Quality Professionals as Expert Witnesses
In setting up my consultancy service I have been looking to explore wider opportunities outside of conventional construction projects.
With my particular skill set, subject knowledge and practical experience, it was suggested to me that I research the opportunities for acting in the capacity of an Expert Witness.
I was recommended to approach The Academy of Experts as the best organisation to help me start up this new project. The Academy is the professional society and accrediting body for expert witnesses of all disciplines. It is independently run by experts for experts and those using them.
For anyone wanting further information their website is https://academyofexperts.org/
The Academy were extremely helpful in guiding me through their application process and I am pleased to say that I have been accepted as an Associate Member.
To further my understanding of this new field, I attended the Academy’s 2 day Foundation Course which was led by excellent tutors who were all experienced Expert Witness practitioners.
The course provided me with a great insight into the role and duties of the Expert, how they are engaged and instructed by the legal profession, how Expert Reports are produced and, most importantly, the Code of Practice which Experts must comply with.
The Academy also run a series of talks and presentations, now all virtual due to Covid, which examine aspects of the profession in great detail. I have already attended several of these and found them, particularly as a novice Expert, extremely enlightening.
From my limited experience, quality professionals have attributes suited to becoming Experts. As process designers and managers we have the ability to approach complex situations and distil them into sensible and practical workstreams. We also have the ability, partly due to audit training and experience, to read and digest often complex documentation and information and pick out the key points and issues in an organised systemic manner. From my training to date, there are similarities in the writing of Expert Reports and the way I have always approached the writing of complex audit reports, both have the need to be organised, logical, to the point and readily digestible by the reader.
I am taking the first steps along this journey and will report on how I progress.