Introduction/Overview

This one day workshop will give social researchers practical insight into management and process consultancy tools and techniques. The aim is to equip participants with a further dimension to their research skills, recognising that many social research projects either include a consulting element or would benefit from consulting capability – at inception, execution or dissemination stages.

Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will

• understand what is meant by ‘consulting’ and recognise how it relates to research;
• be familiar with the competencies and capabilities expected of a proficient consultant;
• understand their own preferred consulting style links; and
• understand the main tools and frameworks used by consultants and, by knowing their relationship with organisation contexts / dynamics, when to use them

Topics

Content includes:

• Exploration of what is meant by ‘consulting’ (including the difference between process and expert consulting, and using recognised definitions)
• The various stages of the consultancy journey, linking this to a recognised consulting competencies framework and the ISO 20700 standard for consulting service provision
• Exploration and practice with consulting frameworks and the tools consultants. use.
• Masterful delivery of consulting projects, from commissioning to sign-off

Learning outcomes

The workshop will provide participants with an understanding of what consultancy involves and the range of techniques and frameworks which consultants draw upon in their work. Key learning outcomes are the insight the workshop provides into participants’ own consulting styles and knowledge of when and how to use the various frameworks and tools.

Who will benefit?

Researchers and research managers looking to develop their consultancy skills.

Course Tutor

The workshop will be facilitated by consulting academic and social research firm director Professor Simon Haslam. Simon has over twenty years consulting experience with clients spanning the public, private and voluntary sectors. This experience covers single-person consulting assignments and long-term assignments involving consulting teams.

As well as being a practicing consultant, he is the founding editor of the Management Consulting Journal and the. Chair of the Academic Fellows for the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. Simon teaches consulting skills at several business schools in the UK. His book ‘Consulting Skills for Social Researchers’ is published by Policy Press.