BS4D03 Schedule/ Weekly Breakdown

Week 1: The Nature of Consulting Projects

Summary: During this week, students are required to participate in the Peer discussion forum where they will introduce themselves to their instructor and peers as well as submit an individual assignment on the role of consultants. Activities: Task 1: Welcome and Discussion of Module' Expectations Forum Task 2: Individual Task – The Role of Business Consultants and Their Duties

Week 2: Selection of Client's Project

Summary: During this week, students are required to read carefully each client’s project and select one that is related to their interest. Once the selection of client’s project is made, students need to post a response in the news forum, where they will inform their tutor about the selected case of client' project, establish reasons to justify their selection of the specific client, and explain how this case attracted their research interest, as well as establish the requirements of the selected client' project. It is important that students must be able to communicate the scope of the select client’s project which basically is reflecting the scope of the module i.e. its consulting capacity.

Activities: Task 1: Discuss Reasons of Selected Client's Project Task 2: Individual Task – Topic Selection of Client' Project

Week 3: Preparing for a Good Start

Summary: During this week, students are required to read carefully each different quality example of A3 maps and critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of a number of different A3 maps’ qualities as well as participate in the Peer discussion forum where they will inform peers and instructor for any difficulties or challenges they have faced while assessing the different quality A3 maps.

Activities: Task 1: Discussion for the Assessment of A3 maps Task 2: Individual Task – Strengths and Weaknesses of A3 Maps Assignment

Week 4: Setting Aims and Objectives based on Client’s requirements

Summary: During this week, a certain range of reading materials will be included to enable students to identify and articulate the structural, functional, and

resources requirement objectives based on the selected client’s project. Bear in mind that the structural, functional, and resources requirement objectives which will be submitted as this week’s task will be copy and pasted in the final report followed by a more analytical content.

Activities: Task 1: Discussion for the importance of clearly stated aims and objectives Task 2: Individual Task: Project Requirements and Objectives

Week 5: Supportive Evidence

Summary: During this week, students are required to identify the supportive evidence that is related to their selected client’s project. The specific task will enable students to identity relevant business’ models and industry’s related information that are associated with the selected client’s project in order to justify how they will meet the aforementioned objectives (stated as a previous week task). Students will be mainly focusing on the provision of a critical explanation of how the aforementioned objectives will be met. Bear in mind that this task’s written content will be copy and pasted in the final report therefore, please follow carefully the instructions of the individual written task’ requirements.

Activity: Task 1: Individual Task – Identifying Supportive Evidence

Week 6: Summarizing ALL the necessary elements for client’s project

Summary: During this week, students are required to complete an A3 map template based on the selected client’s project requirements. This task will enable students to identify the critical sections which will compile the final dissertation report later on. As this task is very critical, students will be submitting twice the A3 map towards the seventh week. As per the sixth week’s submission a detailed feedback will be provided to enable students to correct mistakes and re-submit the revised A3 map during the seventh week.

Activity: Task 1: Individual Task – Initial Submission of A3 map for feedback

Week 7: Re-submission of A3 map

Summary: During this week and based on the feedback that students received from previous week’s initial A3 map submission, students are required to re-submit the A3 map with revised content.

Activities: Task 1: Discussion on the Process of Learning from feedback Task 2: Individual Task – Final submission of A3 map (revised).

Week 8: Managing Project Report/ Content Writing

Summary: During this week students are required to start the content writing of the final project report. At the end of this week, students will have to complete the first two chapters (chapter 1/Introduction that includes the background and objectives approximately 1200 words, as well the chapter 2/Supportive evidence approximately 3400 words of the final report and submit them through the VLE link for constructive feedback. In addition, students are required to participate in the News Forum. Activities:

Task 1: Discussion on the Content Writing Progress Task 2: Individual Task – Dissertation Project Check Point

Week 9: Managing Project Report/ Content Writing

Summary: During this week students are required to continue the content writing of the final project report. At the end of this students will have to complete the chapters 3 & 4 (Chapter 3: Gantt Chart Method approximately 1400 words & Chapter 4: Contribution approximately 1600 words) of the final report and submit them through the VLE link for constructive feedback. In addition, students are required to participate in the News Forum. Activities:

Task 1: Discussion on the Content Writing Progress Forum Task 2: Individual Task – Dissertation Project Check Point

Week 10: Managing Project Report/ Content Writing

Summary: During this week students are required to continue the content writing of the final project report. At the end of this week students will have to complete the chapter 5 (Chapter 5: Concluding Remarks approximately 800 words) of the final report and submit them through the VLE link for constructive feedback. In addition, students are required to participate in the News Forum.

Activities:

Task 1: Discussion on the Content Writing Progress Forum Task 2: Individual Task – Dissertation Project Check Point

Week 11: "Selling" the Consultant's approach to the Client

Summary: During this week, students will have to create a power-point presentation that summarizes the Key elements of the management project. This presentation will be designed and presented to the selected client as an attempt to convince them that your approach is the best while meeting their requirements. In addition, students are required to participate in the News Forum.

Activities:

Task 1: Discuss the challenges while creating a power-point presentation Task 2: Individual Task – Power-point-presentation submission link

Week 12: Reflective Portfolio – Current Thinking and Practice

Summary: During this week students, will start thinking the second Part of their overall assessment known as your Reflective Portfolio. In this week students will start thinking how the process of completing their dissertation/project empowered their business thinking as well how this process will assist them to apply this knowledge to business' future operations and developed their skills as future business leader. In addition, students are required to participate in the News Forum. Activity:

Task 1: Discussion on Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle

Week 13 & 14:

Summary: During the weeks 13 and 14, students will start and complete the content writing of the reflective portfolio in order to reach the 3,600 required words. Additionally, during these weeks students will have the opportunity to solve questions that may arise while writing reflectively your portfolio through the News Forum. Finally, by the end of the 14th week the reflective portfolio must be submitted in the VLE for constructive feedback. Activities:

Task 1: Discussion on the progress of Reflective Writing

Task 2: Individual Task – Reflective Portfolio Content Writing Check Point

Week 15: Assessment Point – Project Submission for Grading

Summary: During this week students are required submit for Grading the TWO parts of the Module Assessment (100% final marks). The deadline for the summative assessment is due by the end of Week 15, Sunday 11 pm (23:00 hours) VLE (UTC) time. Prior of Submitting students need to make sure the following:

PART A: Management Project. The completed management project report that includes ALL the chapters. The final report MUST BE SUBMITED through the VLE link for GRADING. Prior of submitting make sure that the document includes the following: 1) Cover Page and List of Contents 2) Chapter 1: Introduction – Background and Objectives. 3) Chapter 2: Supportive Evidence. 4) Chapter 3: Study of Gantt chart. 5) Chapter 4: Contribution. 6) Chapter 5: Concluding Remarks. 7) References. 8) Appendices (if there are any) Please acknowledge and cite all the relevant sources. The formatting of your citation and references must align with the Harvard referencing system. Word limit 8.400 (+/- 10%) PART B: Reflective Portfolio. The completed Reflective Portfolio that includes ALL the sections MUST BE SUBMITED through the VLE link for GRADING. Prior of submitting make sure that the document includes the following: 1) Cover Page and List of Contents 2) Assumptions 3) Ethics and Values 4) Time Management 5) Learning from Experience and Moving Forward 6) References (if you are using text-citations and theoretical viewpoints) Word limit 3.600 (+/- 10%)

Activity:

Task 1: SUBMISSION LINK: MANAGEMENT PROJECT & REFLECTIVE PORTFOLIO

Week 16: Final Thoughts/Module Evaluation

Summary: While students are waiting for their grades, this week is designed to enable students thoughts’ sharing of the process of Dissertation as well provide personal opinions that will assist module evaluation and improvement.

Activity 1: News Forum Post Discussion

Activity 2: Complete Module evaluation Survey