Business Consultancy

Proposed template for the report (but you must make your report specific to your case study organisation and your findings):

Title Page - make this title specific to the project you are recommending - do not use the module title.  For example, a report could be called 'A Project Proposal for an Effective Social Media Campaign for Quad Derby'.

Executive Summary - it is common for students to just write this as an introduction.  An Executive Summary should be able to stand instead of the whole report, and as the name suggests, it should summarise each section of the report, including the findings/conclusions drawn in each section.

Contents Page - in Word, you could use the 'Table of Contents' tool in 'References' (check your version of Word).  Or have a look at the contents page of another report or of a book to give you an idea of how this should look.  Section and sub-section titles should be aligned to the left, and page numbers to the right.  Make sure that you list 'Appendices' as a section, and that you list each appendix with a number and a title.

Introduction (to report) - outline the content of the report.  Here you are telling the reader what they can expect you to cover in the report.

Situational Analysis​ of Case Study Organisation showing appropriate, logical analysis of secondary research.  You should use at least two models to analyse the secondary data and we advise you to summarise your findings in a SWOT and/or a TOWS.  Your secondary research will come from market information, media reports, industry reports, and academic articles, as well as the case study organisation's presentations and Q & As.

Your Situational Analysis should end with a clear Problem​ Identification.  This should not be new information but should come from your situational analysis and should be an assessment of the key, important issues facing the case study organisation.

You must include your findings from your Primary Data Collection in your report.  It could contribute to the Situational Analysis and therefore your Problem Identification.  It should complement your secondary research to draw out key findings and problems that the organisation must face, based on (for example) customer or stakeholder views/input. You will work with your seminar tutor and your group to identify areas for primary data collection.

Possibilities (Options)​ that could be project solutions to the problem/s you have identified.  This section allows you to show your awareness that there are several possible approaches to solve problems.  This section would include an assessment of the various approaches and draw a conclusion as to the appropriate approach.  Students should choose an appropriate model/theory ( CBA, Business Case, SAF) to assess the options to show logical justification for the chosen option.  This section could also include the findings from your Primary Data Collection, showing how it contributed to the selection of the appropriate project.  

Specific Project - Here give DETAILS of the overall project, with aim and objectives and a detailed plan of action.  For the detailed plan you could use a Gantt chart that incorporates tasks, timing, costs and human resource allocation.  Or you can use the individual tools of the WBS, CPA, RAM or RACI, and budget.  It's up to you to make it very clear to the case study organisation what they need to do to achieve the project you have defined.  This section also needs a risk assessment and stakeholder analysis.  This section should be underpinned by project management literature, explaining the importance of a detailed project plan.

Conclusion (to report) - summarise what the report has included.

Reference List

Appendices (list each appendix with number and title in the Contents Page)

Marks will be allocated in the following way and a rubric will be used in the marking.

· The words in your Title Page, Executive Summary, Contents Page, Appendices, citations, Headings, Reference List and Glossary (optional) are not counted towards your total. 

· You have 10% leeway either way with the total 4000-5000 wordcount, which means that your report could indeed be 3600 - 5500 words long.

· Diagrams, charts and tables are regarded as equivalent to the number of words otherwise occupying that space (therefore a one-page diagram, chart or table is c. 300 words, a half-page c.150 words).

· You should think carefully about what to put in your main report and in the appendices.  Supporting information can go in the appendices (plans, charts, transcripts, coded transcript, diagrams) but you will want to draw key points out into the main text, not simply refer to the appendices.  Please do NOT put transcripts of primary data collection interviews in the appendices of your report, this would not be in keeping with the promises made to participants around data collection.  Instead, all raw data should be analysed and only the resultant findings summarised in the appendices/main text of the report.

Checklist CW1