Consulting · Professional Training · Staffing
Consulting · Professional Training · Staffing
Who we serve
Complex grants, departmental silos and research administrators stretched thin.
Higher Education
Why your work matters
Higher education trains the next generation of professionals and produces the research behind new medicines, technologies and public policy. Research funding is a public trust.
Where delivery falls short
But research administration has not kept pace with research ambition. Controls applied differently in every department, late effort certification and undocumented procedures put future funding at risk.
Select an issue to see the internal control breakdown behind it, the usual solution, and The BKG solution.
01
Many sponsors, many rules
The issue
Many sponsors, each with its own rules, budgets and reporting formats, managed across many departments.
Where the control breaks: Spending is approved without checking sponsor terms, effort is certified late and subrecipients are not monitored.
The usual fix
Hire more reviewers to check compliance after the fact.Errors are caught late, after the money is spent.
The BKG solution
First, we fix the internal control tools. We test what exists, repair what is broken and put in place what is missing:
Compliance built into the process, not checked after it.
02
Information trapped in offices
The issue
Finance, HR, research administration and academic units work separately.
Where the control breaks: No documented handoffs, so nobody confirms a step was done before the next one starts.
The usual fix
A new committee or another coordination meeting.Meetings multiply but handoffs stay unclear.
The BKG solution
First, we fix the internal control tools. We test what exists, repair what is broken and put in place what is missing:
Researchers get answers from one place.
03
Same task, many rules
The issue
Each unit runs the same task its own way, with its own approval rules.
Where the control breaks: Controls are uneven across departments, so they cannot be monitored or tested.
The usual fix
Send a central policy by email.Departments keep their habits because nobody is trained on the new standard.
The BKG solution
First, we fix the internal control tools. We test what exists, repair what is broken and put in place what is missing:
One standard, applied and testable everywhere.
04
Fewer people, more awards
The issue
Budget pressure and hiring freezes leave fewer people managing more awards.
Where the control breaks: Overloaded staff skip reviews and reconciliations just to keep up.
The usual fix
Spread the work across the remaining staff.Quality drops, controls lapse and more people leave.
The BKG solution
First, we fix the internal control tools. We test what exists, repair what is broken and put in place what is missing:
Workload that matches capacity, with reviews done on time.
05
Approving without reviewing
The issue
Strong specialists become managers with no training in leading people.
Where the control breaks: Supervisors approve timesheets, leave and expenses without reviewing them, and appraisals are skipped.
The usual fix
A one-day leadership seminar.Inspiring, but daily management stays the same.
The BKG solution
First, we fix the internal control tools. We test what exists, repair what is broken and put in place what is missing:
Leaders who review what they sign and keep good people.
06
Controls that live in memory
The issue
Key procedures are known by a few senior staff close to retirement.
Where the control breaks: Critical procedures are undocumented, so controls depend on one person’s memory.
The usual fix
Rehire the retiree as a part-time consultant.The knowledge still lives in one person.
The BKG solution
First, we fix the internal control tools. We test what exists, repair what is broken and put in place what is missing:
Institutional memory that stays.
How it works for you
One engagement, all three services working together on the issues above.
What changes: Departments follow one procedure, reports go out on schedule, and the next audit has a clear trail.
Illustrative example. Timelines depend on the service level chosen.
Other sectors we serve
Let’s build lasting capability
Tell us where you are. We’ll talk about what comes next.
