Background: Management Consulting Project

The Management Consulting Project("MCP") will require you to identify a managerial or operational problem or opportunity within an organization (which could be your current organization or an organization that's operations you find interesting) and devise a plan to solve the problem or exploit the opportunity.

Nature of the Project

Management Consulting Project

The MCP selection criteria include:

- The Project must be a real, substantive business problem, issue or opportunity within a defined organization. The Project must recommend a course of action for consideration and implementation by the organization.

- The Project must have sufficient scope to challenge you to think beyond your own experiences.

- The Project must demonstrate an understanding of the topic's relevance within the Organization's overall context (internal and external) and strategy.

MCP and NVP

Both the MCP and NVP Project must:

- Offer the potential to add value to or create value for an organization.

- Include the clear application of appropriate concepts learned in different MBA courses.

- Be a stretch challenge for you.

The Project Process

The Project process for both the MCP and NVP Projects includes four distinct steps:1) the Proposal; 2) theWork Plan; 3) theConsulting report or Business Plan; and 4) the Pitch. Each step must be completed according to the guidelines and deadlines detailed below.

Step One: The Proposal (Completed)

The Proposal should be no more than 2 pages in length. The information required in the Proposal is laid out below for each type of Project.

Management Consulting Project

Step Two: The Work Plan (Current Assignment, Need your help to provide solution)

You must next prepare and submit a Work Plan for your Project Advisor's approval. This is the step in the process where the ‘contract' between you and the Project Advisor is made. You should treat your Advisor as your client for the purposes of the course. Any deviations from the Work Plan will need to be mutually agreed to as you move forward in the course.

The Work Plan should be no longer than 8-10 pages and should address the following areas:

For Both MCP and NVP

- Objectives - A list of the Project's expected outcomes and deliverables with time lines for the submission of frameworks, sections, drafts, etc. You must include a proposed schedule for communicating with the Advisor, as well as specific milestones that will be met prior to completing the Final Submission.

- Preliminary Framework/Table of Contents - A first draft of the report's Framework/Table of Contents should be prepared to illustrate the Project's methodology and assist the Advisor in evaluating your ongoing progress.

- Added Value - a brief description of how the project can be expected to add or create value to the organization.

- Application of MBA concepts - A list of the MBA concepts that are expected to be applied in the Project.

- Scope - An explanation of the Project's depth and breadth. Care should be taken to ensure that the scope is reasonable and balances the Project's learning objectives with the time available and the Program's other requirements while challenging you to think beyond your own experience.