A Review of Forensic Operating Models and Their Relationship to Doctrine, Service Delivery and Innovation

Forensic service providers (FSPs) are required to innovate and, we would argue, have an obligation to in order to ensure ongoing relevance, impact and trust. The economic and doctrinal forensic operating model they employ will influence the extent to which innovation is valued and supported by the FSP and by its key stakeholders. The operating model will also determine whether the focus of the innovation is solely on driving efficiency or the development of new forensic capabilities (or innovative uses of existing ones) to respond to new and emerging threats. Models that support the integration of the FSP within its operating environment are more likely to support the latter, while those more removed or beholden to economic drivers are more likely to support the former.