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects connected to response, prevention, protection, risk and resilience, both in the UK and internationally. That has included reviewing or helping shape risk methodologies, supporting strategic planning and response-related change, and acting as an independent peer reviewer or critical friend alongside ongoing projects.

A lot of that work has involved sitting alongside services as they work through problems or changes, whether that’s reviewing existing approaches, helping shape new ones, or simply providing an independent perspective on work that is already underway. In some cases that has been quite technical, looking at data assumptions or analytical approaches, while in others it has been more about how that work is interpreted, communicated and used within wider organisational decision-making.

I’ve found myself working with quite a wide range of people through that process as well. Analysts, functional leads, project teams and senior officers all tend to look at the same issues from slightly different angles, and one of the more interesting aspects of the last year has been seeing how those perspectives come together within services.

I think it has also reinforced something I probably suspected beforehand, which is that I enjoy working at different levels within organisations. Sometimes that means getting into the detail of data or methodology, while at other times it is more about thinking through how analysis feeds into wider planning across a service.

The last year has also given me the opportunity to work with a wide range of services and organisational contexts. Having worked across the sector previously, a lot of that wasn’t entirely new to me, but seeing those challenges and approaches from a different perspective has added to my understanding and given me more opportunities to share that knowledge.

Working Independently

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about working independently is the variety that comes with it. After spending a long time working within one organisation, even a very good one, it’s easy to become familiar with certain ways of approaching projects, structuring work and solving problems. One of the benefits of the last year has been stepping outside of that a little and getting involved with a wider mix of people, organisations and ways of thinking, both within the fire sector itself and outside it.

One of the most interesting opportunities has been becoming involved with Scoutd.AI and working within football data and analytics. From a technical perspective, football is obviously very different to the fire sector, but a lot of the underlying challenges are surprisingly similar. Working with different people, different datasets and different perspectives has been hugely valuable. It’s pushed me to think in new ways about analysing data, communicating information, and supporting decisions in practice.

I’ve really enjoyed being involved in something that sits outside my normal day-to-day work while still drawing on many of the same core skills and interests. The last year has also given me the opportunity to get involved in other types of work that probably wouldn’t have happened if I’d gone back into a more traditional full-time role. This has included taking on a trustee position within a charity, which has been a good way of using some of the broader organisational experience I’ve built up over the years and applying it in a different context.

At the same time, independent working does come with uncertainty, which isn’t something that naturally sits well with me! Workloads fluctuate – there are quieter periods alongside busier ones – and there’s limited separation between the work itself and everything else that sits around it.

A lot of the adjustment over the last year has been around the practical side of that more than anything else. Even having previously worked in a relatively small organisation and being involved in different aspects of the business, there’s still a difference when everything ultimately sits directly with you. Budgeting, invoicing, planning workload, managing quieter periods, putting agreements in place and finding people to collaborate with on projects when needed all become part of the day-to-day alongside the consultancy work itself.

Some of that has definitely taken a bit of getting used to, although I’ve probably enjoyed it more than I expected to. Having good support around you makes a huge difference as well, and my wife has been incredibly supportive throughout the process.

Reflections on the Fire Sector

One thing I’ve noticed over the last year is the continued appetite within the fire sector to make better use of data and evidence in decision-making.

The maturity level still varies between organisations, which is inevitable given the different pressures, priorities and resources that services operate under, but overall I do think things are moving in the right direction. Across prevention, protection and response, I’ve seen people actively trying to improve methodologies, challenge assumptions and make more informed use of information within their planning and decision-making processes.

At the same time, one of the recurring challenges is that good analysis on its own is rarely enough. The communication and application of that analysis matters just as much. Sometimes organisations can become slightly overwhelmed by the volume of information available, or feel the need to present increasingly large amounts of data in order to support decisions. In reality though, clarity is often the more important thing, which means understanding:

• What question are you actually trying to answer?

• What decision is the analysis intended to support?

• How should you communicate analysis in a way that people can engage with?

That’s probably one of the areas where analytical work and strategic thinking still need to align more closely.

I’ve also been reminded how valuable collaboration across the sector can be. Some of the best conversations I’ve had have involved people openly sharing approaches, challenges and lessons learned, both formally and informally. There’s a huge amount of knowledge sitting across the sector and, in my experience at least, services are generally far more willing to learn from each other than they sometimes get credit for.

Looking Ahead

Twelve months in, I still don’t think I’ve fully defined exactly what independent working will look like long term, and I’m slowly becoming more comfortable with that.

If anything, the last year has probably reinforced that I don’t particularly want to force myself into a very narrow role or offer. The projects I’ve enjoyed most have generally involved flexibility: sometimes being highly technical, sometimes more strategic, and often sitting somewhere in between.

That might mean reviewing a piece of work over a couple of days, supporting a longer-term strategic process, helping shape a methodology, or simply offering an independent perspective on a difficult problem. I’m enjoying the mix that comes with that.

I’m also excited to continue working with Scoutd and seeing where broader developments in analytics and AI can go over the next few years. There are some interesting opportunities emerging (both in the fire and sport sectors) around how organisations translate increasingly complex information into better operational and strategic decisions.

More broadly, I’m looking forward to continuing to work on interesting projects with good people and seeing where the next few years take things. The first year has certainly been different to what I expected, but in a positive way.

GTH Consulting

graham@gthconsulting.co.uk

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