Here goes what I suggest might be a good (basic) structure for your Consultancy/Audit report:
1. Brief paragraph on your (fictional) consultancy company and experience
2. Brief overview of the case: i.e. the digest of the case provided by your colleague/client and also what you may have come across by means of your own research onto the company and visits, meetings with staff, analysis of further internal documents / data the company granted you access to over the past few days/week(s).
(Points 1 and 2 together should be no longer than one page max)
3. Brief analysis of where (i.e. at what level of Sustainability engagement) the company is in (using the Phase model or other to very effectively explain where they are and why, and what should be the target and why, especially but not exclusively regarding both Env and Social aspects)
(in other words, you may wish to consider using the Phase Model, the 7-S, the TROPICS test.. to explain visually where they are and what is the goal .. and why)
4. A list of the key and most urgent issues identified
5. select the core issue(s) which, given the timeframe and budget your colleague/client set, can you realistically address (or, if necessary, raise issues around budget or timeframe or both and justify them clearly)
6. Using as many tools as possible (within reasonable limits) provide a detailed plan on how you intend to implement the required changes in view of achieving the reccommended targets and therefore to meet the desired initial progression stage towards sustainability >>> You may wish to consider using tools from Project Management (many good books on this), Quality Management, Strategic Management, Environmental Management and CSR/Sustainability Management.
a) Explain clearly the key milestones of the change process, including the reasons why, what is the target, what will be needed to implement those moves, how much and how long each task wil take (approx estimates). BUT remember that this is just an academic exercise: do not come up with 100 or more tasks for 50 milestones> I suggest you keep it to a max of 5 milestones and a set of 10 tasks absolute maximum…. the intention is just to ensure you can show you know how to manage these tools, rather than to take it to the ultimate complex professional level…
b) remember to highlight how you/your team will be there to support the company/staff throughout the process, especially through the transition phase,
c) above all, do not forget to focus on ONE key issue (the one that is the most urgent/more expensive/more complex/longer to implement) and ellaborate on the changes as much as possible
Your recommendations should include actions, review of processes, implementation of at least one highly specific standard , performance indicators, and other measures (books such as Dunphy’s, my own, Hayes, Beech and Macintosh’s, etc.) may prove useful at this stage
7. Elaborate on an additional minor issue
8. Bibliography is a must.
9. You may wish to consider having a ‘plan B’ prepared for a specific change/task… so that if your client reacts to a specific step of the process you have some alternative already aligned..(based on your past and long experience, of course 😉 )
The first attached file is the client’s fictional business case you should provide consultation for.
The second attachment is an outline of the issues and recommendations for the fictional business please expand on them.
