The questions
everyone asks.

Cairn Novaris is a senior-practitioner consultancy specialising in change and transformation delivery, operating model design and programme management. We work in government, defence, financial services, technology, pharma and scale-ups. Every engagement is led and delivered by senior practitioners. There are no junior teams.

Three structural differences. First: the person in the pitch is the person on day one — no handoff to a team you have not met. Second: CN includes month 12 benefits verification in every SoW as standard — we return and verify that the change held. Third: CN has no technology platform or audit practice to sell you. Our only commercial interest is that the transformation works.

Yes. CN regularly works as a specialist subcontractor within large programme structures — providing the change and people workstream alongside technology delivery led by a prime. We also work as prime with specialist partners brought in for specific scope requirements. The engagement model is confirmed at scoping.

CN is in the process of G-Cloud and Crown Commercial Service registration. Direct award is available for engagements below the relevant threshold (currently £213k for services). Above threshold, CN can be engaged through competitive process or framework route. Contact us to discuss the appropriate procurement route for your organisation.

CN engagements are fixed-scope with defined outcomes. Discovery takes two to eight weeks depending on programme scale. Design and delivery runs from six weeks to eighteen months. Every engagement includes a month 12 benefits verification written into the SoW before delivery begins. The first conversation is 45 minutes, no pitch deck. We send a one-page view of what we would do within five working days.

CN specialises in engagements where the change management or operating model design work is substantial enough to warrant senior practitioner resource. Indicatively, specialist support engagements start from around £8k for a defined activity (a readiness assessment, a discovery diagnostic). Full change management or OM design engagements typically start from £40k. Every engagement is scoped individually.

Two to three weeks for focused, single-workstream engagements. Four to eight weeks for large or complex programmes involving multiple functions, sites or significant organisational change. CN will not reduce discovery below what is needed to build a credible corridor map and a genuine current-state assessment. A shortened discovery produces a programme designed around assumptions rather than evidence.

Yes. CN joins programmes at any stage — including programmes in difficulty. The entry point determines the first activities: a rapid diagnostic, a corridor map built from existing intelligence, an immediate measurement of all six outcome indicators. The approach is described in detail in the CN Entry Points guide in the practitioner portal.

CN returns at month 12 and measures benefits against the baseline established at programme start, assesses adoption rate by team against go-live rate, identifies what has held and what has reverted, and produces an honest close-out report. The review is typically two to five days depending on programme scale. It is included in the SoW and priced into the engagement — not an additional cost.

CN engages on a fixed-scope basis. We discuss commercials directly once we understand what the engagement requires. Contact CN to discuss your programme.

CN uses fixed-scope fixed-price for defined deliverables and time-and-materials with a cap for ongoing programme support. We do not accept open-ended retainers. The SoW specifies what CN will deliver, by when, to what standard and at what cost — with milestone-based payment. The month 12 review is priced into every engagement from the start.

Standard CN payment terms are 30 days from invoice. Milestone-based payments tied to defined deliverables. For public sector clients, 30-day payment is standard in line with the Prompt Payment Code. Discuss terms at engagement scoping.

Yes. CN operates under mutual NDA for all client engagements as standard. Case study references and anonymised outcome data are only used with explicit client consent.

CN works with a network of senior practitioners who are engaged on specific programmes. Practitioners are selected for relevant expertise and sector experience. All CN practitioners commit to the CN methodology, delivery standards and commercial terms. If you are interested in joining the network, see the Join page or contact us directly.

CN practitioners hold SC and DV clearance where required for defence and sensitive government engagements. Clearance status is confirmed at engagement scoping. CN does not guarantee clearance for every practitioner — it is confirmed per engagement.

Yes. The CN portal contains the full methodology library: 11 methodology guides, 4 how-to facilitation guides with full facilitator notes, working templates for every phase, the outcomes framework, entry point guides, and commercial infrastructure. Access is available to registered CN practitioners and network members.