Assignment - Consulting Proposal Instructions

Consulting Proposal Instructions

The management of change in an organization is often led by an internal or external change consultant who leads change from a project perspective with a phased approach that includes the project definition, a diagnosis of the situation, recommendations for a solution, a plan for implementing the recommendations, and the actual implementation of the plan.   

You will prepare 2 consulting proposals based on the cases from the textbook assigned in Modules/Weeks 1–3 (Consulting Proposal 1) and Modules/Weeks 4–6 (Consulting Proposal 2). Each proposal must be 1000–1500 words and include at least the following 5 sections:

1.Definition of project 

2.Diagnosis of current situation 

3.Recommendations 

4.Implementation plan 

5.Summary

A sample/template for the proposals is provided in the Assignment Instructions folder. Each proposal must include a title and reference page formatted according to current APA requirements. You must use a minimum of 4 scholarly peer-reviewed sources plus the text. Write the proposal as if you are addressing the CEO or organizational leadership as identified in the selected case study. The overall narrative in the proposal must include significant emphasis on diagnosing the problems in the business with recommendations for relevant change. These recommendations must be supported with specific examples or sources.  

For example:

If the organization needs to change its recruitment strategy or perhaps offer new products, what specific types of change are involved?

Will the employees be affected? If so, what type of employees?

How should the recommended changes be implemented?

Are there drivers of the change that will determine the success of the change initiative? If so, what are they?

Keep in mind that the proposal is an overview of the current situation, needed changes, and recommendations; therefore, it is important to refrain from providing too much detail. However, the proposal must contain enough information for the CEO to select a course of action. Because the person receiving your proposal is the CEO, there is no need to re-state information in the case study as he/she should already be aware of the current situation.

You are encouraged to integrate information from any of the Reading & Study materials or your own experience. These prompts are provided to support your analysis and critical thinking as you read the cases and to give you some structure if you select one of these for your proposal assignments.

Consulting Proposal 1 Questions for Consideration:

Use the following case for Consulting Proposal 1.

Case Leading Culture Change at Seagram:

-What were Seagram’s biggest business challenges and why have they chosen the values initiative to help? Why are companies today introducing and/or paying more attention to corporate values?

-How well has Seagram instituted this culture change process to date?

-What role did Seagram’s leadership play in driving culture change?

-If you were one of Seagram’s executives, how would you respond to each of the five challenges at the end of the case?

-What techniques are most effective in implementing a change initiative like this one? 

-What tools and techniques of culture change do you think are more potent than the use of explicit corporate values?

-What are the phases of the change process

Consulting Proposal 2 Questions for Consideration:

Choose one of the following cases for Consulting Proposal 2.

Case Change Agent in Waiting:

-What are the key characteristics of government organizations, like the Housing Development Board of Singapore, and not-for-profits which help explain the content for this case?

-What is the change challenge for HDB and for Tan as she returns to her former employer?

-How do you evaluate her action plan? What are its strengths? What are your concerns?

-What would you suggest to improve her plan?

-What does it take to drive change from a lower to middle management position and in a government context?

Case The Young Change Agents:

-What are the biggest challenges for change agents like Shaw et al. in driving a grassroots change (as in this case, sustainability)?

-What are the personal characteristics, attitudes, and qualities most needed to be successful at doing this?

-How effective have they been to date at PwC?

-When have you attempted a similar kind of bottom-up change, and what were your experiences and key lessons?

-What advice would you offer, based on Oshry’s article in the textbook, about the personal perils and opportunities for leading change from the middle?

-To what extent do you ‘buy’ this advice and what else would you add as advice for leading change from the middle?