Leadership by Design

Module Leader: Vassil Rachkov

Assessment Brief: Consultancy Project

Portfolio: Task A- Report, 2500 words

Assessment Brief:

As Director of HR, you have been asked to act as an internal consultant for British Telecom and
provide advice regarding the successful change management of the organisation as it looks to respond
to an increasingly uncertain external environment with a focus on embedding leadership cultural
change by design. In particular, BT are interested in supporting them in the creation of a transformed
operating model. They are in the process of creating a leaner and more agile organisation. In particular,
they are interested in having fewer, bigger, more accountable leadership roles, simplifying, and
delayering their management structure in order to create an innovative and responsive organisation. BT
have taken significant steps towards this ambition stating:

“Our investments are delivering for the business and we expect them to support our goal of
sustainable, profitable revenue growth. Combined with a continued focus on cost transformation
across the group, we aim to grow our EBITDA. This will drive long-term cash flow growth for the
business. We will continue our prudent financial policy of investing in our business, reducing net debt,
supporting the pension fund and paying progressive dividends.”

Strategically, BT has recently focused on directly addressing the potential offered by Digital
Transformation, an 9th October 2019, BT launched a range of new products, services and skills
programmes to help boost the UK’s potential.

The announcements were part of BT’s ongoing transformation and is aimed at improving mobile and
fixed connectivity, set a new standard for customer experience, and provide digital skills for 10 million
people and businesses. BT is also changing the way people and businesses interact with its products
and services on the high street, in communities, within the workplace and even in people’s homes.
“We’re helping families and communities across the UK, and companies in Britain and around the
world, to remove the barriers of today to realise the potential of tomorrow,” said Philip Jansen, Chief
Executive of BT. “We’re starting a journey today with real changes that will have a positive impact for
people and businesses - connecting more customers to full fibre, boosting customers’ speeds right
across the UK, keeping customers connected wherever they are with our new converged Halo
products, and helping to give them the skills to make the most of today’s connected world.”

Importantly, they recognise that the most important element that is necessary to facilitate success in this
journey to deliver this strategy is Leadership, Culture and Mindset. In particular, they are seeking
support in the following key areas:

- Part 1) Please evaluate and provide a summary of BT’s current strategic position with specific
consideration of current leadership strategy. BT are seeking support in identifying the key
challenges that are faced by the leadership team at BT in the immediate future.

- Part 2) BT wish to strengthen their leadership capability through strategic and disruptive
hiring of people into key leadership roles, and developing a clear leadership strategy. BT
which to create a culture of innovation, flexibility and intrapreneurship, through all elements
of their business. They wish to seek advice and guidance as to the key leadership capabilities
necessary to operate in the context of BT’s current internal and external environment. Please
provide advice as to how this can be achieved applying the principles of leadership by
design.
- Part 3) BT are aware this is a significant cultural change. Please provide advice as to how to
manage this change process effectively.

Assessment details
What is a Consulting Project?
A consulting project is a multi-week, project between a client and a consultant/ team of consultants
whose goal is to solve a key problem faced by the firm. The project is created to provide the client with
an external expert opinion on a matter of an operational or strategic importance. The project may target
long term strategic planning (for example, a ten-year product strategy plan), or more immediate goals
such as cost reduction, mergers or acquisitions, or corporate restructuring. The value a consulting team
provides not only includes an in depth and external analysis of the problem but also an assessment on
the ramifications associated with implementing a particular plan.

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Stages of engaging in a consultancy project using design thinking
processes:
Defining the Problem
One of the most critical stages in a project’s life cycle is defining the problem that needs to be solved.
An erroneous definition, or misalignment of expectations during the early stages of a project may lead
to months of futile work. Although a client will hire a consultant with a defined problem in mind, a
good consultant can quickly differentiate problem symptoms from causes and work with the client to
expand or redefine the project scope. Moreover, at the outset of a project it is very important to define
what questions need to be addressed, what work methods will be employed, what data sources and
corporate resources are available, and what ultimately will be the final work deliverable.

Data Gathering and Research

During the project’s early stages, the consultant’s primary objective will be to familiarize themselves
with the organisation, the challenges it faces and the market context of the organisation. Research will
help define the key strategic problems that need to be addressed. In parallel, in-depth research
regarding industry and market trends will be conducted alongside a review of previous projects of a
similar nature. A strong consulting team will leverage its research skills to identify similar projects in
order to obtain a larger perspective, and apply best-practice from the academic literature.

Presenting Findings
Upon completing the data gathering and analysis exercise a final report will be composed summarizing
the efforts, results, implications, and recommendations. One of the core assets consultants develop,
and make them highly prized in industry, is the ability to take complex information and analyses and
boil them down to straightforward presentations with recommendations.

Assessment for Consultancy Project

The assessment for this project is worth 80% of the final module mark and as outline above is
a maximum 2500 words report. A template is provided below to shape a document to provide
a framework for your report:

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<Proposal Title>

Prepared for

<Company>

By

<X Consultant>

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 Date:

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This section should summarise the key points of your proposal including;

 Brief summary of the clients requirement

 Summary of what you propose

 Principal strengths of your company/proposal

 Budget and time estimates or quotation

2. Introduction

Description of customers business and principle issues or requirements. Part 1 of project

3. Project Details (parts 2, 3, 4 of project)

This may require several sections depending on the scope of the project. Try to keep slides to a
reasonable length. Use bulleted or number lists and tables to set points out clearly.

4. COST ESTIMATE (tabulated)

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Set out a detailed estimate for effort, timescales, costs etc. broken down so the client can see what each
part of the project will cost. If there are any unknown factors that might increase, costs state these here.

4. Project Plan (tabulated) – this is not included in your word count

Set out when tasks will be done and by whom.

Assessment Criteria and weighting for Consultancy Project.

For each criterion you will be assigned a grade from A – F.

1) Do the consultants clearly outline the organizational problem that is at hand?

a. Have they fully understood the issues outlined in the case study?
b. Have they identified the client’s requirements? (20%)
2) Have the consultants identified their own relevant strengths and experiences?(10%)
3) Have the consultants effectively engaged in research (both academic and organizational) to
support recommendations made?(25 %)
4) Have the consultants presented meaningful findings and recommendations based on the
literature and organizational/ industry research?(25%)
5) Have the consultants effectively reported their work to the clients?(20%)

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Criteria A B C D E/F

Outlining the Excellent capture and presentation of
organizational issues at organizational issues, drawing on the
hand case and further pertinent sources. Full
and realistic comprehension of client
requirements.
Very good articulation of organizational Adequate coverage of the organizational Limited coverage of the relevant Poor coverage of both organizational
issues. A good and robust understanding issues, some understanding of customer organizational issues and customer issues and customer requirements,
of customer requirements requirements but with omissions requirements. overly broad and descriptive
presentation

Identifying own Pragmatic evaluation of strengths and Good attempt to assess own strengths Some effort to assess own strengths and No development beyond a limited No consideration of personal strength
strengths and weaknesses, reflecting on key issues and weaknesses with some effort to weaknesses but with need to develop it description of strengths or weaknesses. and weaknesses
weaknesses and ways to improve. reflect on key issues and ways to more. No link to project requirements made.
improve.

Engagement with Clear evidence of wide reading and a Evidence of wider reading, beyond Some effective use of course materials, Limited use has been made of the Insufficient evidence of reading and /or
research willingness to draw on and effectively course materials, and an ability to draw some evidence of reading although not course material and/or there is a lack of understanding of the literature. Over-
use a range of academic and on this to construct a generally always used effectively and/or wider understanding in places. Very limited reliance on inappropriate sources.
professional sources construct a convincing report. reading needed. wider reading and/or inappropriate
balanced, persuasive report. sources drawn upon.

Meaningful findings and Clear and convincing. Clear but at times a lack of evidence to Recommendations are rather descriptive Recommendations made, but often fail No meaningful recommendations made.
recommendations Recommendations are firmly grounded support recommendations made. Some and are not based sufficiently on to consider people management. No consideration of the role of people
informed by relevant and supported by literature. Clear critical evaluation but at times evidence base. management
literature demonstration of the benefits and descriptive.
potential limitations of proposed
recommendations. Clearly based on
managing people

Report Presentation Excellent and professional report. Clear Professional, clear and well-structured Clearly structured report but lacking in Unclear and at times the link to the Muddled and confused report.
and concise material. Convincing report, but areas could have been more sufficient evidence to develop an requirements of the clients is not clear. Relevance to client requirements not
argumentative strategies adopted. convincingly presented. effective argument for the report to apparent
Effectively structured report convince clients of proposals.

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