com.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل JOURNAL OF WFORMATION SYSTEMS vol. 7, No. I spring 1993 pp. 48—61 Implementing a Graduate Management Consulting Course Marshall B. Romney J. Owen Cherrington Brigham Young University Andrew Knighton Arthur Anderson & Co. ABSTRACT: The shift away from auditing services toward consulting services by CPA firms is placing greater demands upon universities to produce students capable of entering the consulting profession immediately upon graduation. To meet the demand for such students, Brigham Young University (BYU) faculty instituted a graduate-level consulting course to train students in the consulting process and to provide students with relevant, practical work experience in a real-world consulting environment. The course is required for students with an information systems emphasis. MBA students and non-systems Master of Accounting students may take the course as an elective. Most students take the course near the end of their program. The course requires students to work in project teams to solve systems and business problems in organizations; thus they apply and expand technical skills they have acquired in other courses. The course also helps students develop professional competencies such as client relations, group interaction, time management, and project administration. The objectives of the course are to: l. Help students identify the field of management consulting and the role of a management consultant. 2. Familiarize students with the tools and techniques used during a consulting engagement, including technical, planning, problem solving, and clientrelations skills. 3. Provide students with an experience in project management and management consulting. Before the class begins, the instructor must identify client projects and individuals to act as team coaches. During the first three weeks of class, students are taught the consulting process and are organized into teams of three to five people. Near the end of this period, student teams contact their assigned clients and set up an initial meeting. In the initial meeting, students and the client determine the scope of the project and agree on working relationships. Student teams spend the last Il weeks of the course completing the project. A coach (usually a manager or partner of a CPA firm who is familiar with the client) works with each student team. Each student spends about 100 hours on the project. This combination provides the client with a professional product or service for an honorarium (generally $2,500) plus out-of-pocket expenses of the student team. The honorarium is paid directly to the School of Accountancy and Information Systems and expenses are reimbursed directly to the students. The funds the university receives are used to offset expenses incurred for the coaching services. However, since most CPA firms have chosen to donate their time, most honorariums have been used to fund student scholarships. Cherrington and Stocks (1986) described an early version of this course. This article describes the current approach to the course, provides help to those who might like to implement such a course, and gives student and client evaluations of its strengths and weaknesses. Key Words: Consulting class, Management consulting, and Consulting. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors. Copies of course materials are also available from the authors. HE remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section I discusses how to find clients for the course and how to assess their needs. Section Il describes how to find and train project coaches. Section Ill explains what is taught the first three weeks of the course and the development of project proposals. Section IV discusses how project progress is reported to the instructor and to the client. Section V discusses the results of surveys that measured both student and client satisfaction of the course. Supporting documents are shown in thecom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل appendices. 1, BEFORE CLASS BEGINS: CONTACTING POTENTIAL CLIENTS The consulting class requires more instructor time than almost any other class in the curriculum. Several months before the class begins, the instructor must contact potential clients, assess their needs, and identify willing coaches. Finding Clients The success of the course depends upon meeting both the business needs of the client and the educational needs of the student. The instructor must find client projects that fit students' interests, skills, and technical capabilities and that can be completed during the semester. More projects than student teams are needed because (1) some potential clients will later decline to participate and (2) some projects require technical skills that students do not possess or cannot develop during the semester. Finding more projects than needed also allows students some flexibility in choosing a project of interest to them. Clients are found in various ways. Faculty visit local offices of the major CPA firms, explain the class, and solicit their support in providing clients and coaches. Often, CPA firms identify clients whose needs are either too small for the CPA firm to pursue or do not justify the cost of a professional consultant. This has a number of benefits. Clients get the professional help they need for a very reasonable fee and the CPA firm ensures a quality product for its client while becoming acquainted with some of the better students in the program. While CPA firms have been an excellent source of clients, clients have been found in a number of other ways. Major businesses in the area are contacted, particularly those who have recruited former students. Alumni (including former students in the class) are able to identify potential clients. The university's development office as well as other departments and programs at the university are also contacted during the search. As knowledge of the course has spread, finding clients has become much easier because businesses see the class as a way to receive quality professional services at a nominal cost. Many clients want a consulting project performed every year. One challenge facing universities located in smaller communities as they implement this type of class is finding enough projects in the local area. Smaller companies, governmental agencies, and other departments on campus make excellent clients. Some of the smaller clients of the course have been software startup companies, retail stores, furniture outlets, museums, local transportation companies, radio and TV stations, doctor offices, medical clinics, copying services, and printing establishments. Assessing Client Needs Once potential clients are identified, they must be persuaded to participate and a meaningful project must be tentatively outlined. A good way to do this is to describe the course and the projects performed previously. First-time clients invariably ask about projects performed for other clients. A few class projects have been to: • Develop a computerized bidding process for a company. • Complete a needs analysis, requirements definition, and acquisition plan for a new computerized information system. • Develop a policies and procedures manual for an accounting system. • Identify factors causing differences between a work-in-process control account and the subsidiary ledger of jobs in process in a manufacturing accounting system. • Complete a feasibility study for building a fiber-optic network for intracompany communications and linking into long distance common carriers. Many times, prospective clients have said, "We could use a project just like the one you performed here. " Rarely has there been a company with an interest in sponsoring a project that does not have a list of problems, each of which could be a consulting project solvable by a student team with a coach's assistance. As instructors visit with the client and discuss their problems, they can pick those problems that are bestcom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل suited to their students. Through joint discussion with the client, project deliverables and team activities are identified. These become the basis for identifying the skills students will need and the amount of time required to complete the project. Using a 100 hour guideline for each student's involvement on a project, the instructor estimates the size of the student team. Project difficulty is largely determined by the skills required of the consultant and problems in obtaining information needed to complete the project. Projects requiring skills not possessed by student consultants are considered more difficult, and time must be factored into the project to allow them to obtain the needed skills. Additional time must also be allowed when information required by a project is difficult to obtain. This is much harder to estimate because of the inability to control the source or provider of the information. 11. BEFORE CLASS BEGINS: DEVELOPING TEAM COACHES Coaches provide the team with professional guidance and expertise. They act much like a basketball coach who provides direction and guidance from the sideline. Just as the basketball coach does not actually play in the game, the consulting coach is not expected to do the work of the engagement. The coach's role is to (l) guide and supervise the student team as they perform the work of the engagement and (2) ensure project results meet high quality standards. In addition, feedback from the coach at the end of the project is a factor in determining the students' grades. While the class could be taught without coaches, they provide significant advantages: l . Working under the supervision of an experienced professional creates a more professional atmosphere. Seasoned professionals can provide the students with experiences and insights most instructors are not able to provide. 2. Students and consulting professionals meet in a work setting, rather than just an interview setting. They can ask and receive answers to questions they might not be able to ask in an interview. They are also able to form a better opinion of the lifestyle and work of a consultant and determine whether it appeals to them. Some of the students receive offers from the firms providing the coaches. 3. Coaches bring a different skill set to the class. If class projects were limited to the instructor's skills, the number and type of projects would be narrowed significantly. By finding and using coaches with expertise in the area of the project's scope, the number and variety of projects are greatly expanded. 4. Coaches reduce the instructor's workload by helping with day-to-day project management. It is difficult for one instructor to supervise ten consulting projects. Finding Good Coaches Ideal coaches are skilled professionals or qualified instructors who can guide students throughout the project and review work for completeness and professionalism. Critically reviewing reports or recommendations before they go to the client is especially important to ensure high quality. Most coaches do this by meeting with the team for a few hours each week. Finding good coaches is often as difficult as finding good projects. Projects for companies that employ external auditors are frequently coached by a manager or partner from the audit firm. They want to provide assistance to their clients and they know that if they decline to help with the class another CPA firm will help them. When the client does not have an external auditor, CPA firms use this as an opportunity to meet potential clients. CPA firms also supply coaches because they want to support the school, improve their reputation among students, and recruit students for positions in their firms. The positive reputation achieved from being involved in the class impacts current and future students perceptions of the firm. Coaches also come from other backgrounds and experiences, e.g., professors, systems consultants, and other qualified professionals who havecom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل contact with the client and are willing to assist the students. Training Coaches Once coaches are identified, the instructor meets with them to review their responsibilities. Coaches are instructed not to do the work, but to guide the students as they complete the project. The main responsibilities of the coach are to: l . Review the project scope to make sure the project can be completed during the semester and in the indicated number of hours (100 hours per student). 2. Verify the engagement letter or proposal is of acceptable quality. 3. Help plan project phases and tasks and make sure students know how to approach the problem. 4. Monitor team progress by meeting with students periodically to see they are on schedule, gathering appropriate data, performing accurate analyses, and developing sound conclusions and recommendations. 5. Monitor client relationships. 6. Make sure the final product is of a professional quality and consistent with the scope as outlined in the proposal. 111. COURSE INSTRUCTION: THE FIRST THREE WEEKS The first three weeks of the semester are used to teach students the consulting process, organize students into teams, select projects, and make the initial client contact. This period culminates with the development of a project proposal, which is reviewed by the instructor and the coach and submitted to the client for approval. The remainder of the term is spent working with the client on the engagement. A consulting text is recommended reading for the class, but several texts and professional books on consulting services are available in the library. Student Training During the first three weeks of class students are given a broad overview of the consulting profession, professional standards and ethics, and individual phases of the consulting process. A series of readings, lectures, videos, and cases are used to teach some of the more important concepts such as: l . What constitutes a quality business proposal? 2. How should a good interview be conducted? 3. What factors are considered in developing a project plan? 4. How do you manage client expectations? Some of the cases, class activities, videos, and role playing exercises are described below: l . A video produced by Ernst & Young, entitled "Consultant's Day in Court, " shows the court proceeding of a lawsuit between a client and a consulting firm. This video illustrates the importance of a proposal or engagement letter, engagement documentation, client/consultant communications, and project supervision. 2. Students evaluate three consulting ethics cases that deal with situations similar to those students face while performing their projects. 3. Students are taught about proposal writing using a case that contains a proposal and a guideline matrix describing topics to be included in a proposal and criteria by which to evaluate each topic. 4. Interviewing skills are developed through an audio taped exercise. Pairs of students are given background information about a potential consulting engagement. They interview each other in a role playing exercise. Team members listen to the audio tapes and evaluate the interviews, identifying things that went well and areas to improve. 5. A case describing a consulting engagement from a staff consultant, engagement supervisor, office partner, client president, client department manager, and client employee perspective is used to help students understand how their actions are perceived by other people and how they should act on a consulting engagement. Class time is devoted almost entirely to helping students develop the non-technical skills common to all consulting engagements. Instruction on and advancement of technical skills occurs on a group-by-group basis as needed to complete a specific project. Rarely will students possess all the technical skills needed to complete a project. In general, faculty teach and students learn the skills required to perform the work. Near the end of thecom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل instructional period, teams of three to five students are organized and contact is made between the team and the client. Student teams are organized according to the student's skills and preferences and the size of the project. Students identify projects of interest to them, and the instructor interviews the students to learn more about their background and capabilities. Each student team contacts its coach and client to set up an organizational meeting. Initial Client Contact The initial client meeting brings the student team, client, instructor, and coach together for the first time. At this meeting, students seek to define the client's needs and gather information to develop a proposal. Students also discuss time constraints with the client and determine an appropriate scope for the project. Developing a Project Proposal Student teams develop a project proposal, which the client is asked to review and sign. The instructor and the coach must approve all written materials, including the proposal, before they are sent to the client. The proposal: l . Defines the scope of the project, which helps all parties become familiar with the client's expectations and helps the student team avoid committing to more work than they can accomplish. 2. Shows a task plan to track project progress from origin to completion. It includes key reporting points and goal dates for completing each segment of the project. 3. Specifies the honorarium and estimates out-of-pocket expenses, which are usually less than $500 per project. Occasionally, a client will request a change in a proposal. Frequently, the requested change improves the proposal and it is adopted. If the change expands the scope of the engagement or seems inappropriate, the instructor and coach assist the team in negotiating a settlement. IV. COMPLETING THE PROJECT: THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM Students prepare biweekly individual and team progress reports. Teams also make biweekly oral presentations in class on the progress of their projects. Students provide similar communication to the client and coach to ensure that the project is progressing as planned. Progress reports help keep the team on schedule and help maintain good client relationships. Dissatisfaction at the end of a project usually results from the team getting behind or not keeping the client informed throughout the engagement. Instructor or coach intervention can usually resolve problems when they are addressed on a timely basis. Final Client Presentation At the completion of the project, the student team provides a completed product or service to the client. This usually includes a written report and an oral presentation. To prepare for their formal presentation, teams have a practice presentation in class, which is evaluated by their peers, and the results become part of the final grade for the course. The final client presentation generally includes a detailed question and answer session. Documenting the Project The final product of the consulting class is the documentation and workpapers for each project. Documentation includes the following items: l . A copy of the signed proposal. 2. A copy of the final report with cross references to supporting workpaper documents. 3. Copies of major documents and workpapers that support the work performed and the results developed by the team. 4. Copies of team progress reports. 5. A copy of the client invoice for the honorarium and documentation for out-of-pocket expenses. Project workpapers are the property of the school and are retained for at least three years. These have proven to be useful in answering client questions on prior projects and in two instances have provided the basis for additional projects for the same client. V. EVALUATING THE COURSE Students in the consulting class in 1992 and 1993 were surveyed by mail immediately after completing the course. (See appendix A for the survey instrument.) Responses were received from 51 of the 58 students (88com.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل percent). The responses are analyzed in several ways: client satisfaction, perceived benefits to students, skills development, effectiveness of coaches, problems students had with the course, and effectiveness of the class in meeting its overall course objectives. Benefit to Students Students found a number of tangible benefits from the consulting course. Forty (78 percent) of the respondents were actively using their consulting experience in pursuing professional em- ployment. Eleven (22 percent) indicated the consulting experience produced job opportunities for them. All students would recommend the course to a friend. In evaluating how well the class prepared them for their career, 9 of the 51 students rated it the very best, 39 as one of the best, and 3 rated it the same as other classes. Student comments about the benefits they received from the course include: l . It was exciting doing the real thing and working directly with a client! The class was as close to on-the-job training as a college course could offer. I had the opportunity to use a wide variety of skills and the broad base of knowledge I have obtained throughout my college career. 2. I learned the real stresses of meeting deadlines and fulfilling clients' expectations, that organization is essential, that you can never do a perfect job, and that procrastination leads to problems at crunch time. 3. I learned how to interact with clients and how to tiptoe tactfully through difficult issues. I gained a better understanding of company politics. I realized how important professionalism, planning, and the final presentation are. Skill Development To measure how well the course provided a work environment where students can develop professional skills, students were asked: "In comparison with other courses, how did the consulting course aid you in the development of professional skills?" Students evaluated I l skills on a scale of one to five, five being the highest. The nature of the skills students are able to develop and the extent to which they are able to do so depends largely on the project they choose and the role they played within their group. It would be unusual for a student to say he/she was able to develop each of the I l skills to a high level (a ranking of 5). Table I summarizes the student responses for each skill. The most significant areas of skill development came in client relations, project administration, and documentation methods. These results make intuitive sense since this is the only class where students directly interact with a client and one of the few classes in which they undertake a semesterlong project. The course also requires extensive documentation of the project. Skill areas scoring the lowest were in the areas of general business skills and technical competence. This is to be expected because projects that require students to expand their technical skills TABLE 1 Effectiveness of the Class in Developing Professional Skills (N = 51) Low Medium (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Mean Client relations 2 12 8 29 4.25 Project administration 2 8 17 23 4.16 Documentation methods 2 9 21 19 4.12 Planning/organization 2 13 25 1 1 3.88 Time management 4 10 25 12 3.88 Group interaction 2 3 9 22 15 3.88 Problem solving 3 15 21 12 3.82 Oral communication 6 15 22 7 3.55 Written communication 2 8 15 20 6 3.39 General business 3 8 22 13 5 3.18 Technical skills 4 13 16 13 5 3.04 significantly are avoided. Where possible, projects are selected that allow students to use the technical skills already learned and to interact with a client in solving a business problem. Evaluation of the Coaches The student survey question producing the greatest amount of diversity related to coach helpfulness in planning and completing the project. Eight students said their coach was very helpful, 7 said quite helpful, 15 said helpful, 15 said of little help, and 6 said the coach was no help at all. Fourteen students wrote comments about their coach. Some were very complimentary such as "He gave goodcom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل direction in managing client expectations and interpreting client communications. " Others were negative such as "Our coach had absolutely no experience in the area and was of no help. " The diversity of student responses is not surprising. Unfortunately, there are usually one or more coaches who agree to help but have little or no interaction with the consulting teams. In almost all cases where the coach was a meaningful part of the project and worked with the group, students were able to derive a significant benefit from associating with him/her. Since ultimate responsibility for the success of a project rests with the instructor, he or she must step in and fill the coach's role when the coach fails to perform. This adds to the instructor's workload but does not reduce the quality of the project. Problems Students Had With the Course Students were asked what problems they had with the course. The most frequent response (12 of the 51 students) was that the class was too time consuming. Because of the nature of the class, it is not possible to eliminate the time problem completely. It is difficult to estimate accurately how much time each project will take and to anticipate all problems. However, using larger groups helps, because there were fewer time related complaints in 1992, when the student groups were larger, than in 1993, when smaller groups were used. Better direction and supervision from the instructor and the coaches could also reduce the time commitment. Students can alleviate some problems if they will bring to the instructor's attention any group members who are not pulling their weight. Another frequently mentioned problem (mentioned by 7 students) was the need to start the projects earlier in the semester. Most projects take a few weeks to start. It takes time for students to contact the client, arrange a mutually acceptable meeting time, determine the nature of the project, write a proposal, get it approved, and get started on the project. In past semesters client assignments were not made until the end of the three week instruction period. The result has been that the students have some down time between the end of class instruction and the beginning of their project. That only leaves six to nine weeks to complete the project. A solution is to assign projects at the beginning of the course and have them make immediate contact with the client. Class instruction can be given during the time they are getting organized and defining the nature of their project. This should eliminate most of the down time and give students more time on the project. Six students commented on group-related problems such as others not carrying their weight, lack of a group leader, and having a person that was very difficult to work with. These are typical problems students have when they work in groups. To help minimize these problems peer evaluations can be a part of the grading process, students can be allowed to form their own groups, teams can be required to select a team leader, and one or more confidential interim group evaluations can be used to help spot problems during the term. Three students mentioned problems with their clients. The comments dealt with the clients not knowing what they wanted, discounting student opinions and judgment, and lack of personal contact with the clients. However, all client problems were satisfactorily resolved with the help of the coach or the instructor. This feedback provides insight on student concerns; the steps taken to resolve the problems should improve the quality of the class. Meeting Overall Course Objectives The questionnaire asked students to use a 5-point scale to evaluate how successful the class was in meeting its stated objectives. Table 2 summarizes student responses. Students felt the class was successful in meeting its objectives, particularly in providing a consulting experience for each student. Assessing the Lasting Value of the Course In order to evaluate the lastingcom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل impact of the course and obtain feedback from seasoned professionals, prior students who had graduated from the university and had substantial work experience were surveyed by telephone. A total of 105 students took the course between its inception in 1980 and 1987. Of these, 23 (22 percent) were located and interviewed by telephone (appendix B). Three key issues were of interest to us in this survey: (a) how this course compared with other courses taken at the university, (b) the success of the class in teaching key concepts dealing with management consulting and the consulting process, and (c) things participants liked and did not like about the course. Relative Value of Consulting Course Graduates were asked to rate the overall value of the management consulting course compared to other courses in their university program. Four individuals (17 percent) identified this course as the best course they took at the university. Fifteen people (65 percent) ranked it in the top 10 percent, and the remaining 4 individuals (17 percent) ranked it in the top 15 percent of their university courses. No one rated it below the top 15 percent of their courses. Success in Teaching Key Concepts Table 3 summarizes participants' ratings of how well the class taught key concepts dealing with management consulting and the consulting process. The table shows the frequency of each response and the mean score for each key concept. Given the structure of the course, it was not surprising to find "Pricing services" and "Billing and collecting from clients" as two of the more poorly rated concepts. These items are handled primarily by the instructor and the coach. It is surprising that the three highest rated concepts were "Writing and presenting a final report, " "Tasking out a project," and "Oral and written communications. " These important concepts do receive a lot of attention in the class, but some other con- TABLE 2 Meeting Course Objectives (N = 51) Low Medium Course Objectives (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Mean Provide relevant experience through a consulting project Familiarize students with 1 4 9 37 4.61 consulting tools and skills Help students identify the field 1 5 25 20 4.25 of management consulting 6 28 16 4.14 TABLE 3 Teaching Key Concepts (N = 23) Poor so-so Great Key Concepts (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Mean The management consulting profession Professional ethics for 7 10 4 3.65 management consultants Practice development and 6 9 5 2 3.04 marketing techniques 8 7 7 3.04 Proposal writing 2 1 5 12 3 3.57 Pricing services Billing and collecting from 5 3 11 3 1 2.65 clients 12 4 5 1 1 1.91 Tasking out a project 15 7 4.26 Making personnel assignments 8 10 3 3.57 Managing project personnel 2 9 9 2 3.39 Research design Oral and written 10 10 2 3.57 communications Quantitative and qualitative 1 3 8 Il 4.26 analysis 2 2 5 10 4 3.52 Managing client relationships Documentation and working 1 2 8 8 4 3.52 papers 3 7 8 5 3.65 Interviewing techniques 1 6 1 1 5 3.87 Managing conflict 2 2 7 10 2 3.35 Building consensus Personnel performance 2 6 I l 3 3.57 evaluations 3 2 7 10 1 3.17 Implementing project results Writing and presenting a final 4 6 5 7 1 2.78 report 9 13 4.52 cepts, like writing proposals, managing client relationships, project administration, and documentation receive a lot of attention but were not similarly rated. It is interesting to compare prior graduate responses in table 3 with recent student responses in table l . The oral and written communication skills were more highly valued by prior graduates who had spent several years as practicing professionals. Likes, Dislikes, and Recommended Changes Graduates found the practical experience to be very useful and commented on the impact of the course on their careers. Comments like working on a real life problem, interacting with a client and a coach, seeing a finished product, applying academic knowledge, and experiencing the type of work I will be doing in the future werecom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل common. Criticisms of the course and suggested course changes focused on a need for more interaction with and supervision from a coach or instructor, a need to start projects early in the semester, and a need for projects that are more interesting or fit better with students' areas of expertise. Client Satisfaction To measure client satisfaction, all clients of the 1992 and 1993 classes were sent a one page questionnaire (appendix C). Responses were received from 15 of the 17 clients (88 percent). Clients were asked to respond to six statements about the course by circling a number from one to five, with five being "strongly agree. " In addition, the questionnaire had two open-ended questions. One asked how the project was used; the other asked for suggested improvements. The frequency and mean of client responses to the six statements are shown in table 4. Most clients seemed to be satisfied with the class. Analysis of the individual responses highlighted two clients, one for disagreeing and the other for giving an indifferent response to three of the six statements. Neither of the two clients indicated why they were dissatisfied or indifferent, nor did they give suggestions for improvement. One client disagreed that the fees were appropriate for the services provided, even though the client was pleased with the results of the project. This same client was indifferent as to encouraging a business associate to use a student consulting team. In contrast, one of the 15 clients was so pleased with the results of the project they paid $4,000 instead of the $2,500 amount specified in the proposal. One client suggested that student teams identify follow-up projects. Several client suggestions dealt with communication issues: progress meetings that would include the professor and the coach, group interviews between the student team and top management, and more time given to educating client personnel. One client requested a more detailed analysis; another wanted more research assistance given to the project team. Clients were also asked if the results were used and if so, how. Among the comments were the following: l . We passed the project results to our auditors, who used the consulting team's calculations to complete a larger project and to assist us in preparing our tax return. TABLE 4 Client Response to the Course (N = 15) Strongly Strongly No Disagree Disagree Indifferent Agree Agree Statement Response (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Mean The project provided students with a useful learning experience. 2 7 6 4.46 The fees were appropriate for the services provided. 1 7 7 4.33 The company was satisfied with the performance of the consulting team. 1 8 6 4.33 I would consider using a consulting team in the future. 3 5 7 4.27 I would encourage a business associate to use a consulting team. 3 6 6 4.20 The project did not place undue time demands upon company participants. 10 4 4.20 2. We are using the recommendation as a basis for evaluating proposals from various software/hardware vendors. 3. The project set up a financial recording system that is far more efficient, made us better organized and cohesive as a team, gives us better information, and eliminates a lot of needless duplication of records. VI. CONCLUSIONS This article describes the graduate consulting class at Brigham Young University. It discusses how to find clients for the course, how to assess their needs, how to find and train project coaches, what is taught in the course, and how project progress is reported to the instructor and to the client. It also discusses surveys that measured student and client satisfaction with the course. Students give the class high marks. Survey results indicate the graduate consulting course meets its objectives of providing students an opportunity to develop professional skills through a consulting experience. It also provides them with a marketable learning experience. Clients are satisfied with the course because they receive a qualitycom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل service at a nominal fee. Most clients are interested in having another consulting team work with them, and would encourage a business associate to use a consulting team. The university benefits from the positive interaction with the business community. The course increases student and university exposure to the local business community, and builds a partnership between the university, CPA firms, and businesses in the area. Future students also benefit in that the honorariums are used to fund student scholarships. As accounting and systems professionals increase their demands for students with consulting skills, the academic environment must respond with relevant education and practical experience. This course accomplishes these objectives. APPENDIX A Student Response Survey Stem: Tax Professional l . Why did you take the management consulting class? Required course Recommended by a friend/faculty member Personal interest Other (Please identify) Planning/organization Written communication Project administration Time management Client relations Problem-solving skills Group interaction Documentation methods Technical skills General business Oral communication Other 2. In comparison with other courses, how well did the consulting class aid you in your development of professional skills? (Score each skill on a I to 5 scale with 5 being the highest.) 3. How does the management consulting course rank against your other classes in preparing you for your career? Very Best One of Best Same as Others One of poorest Worst 4. Will you (did you) mention the management consulting experience on your resume or in a job interview? Yes No QT Did your consulting experience produce any direct job opportunities? Yes No (If yes, please explain.) 5. Would you recommend the consulting class to another student who is considering taking it? Yes No (Explain your answer.) 6. How helpful was your coach in the planning and completion of your project? Very Helpful Quite Helpful Helpful Little Help No Help at All 7. How successful was the class in meeting its stated objectives listed below (score I to 5, with 5 being highly successful)? Help students identify the field of management consulting and the role of the management consultant. Familiarize students with the tools, techniques, and personal skills used during a consulting engagement (i.e., planning, diagnosis, problem solving, client relations, etc.). Give students a relevant experience in project management and management consulting through a consulting project. 8. Discuss any benefits you received from taking the class. 9. Discuss briefly any problems you had with the course. (i.e., too time consuming, poor project, ineffective coach, etc.). APPENDIX B Telephone Survey to Evaluate Management Consulting Course Name: Telephone Address: Historical Background: Experience (yrs.) in Consulting Audit Corporate Acct/ Mgt. Other If consulting experience, list major consulting areas: Rate the overall value of the Management Consulting course compared to all courses taken at the university: Top Class Top Top 50% Top Top 25% Bottom 50% What did you like best about the class (2 or 3 items)'? What did you like least about the class (2 or 3 items)? What changes would you recommend (2 or 3 items)'? Rate on a scale of I to 5 (l = Poor, 3 = so-so, and 5 = Outstanding) how well the class taught the following concepts dealing with management consulting and the consulting process: l . The management consulting profession 1 2 3 4 5 2. Ethics for management consultants 2 3 4 5 3. Practice development and marketing techniques 2 3 4 5 4. Proposal writing 1 2 3 4 5 5. Pricing services 2 3 4 5 6. Billing and collecting from clients 2 3 4 5 7. Tasking out a project 1 2 3 4 5 8. Making personnel assignment 1 2 3 4 5 9. Managing project personnel 1 2 3 4 5 10. Research design 2 3 4 5 l l . Oral and writtencom.lakhasly تم تلخيص النص بواسطة موقع لخصل communications 2. 3 4 5 12. Quantitative and qualitative analysis 2 3 4 5 13. Managing client relations 1 2 3 4 5 14. Documentation and working papers 1 2 3 4 5 15. Interviewing techniques 1 2 3 4 5 16. Managing conflict 2 3 4 5 17. Building consensus 2 3 4 5 18. Personnel performance evaluations 1 2 3 4 5 19. Implementing project results 1 2 3 4 5 20. Writing and presenting a final report 2 3 4 5 Are there any other comments you would like to make about the class? APPENDIX C Client Response Survey Dear sir or madam, We are conducting a brief survey of clients who have been involved with the management consulting course offered through Brigham Young University. The results of the survey are part of a research article being developed to assess the strength of the current program. Please take a few moments and answer the following questions. A self-addressed envelope is provided for your convenience. Thanks for your participation. Score each of the following on a scale from one to five as follows: I -Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-lndifferent, 4-Agree, 5-Strongly Agree l . The company was satisfied with the performance of the BYU 1 2 3 4 5 consulting team. 2. The consulting fees were appropriate for the services provided. I 2 3 4 5 3. The project did not place undue time demands upon staff participants. 1 2 3 4 5 4. I would encourage a business associate to use a BY U consulting 1 2 3 4 5 team. 5. I would consider using a BYU team to complete another project in 1 2 3 4 5 the future. 6. The consulting project provided the student with a useful learning I 2 3 4 5 experience. 7. Were the results of the consulting project used by the company? If so, how? 8. What improvements would you suggest in the current program? 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