Key term
CCEA AS-Level Professional Business Services 3210
The Business Environment
The Professional Business Services Sector
The Consultancy Process
Understanding the Client's Market
Client Relationships
Business Ethics
Persuading, Negotiating and Influencing
Business Planning and Risk Management
Government Regulation
Organisational Structure and Culture
Recruitment and Selection
Learning and Development
Employee Well-Being and Motivation
Managing Conflict
Business Research Methods
Sources of Finance
Cash Flow
Financial Statements
Ratio Analysis
The Consultancy Process
- 4 subtopics
- 12 things to know
- AS 1
What The Consultancy Process covers
The Consultancy Process is examined in Unit AS 1, Introduction to Professional Business Services. It covers the consultancy process and the entry phase, the diagnosis phase, the action planning phase and implementation and termination phases.
Where it is assessed
AS 1
Introduction to Professional Business Services — a written examination.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 4 subtopics
Each one has its own page. CCEA AS Professional Business Services students sit this topic in the first year.
- The consultancy process and the entry phaseThe five phases of the consultancy process, the entry phase, tenders, first meetings, conflicts of interest, terms of reference, proposals, engagement letters and a fee calculation.Open →
- The diagnosis phaseSymptoms and root causes, collecting data from records and staff interviews, analysis and benchmarking, feedback to the client, a staff turnover calculation and the risks of rushing.Open →
- The action planning phaseGenerating and evaluating alternative solutions, involving the client, implementation plans and measurable targets, presenting recommendations, resistance and contingency plans.Open →
- Implementation and termination phasesThe consultant's role in implementation, training and monitoring, termination and evaluation, knowledge transfer, follow-up, client feedback and the usefulness of the five-phase model.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
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Process
Why should a firm follow a structured consultancy process, and what happens at the entry phase?
Key term
What is the diagnosis phase?
Key term
What is the action planning phase?
Process
Define the term consultancy process.
Key term
What is the difference between a symptom and a root cause?
Key term
Why does a consultant develop several alternative solutions?
Key term
What is the implementation phase?
Process
Name the five phases of the consultancy process.
Key term
Why must a consultant look beyond the problem as the client first describes it?
Evaluation
What criteria are used to evaluate alternative solutions?
Key term
How can a consultant's role vary during implementation?
Take The Consultancy Process further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Entry phase vs Termination phase
Entry phase: the first contact and agreement of terms between consultant and client. Termination phase: the withdrawal of the consultant once results are evaluated.
Diagnosis vs Action planning
Diagnosis: fact-finding and analysis to find the real cause of a client's problem. Action planning: designing and choosing solutions and a timetable for introducing them.
Symptom vs Root cause
Symptom: a visible sign that something is wrong in a business. Root cause: the underlying reason why a problem exists.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Define the term consultancy process.
Model answer
The consultancy process is the structured sequence of phases a firm follows to help a client, from first contact to withdrawal. A clear process keeps an assignment focused and well managed.
- 2
Name the five phases of the consultancy process.
Model answer
The five phases are entry, diagnosis, action planning, implementation and termination. The model is associated with Milan Kubr's guide to management consulting.
- 3
Why does a professional services firm follow a structured consultancy process?
Model answer
A structured process makes sure the real problem is found before solutions are proposed. The client also knows what to expect at each stage.
- 4
What happens at the entry phase?
Model answer
The entry phase is the first contact between consultant and client, when the problem is discussed. The assignment is agreed, including its terms, fees and timescale.
- 5
How does a consultancy assignment usually begin?
Model answer
A client may approach the firm after a referral, or the firm may win the work through marketing or a tender. The first meeting explores the client's concerns.
- 6
Define the term tender.
Model answer
A tender is a formal bid to win a contract, often requested by public sector clients. Rival firms submit proposals and the client chooses on quality and price.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
The Consultancy Process revision questions
- Is The Consultancy Process examined at AS in CCEA Professional Business Services?
- Yes. It sits in AS 1, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
- What does The Consultancy Process cover in CCEA AS-Level Professional Business Services?
- 4 subtopics: the consultancy process and the entry phase, the diagnosis phase, the action planning phase and implementation and termination phases. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is The Consultancy Process organised?
- By the CCEA 3210 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in The Consultancy Process, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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