Establishment of Project Goals & Objectives

• Work with Clients to establish their organizational needs and requirements, strategy, initiatives, issues and/or challenges for planned or ongoing Projects.
• Develop and/or revalidate overall Project Objectives, Guiding Principles and Frameworks.
• Create a clear and well-defined Scope of Work for Planning, Design and successful Implementation of the Project, based on the above- which may include, but not be limited to the following Workstreams:-
  - Strategy: Defining and/or revalidating, documenting and refining the short, medium and long-term strategic goals of the Project, including:
  • Assessing overall business and operational strategy and vision.
  • Evaluating current and planned corporate structure and efficiency.
  • Conducting peer and competitor benchmarking and review.
  • Carrying out market and industry sector analysis.
  • Corporate and product branding and/or positioning.
  - Legal and Regulatory: Review of planned or ongoing Projects to ensure compliance with current or planned Legislation, Regulations and Policies.
  - Corporate Governance: Establishing and/or strengthening Client governance structure and practices to ensure best-in-class levels.
  - Systems & Processes: Reviewing and/or updating systems and processes: including clear documentary records, Policy and Standard Operating Procedures, online resources, Manuals and Handbooks (as required) for the various Client Operating and Service areas.
  - Human Resources: including Staff Recruitment and Placement Guidelines and Policies, Performance Evaluation, Compensation Design, Career Path Planning and Manpower Development.
  - Communication: Working with the Client to develop clear Project Communication Plans and Content, along with the accompanying Communication Channels and Delivery Mechanisms.
  - Management Information Systems (“MIS”): review and enhancement (where applicable), including seamless integration of IT systems and ensuring that all relevant data/information is being captured.
  - Commercial: Supporting Clients to develop financial and operating goals, and establishing budgeting and planning mechanisms to develop these goals into concrete commercial goals, targets and accompanying KPIs.
  
  

Consulting Project Management

• Establishment of a Project Management Office or similar structure, customized to meet the needs and requirements of the Client and Project, and equipped with the necessary infrastructure to fulfill those requirements.
• Co-ordination of all Internal and External parties to a Project.
• Ensuring efficient parallel processing of all Workstreams.
• Management of Workstream inter-dependencies to avoid overlapping, duplication and conflicts, and ensure seamless Project delivery.
• Clearing House for all Project Information, Data and Communications.
• General Secretariat for the Project.
• Ensuring Client input is fully captured all through the Project.
• Facilitating regular Project Status meetings/conference calls.
• Creating and maintaining Status Tracking and Reporting Mechanisms that highlight Key Workstream Deliverables, Due Dates, Responsible Parties, and Status.
• Creating approved Templates and Structures for the Project Status Reports.
• Creating mechanisms to continuously gather Feedback from relevant Client staff and/or stakeholders, to be included in the regular reports.
• Providing support to Clients for both Internal and External Stakeholder Management.
• Project Risk Management- identification and mitigation of key risks.
  
  

Information Sharing & Communication Mechanisms

• Evaluating current internal resources vs. needs for the Projects, and recommending addition of temporary or permanent resources where appropriate.
• Continuously evaluating staffing needs for the Project and the various Project Workstreams, and adding or removing resources as necessary.
  
  

Project Resource Evaluation And Staffing

• Establishing (where applicable and required) Passcode-secured a Virtual Data Room and/or Project Intranets for all relevant documentation and materials, uploaded and organized in a clear indexed format: to facilitate efficient information sharing throughout Projects to designated Project Team members, with varying access levels determined by the Client.
• Audio and Video Conference Call existing facilities to be activated and/or enhanced if required: to facilitate efficient participation by upcountry and/or travelling Project Team members.
  
  

Project Approval Processes

• By their nature, Consulting Projects need to be adaptable and continuously evolving, within the overall Project guidelines and Scope of Work approved at inception.
• As such, we establish approval systems and processes to designate what decisions can be taken at the various levels of the Project Governance structure, including which decisions need to be referred to Client Management and/or the Board of Directors/other Governing Body (as applicable).
• The goal of the reporting and approval systems combined is to maximize the efficient use of Operating Management’s time.
• This is necessary to ensure Management participation in key initiatives and communications, while not creating an excessive burden, which distracts Management from running of their respective business and/or service areas.
  
  

Skills And Knowledge Transfer

• A key and often undelivered element of the Consultant role is to ensure throughout the Project: that training, creation of standardized Project Templates, implementation and/or upgrading of Project-related systems, procedures and processes are carried out continuously, such that they become integral parts of the Client’s systems and processes and can be utilized for future Projects by the Client.
• Often, consulting firms treat such materials as confidential intellectual property- however; our view is that the Client should have a lasting benefit from our engagement beyond the Project. As such, knowledge and skills transfer are integral to our work.