By Lina Jahidi, Eddie Crampton and Joram Brouwer.
There is a persistent image of what ‘Consultancy’ looks like. It usually involves glass offices, expensive suits, and the production of 100-page presentations that eventually gather virtual dust.
At Oxford Insights, our reality looks quite different.
You’re more likely to find us in a virtual meeting with the United Nations Development Programme in New York, a workshop with a local council in Liverpool, or a deep-dive session with a Whitehall department trying to untangle how data flows between courts and prisons. Our work isn’t about the ‘art of the possible’; it’s about the hard, often messy work of making the public sector function better in the age of AI.
For a consultant, this means a steep learning curve and a level of responsibility that is rare in larger agencies. We sat down with three of our newest team members; Lina, Joram, and Eddie, to talk about the disconnect between the outside perspective and the reality of the job.
Purpose is a practice, not a slogan
Most people join us because they are tired of abstract conversations about “Tech for Good.” They want to see how technology actually touches people’s lives.
For Lina, the spark was a fascination with how technology meets public service ‘‘…I knew I wanted to be part of that mission here!’ At Oxford Insights, we answer that by looking at the ‘plumbing’ of government. Take our work with the Department for Work and Pensions. The innovation there wasn’t a shiny new product; it was the painstaking work to understand existing data practices and create a roadmap of recommendations to ensure benefit payments were going to the right people. As a consultant here, you’re helping to make sense of the data that informs national policy.
Joram and Eddie share this focus on the ‘So What?’ of technology. Joram enjoys his work to ‘prepare the country to make more effective use of AI’. Eddie notes that the biggest pull was the variety: ‘I knew I wanted to work in policy, but I wanted to see a tangible positive impact on communities.’
The Work: Moving beyond the ‘Cog’
In many large firms, a consultant is a ‘cog in the machine’ to support more senior colleagues, filling in spreadsheets they might never see presented. At OI, we have researchers, strategists, and analysts.
Lina recently stepped into the role of a User Researcher. A user researcher conducts interviews with people who will ultimately use or be affected by a service, to find out what they need and how the service could work best for them. In the ‘Oxford Insights way,’ this means adopting a posture of radical curiosity. ‘We are constantly asking, ‘Do people actually need this? Are we solving a real pain point?” she says.
This human-centred approach is also at the core of the work we did with the UNDP for their AI Readiness Assessment (AIRA). We didn’t just build a diagnostic tool in a vacuum; we conducted intensive user testing with AI policymakers from five different countries, (including Colombia and Sri Lanka) to understand their specific constraints.
Autonomy: A seat at the table from Day One
The biggest shock for many new starters is the level of trust. Eddie, who pivoted to consulting from a different sector, found that at OI, ‘you’re never made to feel like the most junior person in the room.’
We’re a small team, so this level of autonomy is the norm. That means our consultants could be demonstrating their work to a UK Government client, writing a business case for a high profile public body, or leading interviews for a global evaluation like our work with the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP).
The Human Side: Small teams, big support
Working in a small, remote-first team requires a specific culture. Lina describes it as a place where ‘there’s nowhere to hide, but there’s also no limit to what you can learn.’
Because we are small, we don’t have silos. If you are working on a project for a large client like the Government Digital Service, you might be analysing process maps, but if you’re stuck, you only need to ask a colleague on slack (our default messaging platform) and a colleague will come and help.
Some Advice: We value “Fit” over “Pedigree”
We know many brilliant people don’t apply because they don’t think they have a ‘typical’ consultancy background. Our team is proof that there is no such thing as a typical background here.
Joram’s advice is to lean into your authenticity: ‘In a world of AI-generated cover letters, a genuine explanation of why you care about this work is what gives you a boost.’
As Lina puts it: ‘Research isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about having the courage to ask the right questions.’ If you have that curiosity, we have a seat for you at the table.
Want to join the team? Have a look at our current vacancies here
