Synetic College Logo
Unit 2 of 4 · MBA Sem 4

Unit 2: Life cycle of a consultancy assignment

IT Consulting notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 945-18)

3 min read7 topics10 exam questions
On this page
  1. Unit summary
  2. The consulting assignment life cycle
  3. Gaining entry
  4. Contracting and initiation
  5. Problem identification and diagnosis
  6. Solution appraisal and implementation
  7. Life cycle assessment stages
  8. Code of good conduct
  9. Key terms
  10. Quick revision
  11. Important questions

Unit summary

Every consulting assignment moves through recognisable phases, from first contact to handover. This unit covers gaining entry, contracting and initiation, problem identification and diagnosis, solution appraisal and implementation, the stages of life cycle assessment, and the code of good conduct.

After this unit you can

  • Explain gaining entry, contracting and initiation
  • Conduct problem identification and diagnosis
  • Appraise solutions and manage implementation
  • Explain life cycle assessment and the code of good conduct

PTU syllabus topics

  • Gaining entry
  • contracting and initiation
  • problem identification and diagnosis
  • solution appraisal and implementation
  • Life Cycle Assessment stages and code of good conduct
ProcessLife cycle of a consulting assignment
  1. 1

    Entry

    First contact

  2. 2

    Contracting

    Scope, fees, terms

  3. 3

    Diagnosis

    Data and problem definition

  4. 4

    Action planning

    Solutions

  5. 5

    Implementation

  6. 6

    Termination and evaluation

1

Topic 1

The consulting assignment life cycle

ProcessConsulting assignment life cycle (Kubr)
  1. 1Entry

    First contacts, preliminary diagnosis, proposal, contract

  2. 2Diagnosis

    Fact finding and analysis

  3. 3Action planning

    Developing and evaluating solutions

  4. 4Implementation

    Assisting change

  5. 5Termination

    Evaluation, final report, follow-up

2

Topic 2

Gaining entry

  • First contact: understanding the client, its problem and expectations; building trust; identifying the decision-maker.
  • Preliminary problem diagnosis: quick assessment to define scope, approach and resources.
  • Proposal: objectives, scope, approach, deliverables, team, timeline, fees, assumptions.
3

Topic 3

Contracting and initiation

  • Contract: scope of work, deliverables, responsibilities of both parties, timeline, fees and payment terms, confidentiality, intellectual property, change control, warranties, liability limits, termination.
  • Fee bases: time and material, fixed price, retainer, outcome-based.
  • Initiation: kick-off meeting, governance (steering committee), communication plan, project charter.
4

Topic 4

Problem identification and diagnosis

ProcessDiagnosis
  1. 1Define the problem

    Symptoms vs root causes

  2. 2Collect data

    Interviews, workshops, process mapping, system review, document analysis

  3. 3Analyse

    Root-cause analysis, gap analysis (as-is vs to-be), benchmarking

  4. 4Synthesise findings
  5. 5Feedback to client
  • Tools: fishbone diagram, 5 whys, issue trees (MECE), SWOT, maturity assessments, architecture reviews.
5

Topic 5

Solution appraisal and implementation

  • Developing options: alternative solutions — build vs buy vs SaaS, vendor options, phased approaches.
  • Appraisal criteria: strategic fit, functional fit, cost and NPV, risk, feasibility, vendor viability, scalability, user acceptance.
  • Implementation: project plan, change management and training, testing, data migration, go-live, hypercare support.
  • Termination: evaluation against objectives, final report, knowledge transfer, follow-up.
6

Topic 6

Life cycle assessment stages

  • Life cycle assessment (LCA): evaluating the total impact — cost, value or environmental footprint — of a solution across its life.
ProcessLCA stages (ISO 14040)
  1. 1Goal and scope definition
  2. 2Inventory analysis

    Inputs and outputs across the life cycle

  3. 3Impact assessment
  4. 4Interpretation

    Conclusions and recommendations

  • In IT: total cost of ownership (acquisition, implementation, operation, maintenance, retirement) and environmental footprint of hardware, data centres and e-waste.
7

Topic 7

Code of good conduct

  • Professional codes (ICMCI, IMC): act in the client's best interest, maintain confidentiality, avoid conflicts of interest, accept only assignments within competence, be transparent about fees, do not exploit client staff, respect intellectual property, maintain independence and objectivity.

Key terms

Entry
First phase of building a consulting relationship
Project charter
Document authorising and defining a project
Root-cause analysis
Finding underlying causes of a problem
Total cost of ownership
All costs of a solution over its life
Code of conduct
Professional standards for consultants

Quick revision

  • Kubr's five phases.
  • Entry: first contact, preliminary diagnosis, proposal.
  • Contract contents; fee bases; initiation.
  • Diagnosis process and tools; solution appraisal criteria; implementation; termination.
  • LCA stages; TCO; code of good conduct.

Important exam questions

Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).

Short-answer questions

  1. Q1.Name the phases of a consulting assignment.
  2. Q2.What does a consulting proposal contain?
  3. Q3.State four clauses in a consulting contract.
  4. Q4.Name two diagnostic tools.
  5. Q5.What are the stages of life cycle assessment?
  6. Q6.State four rules in a consultant's code of conduct.

Long-answer questions

  1. Q1.Explain the life cycle of a consulting assignment.
  2. Q2.Discuss gaining entry and contracting.
  3. Q3.Explain problem identification, diagnosis and solution appraisal.
  4. Q4.Explain life cycle assessment and the code of good conduct.

Stuck on this unit?

Message SBS on WhatsApp for help with IT Consulting, or to ask about studying MBA at Synetic.

WhatsApp us