Professional Skills - Consultancy

Course manual 2023/2024

Course content

As a MSc graduate you may want to provide professional or expert advice to external parties. Consultants need a variety of skills and tools in order to be effective in their work. Good consultants are able to effectively define and structure a challenge, select the right data, and propose multiple directions to overcome the challenge. They are able to actively involve and engage their client and other stakeholders, and convince them of the advised direction. Your science background provides you with essential knowledge, and, even more important, crucial skills, like critical thinking, researching, and crunching data. However, in a society where information flows increasingly faster, other skills are equally important.

In this course you will work on developing your advisory skills, you will learn different consultancy methods and you will learn how to use a systemic approach to solving problems. This course will help you to become an impactful professional, whether that is in science, consultancy, or any other profession.

This course consists of 4 sessions:

1. Create clarity: focused on using the pyramid principle to provide clarity and structure in a complex challenge.
2. Create value: focused on creating an analysis that provides direction for meaningful, holistic, and widely supported interventions.
3. Create support and advice: focused on creating and delivering recommendations for effective and sustaining impact.
4. Delivery and transfer: focused on delivering a presentation and moderating stakeholder discussion, transferring you project to your client.

Study materials

Other

• All materials that will be used in this course will be shared at the start of and during the course on Canvas.

Objectives

• The student can use the pyramid principle to provide clarity and structure in a complex challenge
• The student can create an analysis that provides direction for meaningful, holistic, and widely supported interventions
• The student can create recommendations that drive effective and sustaining impact, both short and long term
• The student can deliver a presentation and moderate stakeholder discussion that both increases support and inspires to act
• The student can reflect on the positive/negative societal impact of the consultancy sector

Teaching methods

• Self-study
• Tutorials
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

The Tutorial is an interactive learning activity. In the Tutorials we will discuss practical information about consultancy in general and associated skills and methods, we will have discussions about societal impact and the role of consultancy therein, but you will mostly work on assignments (individually and in groups) to understand and be able to apply the subject matter. Learning by doing!

Outside of the tutorials you will have time to prepare for the tutorials and deepen your knowledge and skills during self-study. You will also have to provide feedback to peers.

You will also cooperate with 2-4 other students on a consultancy case study, where you can apply what you learn about consultancy skills.

Learning activities

Attendance

Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):

1. Attendance during practical components exercises is mandatory.

Additional requirements for this course:

Attendance and participation during tutorials are mandatory. All sessions are planned on campus (we do not facilitate hybrid sessions).

Students may be absent in 1 of the tutorials, but only when communicated in advance to the course teacher(s).

Assessment

The course is assessed with a pass/fail. All assignments must be passed to pass the course. Students are allowed 1 re-take attempt.

Inspection of assessed work

Grading review is possible on request, either during the course (partial grade) or after the course (final grade). Please contact the course teacher to make an appointment.

Assignments

Assignments:

The description for all assignment can be found on canvas > assignments 

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Honours information

The Professional Skills-Consultancy credits do not count towards a cum laude degree.

Contact information

Coordinator

• Jarik Guijt

Staff

• Jarik Guijt