Consultancy Cp Mgt Consulting
Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession
The consulting process
An overview
During a typical consulting intervention, the consultant and the client undertake a set of activities required for achieving the desired purposes and changes. These activities are normally known as “the consulting process”. This process has a clear beginning (the relationship is established and work starts) and end (the consultant departs). Between these two points the process can be subdivided into several phases, which helps both the consultant and the client to be systematic and methodical, proceeding from phase to phase, and from operation to operation.
Many different ways of subdividing the consulting process, or cycle, into major phases can be found in the literature. Various authors suggest models ranging from three to ten phases. 11 We have chosen a simple five-phase model, comprising entry, diagnosis, action planning, implementation and termination. This model, shown in figure 1.2, will be used consistently in our book.
Figure 1.2 Phases of the consulting process
• First contact with clients
• Preliminary problem diagnosis
1. Entry
• Assignment planning
• Assignment proposals to client
• Consulting contract
2. Diagnosis
3. Action Planning
4. Implementation
5. Termination
•
•
•
•
•
Purpose analysis
Problem analysis
Fact finding
Fact analysis and synthesis
Feedback to client
•
•
•
•
Developing solutions
Evaluating alternatives
Proposals to client
Planning for implementation
•
•
•
Assisting with implementation
Adjusting proposals
Training
•
•
•
•
•
Evaluation
Final Report
Settling commitments
Plans for follow-up
Withdrawal
This extract is reproduced from the book entitle Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession
(4th Edition Pages 21-24 with the kind permission of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Copyright © International Labour Organisation 2002
Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession
A universal model cannot be applied blindly to all
The consulting process
An overview
During a typical consulting intervention, the consultant and the client undertake a set of activities required for achieving the desired purposes and changes. These activities are normally known as “the consulting process”. This process has a clear beginning (the relationship is established and work starts) and end (the consultant departs). Between these two points the process can be subdivided into several phases, which helps both the consultant and the client to be systematic and methodical, proceeding from phase to phase, and from operation to operation.
Many different ways of subdividing the consulting process, or cycle, into major phases can be found in the literature. Various authors suggest models ranging from three to ten phases. 11 We have chosen a simple five-phase model, comprising entry, diagnosis, action planning, implementation and termination. This model, shown in figure 1.2, will be used consistently in our book.
Figure 1.2 Phases of the consulting process
• First contact with clients
• Preliminary problem diagnosis
1. Entry
• Assignment planning
• Assignment proposals to client
• Consulting contract
2. Diagnosis
3. Action Planning
4. Implementation
5. Termination
•
•
•
•
•
Purpose analysis
Problem analysis
Fact finding
Fact analysis and synthesis
Feedback to client
•
•
•
•
Developing solutions
Evaluating alternatives
Proposals to client
Planning for implementation
•
•
•
Assisting with implementation
Adjusting proposals
Training
•
•
•
•
•
Evaluation
Final Report
Settling commitments
Plans for follow-up
Withdrawal
This extract is reproduced from the book entitle Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession
(4th Edition Pages 21-24 with the kind permission of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Copyright © International Labour Organisation 2002
Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession
A universal model cannot be applied blindly to all