PRINCIPAL: KARL MANNING
Karl Manning has extensive experience in the public, private and community sectors where he has worked in management, legal, policy, and service delivery roles. He has led change initiatives within organisations and has been a member of high-level government and legal industry committees dealing with reform, strategy, and stakeholder liaison.
Karl specialises in mediation and facilitation as well as team, individual, and organisational development. He is well–regarded for his creative and strategic initiative as well as his calm, professional, and diplomatic approach.
Karl was admitted to the legal profession in 1994 and has completed the solicitors’ practice management course. He has worked across a broad range of legal areas. He is currently a registered mediator under the Australian National Mediation Accreditation Standards and has experience working cross–culturally, with interpreters, and with Indigenous people.
He is fully accredited to use the world–renowned Team Management Systems suite of profiling instruments and holds a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment.
ENDORSEMENTS
“MANNING CONSULTANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB conducting an evaluation of the Welfare Rights and Legal Centre’s Street Law program in late 2011. The final report attracted universal praise from the WRLC’s Board with one Board member describing the report as “excellent”. A highlight of the evaluation was the development of a practical and concrete set of performance measures for the Centre’s work which have since been adopted by one of the Centre’s major funding bodies.”
Genevieve Bolton, Co–ordinator/Principal Solicitor, Welfare Rights and Legal Centre, Canberra
“OUR FIRM HAS DISCOVERED BETTER WAYS OF WORKING TOGETHER.We have really homed in on the issues that relate to productivity and profitability and we’ve made plans to streamline and improve in these areas. With Karl Manning’s experience as a lawyer and his passion for team development we felt understood and supported throughout the process. We have learnt a lot about ourselves and this has represented great professional development for us. With the ongoing support of Manning Consultants I’m confident that our action plans will remain on the radar. If your team needs to plan its path forward or could use a little revitalisation, I’m sure that Manning Consultants will provide you with a structured pathway towards a more focused and coordinated team effort.”
Scott Coulthart,Principal LegalIT Lawyers, Brisbane
CASE STUDIES
Please click on the below links to reveal each case study in more detail.
EVALUATION REPORT: THE STREET LAW PROJECT
“Independent evaluation of legal service program leads to recommendations for
improvement and helps secure future program investment”
Client: Board of the Welfare Rights and Legal Centre (WRLC), Canberra.
Date: November 2011
Project: To provide a detailed evaluation of the Street Law Project (SLP) to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the legal service to the community and the sustainability of current funding arrangements.
READ MORE »
Background: The Street Law Project is an outreach legal service for the homeless that commenced as a pilot project in November 2009 as a joint initiative of ACT Community Legal Centres, Legal Aid ACT and the Aboriginal Legal Service. It is a project of the Welfare Rights and Legal Centre that is funded by the ACT Government and the Commonwealth Community Legal Services Program.
Following the pilot period and after receiving an additional 12 months funding, the WRLC was advised that any further funding would be subject to an evaluation of the project’s effectiveness and funding requirements.
The Board of the WRLC commissioned Manning Consultants to conduct a thorough evaluation of the project and provide a report complete with recommendations for funding arrangements.
Involvement of Manning Consultants: A large volume of information was collected and Manning Consultants conducted meetings with staff, board members and key stakeholders in the government and community sectors.
Formal terms of reference for the evaluation were focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of legal service delivery and the sustainability of funding arrangements with recommendations sought for both potential improvements and performance indicators. All the information that was collected and the results of meetings were considered against these terms of reference and a written report was prepared.
Recommendations and result: Manning Consultants provided an extensive evaluation report to the Board of the WRLC that outlined 13 key recommendations.
Importantly the report found that legal service delivery was efficient and effective.
The recommendations addressed specific and practical matters surrounding the legal practice operations, resources, stakeholder relationships, performance indicators and funding requirements.
The Board of the WRLC accepted the report and the recommendations were endorsed. The report was then provided to key stakeholders including the ACT and Commonwealth Government.
Manning Consultants facilitated a workshop to assist the Street Law team to practically plan the implementation of the report’s recommendations.
In June 2012 the ACT government announced that the project had been successful in securing funding for 2012–2013
TEAM DEVELOPMENT: LEGALIT LAWYERS
“Innovative approach to team development and planning activities for
law firm brings benefits and results”
Client: LegalIT Lawyers, Brisbane
Date: February 2012 and ongoing
Project: To gain insight for individual staff members into the way they prefer to work and their preferred role within the legal team to help improve team processes and performance, encourage the sustainability and profitability of the firm, and determine a system for ongoing monitoring of the process.
READ MORE »
Background: LegalIT Lawyers is a boutique law firm that provides legal services focussed on issues relating to intellectual property, technology, and entertainment law. The firm also provides advice in relation to regulatory areas and commercial litigation.
The principal, Scott Coulthart, engaged Manning Consultants to assist in realising the strengths of its staff members to allow for the practice to run in the most efficient, sustainable, and profitable manner possible. Karl Manning’s experience as a lawyer brought a valuable understanding of the law firm environment to this assignment.
Involvement of Manning Consultants: Manning Consultants used Team Management System (TMS)* profiling instruments to help LegalIT understand the work preferences and methods of staff members and to allow the firm to plan for its future.
Each member of the firm completed two TMS profiles: a Team Management Profile (TMP) and an Opportunities and Obstacles (QO2) profile. The TMP allowed the LegalIT team to see each individual’s work preferences and how they relate to others in the firm. The QO2 profile provided an overview of how each team member approaches obstacles and opportunities.
Manning Consultants worked with members of the firm to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s work preferences and practices. The team discovered common tools for communication and for planning their work. LegalIT staff members participated in workshops to identify areas of change and then proposed plans to realise these changes. The facilitated discussions helped the team to develop plans for: how to enhance the efficient flow of legal file work; how to streamline administrative tasks in the office; and, how to enhance strategic marketing initiatives. LegalIT ultimately developed an action plan to take the firm forward over the next twelve months.
Monitoring: In order for LegalIT to ensure its action plan will be implemented Manning Consultants will provide ongoing support, training and assistance in the form of follow up meetings using the TMS system as a basis for discussions.
* For further information refer to our PRODUCTS page:
Recommendations and result: LegalIT has gained an edge against competing law firms operating in traditional silo style structures. With its targeted action plan and regular follow up meetings with Manning Consultants, the firm now has a way to measure outcomes and benefits.
The process has also provided an excellent professional development opportunity for staff.
Manning Consultants provided the guidance, through formal and informal workshops, discussion groups, and planning meetings to help LegalIT reach this result. The firm is now considering undertaking a Values Workshop to identify its core values as a part of enhancing its organisational profile.
