An advisory project begins with a high-level request from a government, FIAS management's agreement to do the work, and mutual agreement on the terms of reference.
Assignments typically take three to six months to complete.
FIAS may communicate its recommendations in a written report or by other means, such as a workshop. Whatever the vehicle, FIAS delivers assistance in a timely, practical, and non-bureaucratic style. The advice that FIAS gives is confidential to its government clients, who are under no compulsion to accept that advice. This helps establish a relation of trust in which FIAS can provide a frank assessment of a country's strengths and weaknesses for attracting foreign investment. The Service has a strong record of putting forth recommendations that client countries recognize as valuable and act on.