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MBA 690R
Service Learning Field Studies
Instructor: Louise Moser Illes, Director, Service Learning
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Utilizing business skills to assist individuals and community organizations
- Engaging in a meaningful service-learning experience
- Experience managing a consulting project with a strict deadline
- Build value of civic engagement and understand ways to have positive impact on community needs
ELEMENTS OF A CONSULTING PROJECT
a) Project scope and objectives
b) Initial interviews
c) Formulate approach to meeting objectives and scope
d) Identify milestones and establish deadlines
e) Engagement letter
f) Research/field work
g) Ongoing communications with client
h) Analysis of data
i) Final report with conclusions and recommendations
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
1. Select team leader. This person will have primary responsibility to schedule team meetings and
ensure that project objectives are set and achieved. This person will also be responsible for
communicating with the Field Studies program director and client.
2. Create Task Plan and letter of understanding with client (letter of engagement)
3. Maintain focus : (stick to the engagement letter, or document proposed adjustment to scope - avoid "scope creep")
4. Identify needed resources
5. Time budgeting/tracking
6. Gantt chart
7. Working papers
- Engagement control file
- Engagement letter
- Any scope revisions
- Final report
- Project work plan/budgeted hours
- Client correspondence
- Time sheets/progress reports
- Supporting working papers
- Client-supplied documents
- Interview notes and summaries
- Other relevant correspondence
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Confidentiality
- Avoid conflicts of interest and making unrealistic promises/commitments
- Objectivity
- Suppress personal biases
COMMUNICATIONS WITH CLIENT
- Contact to schedule interview
- Preparation
- Team members individually prepare to come to first brainstorming session
- First brainstorming session asks:
- Who do we need to interview?
- What should we ask those to be interviewed?
- What are the objectives of each interview?
- What kind of general background information do we need?
- What other initial facts do we need?
- Assignments
- Conduct interviews. Gather other initial facts.
- Second brainstorming session asks:
- In one sentence what is the client asking the team to do?
- What is the underlying problem or opportunity that has led to the client's request?
- What are forces at work in the client's environment (market, organizational, financial, strategic, etc.) affecting the problem or opportunity?
- Is the client's request the optimal approach for solving this problem?
- If not, how do we communicate a recommended alternative approach?
- If the client's request is the optimal approach how should we address it?
- Draft engagement letter.
- Summarize the problems or issues the team will address.
- Outline the steps or phases the project will include. What specifically will the team do in solving the problem or meeting the client's request?
- Provide a schedule or time frame for each of the phases or steps.
- Define the limits of the team's accountability, the limits of the scope of the project (what the project will not include), and set reasonable expectations.
- Describe what will be needed from the client.
- Interviews/fact finding
INTERIM COMMUNICATIONS
- REQUIRED! A representative of the team must contact the client at least once each week during the semester.
Clients must be reassured that progress is being made and in the intended direction.
- Questions
- Points of Clarification
- Status Reports
FINAL PRESENTATION
- Oral and written report
- Well-rehearsed, timed
- Professional delivery
- Visual aids
GRADING STRUCTURE
| Points |
Item |
| 70 |
Written and Oral Progress Reports |
| 100 |
Final Reflection Paper |
| 200 |
Final Report and Oral Presentation |
| 80 |
Documentation of project |
| 150 |
Team Performance Evaluations |
| 600 |
Total Possible Points |
SCORING OF FINAL REPORT/PRESENTATION
| Points |
Item |
| 100 |
Substance/quality of analysis |
| 60 |
Delivery of scope and objectives as defined in engagement letter |
| 40 |
Professional quality of report/presentation |
| 200 |
Total Possible Points |
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
| Deadline |
Item |
| September 28 |
Initial interviews conducted |
| October 5th |
Engagement letter signed, task plan or gantt chart submitted. |
| October 19th |
Progress report. Compare budget vs. actual on task plan. Revised task plan if needed. Reflection questions |
| October 26th |
Working drafts of papers. |
| November 29th |
Final presentation to client. |
| December 7th |
Final reflection paper, submit all working papers, performance evaluations. |
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