flagship course

Consulting and Advisory Practice

Work as an adviser: scope problems, gather evidence, compare options, recommend and present, and follow up on results.

about this course

What you will be able to do

L4 Practitioner8 modules · 43 h lessons plus practice

Work as an adviser: scope problems, gather evidence, compare options, recommend and present, and follow up on results.

Define a client problem in a sentence with an outcome and limits.
Apply issue trees, hypotheses and interview plans.
Analyse data and interviews to find root causes.
Evaluate options against agreed criteria.
Create a recommendation deck and a dated action plan.

Task, condition and standard

Task

Complete a small advisory project with a written recommendation and a client presentation.

Condition

About 8 weeks part-time. A real or mock client, sample data in a spreadsheet, a mentor.

Standard

The problem is scoped, evidence is shown with sources, options are scored against criteria, and next steps have owners and dates.

Who it is for: Analysts, professionals, freelancers, managers moving into advisory roles. Requirements: Basic spreadsheet skills and clear writing. Materials: lesson text, templates, rubric, check with answers.

lesson by lesson

8 modules with worked examples

Module 1 Scope the problem 5 hDefine

Ask who, what, why now and what will be done with the answer.
Agree the outcome, the limits, the time and the data available.
Write a one-page scope with a measurable target.
Confirm in writing before starting.

Worked example. Scope: reduce late deliveries from 20% to 10% in 3 months across one city, using order data for the last 6 months; no change to vehicle count.

Activity. Write a one-page scope for a client problem.

Standard to meet. Define a scope with outcome, numbers, limits, deadline and data source.

Module 2 Structure the problem 5 hApply

Build an issue tree so branches do not overlap and cover the whole problem.
Write hypotheses you can prove or disprove with data.
List the analysis each hypothesis needs.
Prioritise the branches that could explain most of the gap.

Worked example. Late deliveries split into dispatch delay, route delay and handover delay. Hypothesis: dispatch delay causes over half of lateness.

Activity. Build an issue tree and five hypotheses for your scope.

Standard to meet. Check that branches do not overlap and that each hypothesis can be tested.

Module 3 Plan and run interviews 5 hApply

Choose interviewees from different levels and functions.
Write open questions and avoid leading ones.
Record notes, quotes and follow-ups, with consent.
Mark each claim as fact, opinion or rumour.

Worked example. Ask a dispatcher "Walk me through yesterday morning" instead of "Don't you think the route planning is bad?". Six interviews yield 14 claims; 8 are confirmed by data.

Activity. Run three interviews and write a notes sheet.

Standard to meet. Ask open questions and tag every note as fact, opinion or rumour.

Module 4 Collect and clean data 6 hApply

List the data needed and who owns it.
Check for missing values, duplicates and wrong units.
Keep an untouched copy of the raw file.
Record each cleaning step so another person can repeat it.

Worked example. A file of 4,200 orders has 120 duplicates and 85 blank delivery times. After cleaning, 3,995 rows remain and the log lists each step.

Activity. Clean a sample dataset and keep a change log.

Standard to meet. Keep a raw copy, complete the log and reconcile row counts.

Module 5 Analyse and find root causes 6 hAnalyse

Use pivot tables to cut data by branch, time and type.
Look for the few causes behind most of the gap.
Test each hypothesis and say what evidence confirms or rejects it.
Ask why five times to move from symptom to root.

Worked example. Of 800 late orders, 480 (60%) left the warehouse after 11:00. Root cause: packing starts only after morning stock is counted.

Activity. Test your hypotheses with data and write a findings page.

Standard to meet. Give each finding a number, a chart and the data source.

Module 6 Generate and compare options 6 hEvaluate

List at least three options including "do nothing".
Agree criteria with the client: impact, cost, time, risk.
Score each option from 1 to 5 and weigh the criteria.
Check the sums and show the working.

Worked example. Option A, start packing at 7:00: impact 5, cost 4, time 4, risk 4. Option B, hire two riders: impact 3, cost 2, time 3, risk 3. Weights 40/20/20/20 make A 4.4 and B 2.8.

Activity. Score three options against four criteria with weights.

Standard to meet. Agree criteria, justify scores and check that totals are correct.

Module 7 Write the recommendation 5 hCreate

Lead with the answer, then give three supporting reasons.
Use one message per slide and a headline that states the point.
Show the numbers, the risks and the cost.
End with next steps that have owners and dates.

Worked example. Headline: "Start packing at 7:00 to cut late deliveries from 20% to 11% by month 3". Three reasons: root cause, cost, speed.

Activity. Write a ten-slide recommendation deck.

Standard to meet. Write a headline that states the point on every slide, and give next steps owners and dates.

Module 8 Present, handle questions and follow up 5 hCreate

Rehearse the talk to a time limit of 15 minutes.
Answer questions with facts and say "I will check" when unsure.
Agree a date to review results with the client.
Track the target after 30 and 90 days.

Worked example. After 90 days late deliveries are 12%. Report a gap of 2 points to target and propose a second packing shift.

Activity. Present to a mentor, record questions and write a follow-up note.

Standard to meet. Deliver the presentation on time, log questions and agree a review date.

assessment

How you are checked

Evidence: the work product from each module, kept in one folder with dates. A mentor and two peers mark it with this rubric. Pass: no criterion at 'Not yet'.

Marking rubric
Criterion	Not yet	Meets	Exceeds
Evidence	Missing or unclear	Meets the stated check	Every claim backed by data or a source
Recommendation	Guessing	Evidence kept	Clear, costed and with dated next steps
Records	Gaps	Complete	Complete and reviewed by a peer
Safety and ethics	Overlooked	Followed	Followed and taught to others

Ten-question check, with model answers

Q1. What belongs in a scope?

Model answer: Outcome, limits, time and available data. (Covered in module 1: Scope the problem. To pass that module: Define a scope with outcome, numbers, limits, deadline and data source.)

Q2. What does an issue tree do?

Model answer: Breaks a problem into separate parts that together cover it. (Covered in module 2: Structure the problem. To pass that module: Check that branches do not overlap and that each hypothesis can be tested.)

Q3. Why avoid leading questions?

Model answer: They push the answer and hide the real view. (Covered in module 3: Plan and run interviews. To pass that module: Ask open questions and tag every note as fact, opinion or rumour.)

Q4. Why keep the raw file untouched?

Model answer: So any step can be checked or repeated. (Covered in module 4: Collect and clean data. To pass that module: Keep a raw copy, complete the log and reconcile row counts.)

Q5. What is a root cause?

Model answer: The underlying reason which, if fixed, stops the problem. (Covered in module 5: Analyse and find root causes. To pass that module: Give each finding a number, a chart and the data source.)

Q6. Why include "do nothing" as an option?

Model answer: It shows the cost of not acting. (Covered in module 6: Generate and compare options. To pass that module: Agree criteria, justify scores and check that totals are correct.)

Q7. Why lead with the answer?

Model answer: Busy readers get the point first and can read detail if they want. (Covered in module 7: Write the recommendation. To pass that module: Write a headline that states the point on every slide, and give next steps owners and dates.)

Q8. Why follow up after the project?

Model answer: To confirm results and fix what did not work. (Covered in module 8: Present, handle questions and follow up. To pass that module: Deliver the presentation on time, log questions and agree a review date.)

Q9. How do you keep client information safe?

Model answer: Share it only with those who need it, store it securely and delete it when the work ends. (Covered in: Task, condition and standard, near the top of this page.)

Q10. What should you do when the data contradicts what the client expects?

Model answer: Show the evidence calmly, explain the limits and let the client decide. (Covered in: Task, condition and standard, near the top of this page.)

seven levels

Your ladder, L1 to L7

This course sits at L4 Practitioner. Each level adds to the one below.

L1 Basic. Ask good questions and listen.
L2 Awareness. Break a problem into parts.
L3 Foundation. Gather and clean data for a small project.
L4 Practitioner. Lead a small advisory project.
L5 Specialist. Manage several projects and a small team.
L6 Advanced. Lead an advisory practice and client relationships.
L7 Super expert. Set standards and method for advisory work across a profession.

Slide by slide

Seven slides, one per level. Open each for the slide text and the speaker notes.

Slide 1 L1 Basic: Questions and listening

Ask 8 open questions and write a 5-line summary of what a client said.

Speaker notes. Teacher plays a client and checks the summary. Covered in module 3, Plan and run interviews.

Slide 2 L2 Awareness: Break a problem down

Break a problem into 4 parts with a simple tree and one fact per branch.

Speaker notes. Teacher checks that branches do not overlap. Covered in module 2.

Slide 3 L3 Foundation: Gather and clean data

Gather data from 10 sources and clean it, listing 5 fixes made.

Speaker notes. Teacher gives a messy sheet and checks the fixes. Covered in module 4.

Slide 4 L4 Practitioner: Lead a small project

Lead a small project to a written recommendation with 3 options compared by stated criteria.

Speaker notes. Teacher reviews the options table. Covered in module 7.

Slide 5 L5 Specialist: Manage several projects

Manage 3 projects and a team of 3 with a weekly status note and a risk list.

Speaker notes. Teacher reviews a status note.

Slide 6 L6 Advanced: Lead an advisory practice

Lead an advisory practice with client reviews each quarter and a 5-point quality check. Check local rules with an expert for client data.

Speaker notes. Teacher reviews one client review.

Slide 7 L7 Super expert: Set method standards

Set method and ethics standards across a profession, with 8 steps and a peer review.

Speaker notes. Teacher tests the method on a sample case.

jobs this leads to

Where this takes you

Business analyst
Associate consultant
Management consultant
Independent adviser
Project analyst

ten locations and global

Your place

Local rules change licences, data handling, pricing words and names of bodies. Check them for your place before you act.

India (Bengaluru)

Language: English, Hindi, Kannada. Currency: INR. Data rule for what you publish: Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. Skills frame to cite: National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and the national credit framework.

Netherlands (Eindhoven area)

Language: Dutch, English. Currency: EUR. Data rule for what you publish: EU GDPR (Dutch: AVG), supervised by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Skills frame to cite: the Dutch qualification framework (NLQF) linked to the European Qualifications Framework.

UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)

Language: Arabic, English. Currency: AED. Data rule for what you publish: Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (personal data protection). Skills frame to cite: the emirate education and training regulators (for example KHDA in Dubai) and the national qualifications framework.

Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Language: Portuguese (Spanish and English support). Currency: BRL. Data rule for what you publish: LGPD (Lei Geral de Protecao de Dados). Skills frame to cite: the national technical-education catalogue and the national S-system training bodies.

Canada (Toronto)

Language: English, French. Currency: CAD. Data rule for what you publish: PIPEDA, with provincial rules where they apply. Skills frame to cite: the provincial colleges framework and the national credential-recognition guidance.

United States

Language: English, Spanish. Currency: USD. Data rule for what you publish: state privacy laws (for example California), and COPPA for children under 13. Skills frame to cite: state and community-college credit systems.

Singapore

Language: English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil. Currency: SGD. Data rule for what you publish: Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Skills frame to cite: the Singapore national skills frameworks and the national credit system.

Australia

Language: English. Currency: AUD. Data rule for what you publish: the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. Skills frame to cite: the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels.

Hong Kong (Eastern Asia)

Language: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), English. Currency: HKD. Data rule for what you publish: the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Skills frame to cite: the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework.

Georgia and Israel (Western Asia)

Language: Georgian, Hebrew, Arabic, English. Currency: GEL or ILS. Data rule for what you publish: the personal data law of the country where the learner lives. Skills frame to cite: the national qualifications framework of that country.

Cayman Islands (Caribbean)

Language: English. Currency: KYD. Data rule for what you publish: the Data Protection Act. Skills frame to cite: the local education and training framework.

Mexico

Language: Spanish, English. Currency: MXN. Data rule for what you publish: the federal law on personal data held by private parties. Skills frame to cite: the national competency certification system and the education ministry levels.

Draft

Draft flagship. Own wording. Not live.