Managing the Consulting Engagement
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Transcript of Managing the Consulting Engagement
Managing the Consulting Engagement
The Consulting Engagement Lifecycle
Evaluation
Commitment
Engagement
Closure
Maintenance
Project Management
Knowledge and Practice
Subject Matter
Expertise
General Management Knowledge
and Practice
Management Disciplines in a Consulting Engagement
Several management disciplines come to play in a consulting engagement• General management knowledge
generally used to plan, organize, staff, execute & control operations of an enterprise• Subject matter expertise on
technical elements (software, construction) or industry elements (automotive, financial)• Project management knowledge
and practice that this material will focus on in slides ahead
Deconstructing the Consulting Project
Project Management Responsibilities
Project Management Processes
Consulting Engagement Lifecycle
The following sections examine
each of these dimensions
The Consulting Engagement Lifecycle
The Consulting Engagement Lifecycle
Evaluation
Commitment
Engagement
Closure
Maintenance
Evaluation
Activities• Lead qualification• Client organization
analysis• Approach development• Opportunity assessment
Output• Value proposition, potential
benefits, risk ratings• Engagement approach:
stakeholder identification; scope & objectives; effort and cost estimates; project plan outline; skills required;
Ensure that all factors related to the opportunity are considered prior to committing resources to the proposal.
The delivery organization decides whether the engagement is aligned to its core competencies and whether the client belongs to its target market segment.
Commitment
Activities• Proposal and contract
development– Scope definition– Project approach
development
• Contract negotiation and agreement
Output• An approach, scope and
objectives to the potential project
• One of the following:– A signed contract– Decision not to propose– Client decision to not accept the
proposal
Agree on the engagement parameters of scope, outcome, cost and execution method.
If the opportunity is one that the delivery organization wishes to pursue then it builds commitment to the assignment.
Engagement
Activities• Mobilize team• Analyze issues &
envision solution• Implement
recommendation
Output• Project management
documentation • Sign offs on deliverables &
work products • Final deliverable to meet
the project objective
Transition to the envisioned state within the agreed scope.
This stage is the ‘‘main course’’ of the project. The consultant builds on output from previous stages and proceeds as per the method decided earlier to achieve the outcomes agreed in the contract.
Closure
Activities• Measure client satisfaction• Harvest project knowledge• Confirm project
completion• Demobilize team• Finalize billing
Output• Plan ongoing
maintenance• Formal closure report,
including measurement criteria & results
• Debriefing report & updated knowledgebase
Close the project with client agreeing that contracted outcomes have been achieved.
Evaluation of project results determine the extent to which anticipated goals have been achieved.
Maintenance
Activities• Keeping client updated
with industry trends and consultant events
• Receiving client feedback on success resulting from consulting assignment
Output• Enhanced relationship
between the client and the consultant
• A returning client for a subsequent assignment
It isn’t over until it’s over. For the successful consultant it is never over. Consultants develop a strategy for maintaining client contact, protecting their investment, and expanding to other areas within the account.
Project Management Processes
Project Management Processes
Initiating
Planning Executing
Controlling
Closing
Process Iterations and Overlaps
Maintain
Close
Evaluate
Commit
Engage
Initiating
Planning
Executing
ControllingClosing
Project management processes overlap with each other and repeat in each stage of the engagement lifecycle
Activities
InitiatingDefining a project and organizing to start a project or a project phase. A detailed project plan may not exist in the Evaluation phase. However, follow-on phases are initiated based on the plan developed as a deliverable of the previous phase
• Mobilize infrastructure for project• Identify all project
stakeholders and their goals or interests
• Communicate with stakeholders to firm up their commitments
Activities
Planning
Developing / maintaining a plan to execute the project phase. Planning defines what needs to be done when, by whom, & required resources. It’s a continuous process. The Level of detail depends on project phase and intended use.
• Scope planning• Resource planning• Activity planning• Expense budgeting
• Infrastructure planning• Training to project team• Risk mitigation plan• Communication strategy• Project charter
Activities
Executing
Coordinating and authorizing people or other resources to carry out the plan. The project management activities in this phase are implementation of management mechanisms defined in the planning process.
• Plan execution• Team development• Scope verification
• Communication management
• Project procurement administration
Activities
Controlling
The purpose of the project management control process is to identify potential problems early and prevent them from happening, or if that is not possible, minimizing their impact. Preventing problems is far easier and less costly than solving them.
• Project plan tracking• Project review meetings
with stakeholders• Monitor resource utilization
• Incidence management: monitor effectiveness of the issue resolution, scope change procedures
• Identify potential time, cost over-runs
Activities
Closing
Formalizing the acceptance of the project or project phase and documenting lessons learned
• Obtain formal confirmation of project phase closure• Measure client satisfaction• Review plan, scope &
budget
• Obtain formal authorization to proceed to next phase in the project lifecycle
• Plan resources, infrastructure for subsequent phases
Project Management Responsibilities
Project Management ResponsibilitiesIntegration
Scope
Quality
Time
Cost
Risk
Communication
Organization Impact
HR Management
Procurement
Activities Output
Project Integration Management
• Project plan development• Project plan execution• Overall change control
• Project plan• Stakeholder analysis• Project charter• Agreed project management
methodology
Ensures coordination of all project elements such as infrastructure, resources, end client buy-in and other project management responsibilities.
Activities Output
Scope Management
• Scope planning• Scope definition• Scope verification• Scope change control
• Scope / requirements definition
• Work breakdown structure• Product baseline control• Project baseline control
No charging at windmills if your contract does not ask you to. Scope management comprises processes to ensure that the project has planned for all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.
Activities Output
Quality Management
• Quality planning• Quality assurance• Quality control
• Quality management plan• Operational definitions and
checklist• Rework and process
adjustments
Ensures that the project will satisfy the agreed-upon requirements. Quality management includes quality planning, quality assurance and quality control.
Activities Output
Cost Management
• Resource planning• Cost estimating• Cost budgeting• Cost control
• Resource requirements• Cost estimates• Cost management plan• Budget updates / corrective
action
Ensures that the project is completed within the approved budget. Cost management comprises estimating resources & cost, and monitoring & control of cost.
Activities Output
Time Management
• Activity definition• Activity sequencing• Schedule development• Schedule control
• Activity list• Project network diagram
(Gantt chart, PERT chart)• Project schedule• Schedule updates
Ensures timely completion of the project. It consists of task or activity definition, activity sequencing, resource planning, activity duration estimating, and development & control of project schedules.
Activities Output
Risk Management
• Risk identification• Risk quantification• Risk response development• Risk response control
• Risk event statement• Opportunities to
pursue/ignore, threats to accept/ respond to
• Risk management plan• Corrective action
Identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks associated with factors such as new technology, schedule constraints, availability of skills needed,, and degree of readiness of the user organization to accept changes the solution may introduce.
Activities Output
Communication Management
• Communication planning• Information distribution• Performance reporting• Administrative closure
• Communications plan• Project records and archives• Change requests• Formal acceptance• Lessons learned
Provides timely and appropriate generation and dissemination of project information to management and other stakeholders to ensure that their expectations are consistent with the realities of the project.
Activities Output
Organizational Impact Management
• Organizational readiness assessment
• Stakeholder management
• Organizational change plan• Training / knowledge transfer
Identifies organizational changes that must occur and develops appropriate communication and training programs for impacted departments and staff to support the new systems and processes
Activities Output
Human Resource Management
• Project organization planning• Staff acquisition• Team development
• Role & responsibility definitions
• Project organization plan• Team directory• Input to performance
appraisals
Provides effective leadership and management of the project team. Personal development and growth are key motivators for the project staff. Therefore, fostering development and growth are important parts of project Human Resource Management.
Activities Output
Procurement Management
• Procurement planning• RFP preparation• Source selection• Contract negotiation and
administration
• Procurement management plan
• Contracts• Procurement documents• Payment requests• Formal acceptance and closure
Includes all the processes required to acquire goods and services from outside the performing organization. Understanding the procurement process of the client organization and obtaining expert support on purchasing critical items for the project to minimize significant project delays.
Thank You for your interest
Managing the Consulting Engagement by Saumya Ganguly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This means you can download, modify and redistribute this presentation non-commercially, as long as you acknowledge this source and license your new document / presentation under the identical terms. Check for credits in the next slide.
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Acknowledgements & CreditsContents sourced from
Project Management Methodology, City of Los AngelesA Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMI
Picture creditsTitle Slide: Aleksandar Markovic.jpg
The Consulting Engagement LifecycleProject Management Processes
Project Management Responsibilities
Clipart: Microsoft Office