Internal Consultancy Skills Training Course

Participants can convert an initial request into a contracted assignment with agreed expectations and controls.

• SCQA framing turns an initial request into a testable consulting question
• Discovery conversations separate symptoms, stated needs and underlying business problems
• Contracting discussion establishes scope, roles, decisions, access and success measures
• Psychological contract expectations surfaced before work begins with the client team
• RACI matrix clarifies sponsor, client, consultant and stakeholder accountabilities
• Assumptions, exclusions and change-control arrangements recorded in a consulting charter
• Entry meetings establish working norms, confidentiality and escalation routes

Participants can identify stakeholder interests and plan engagement that builds commitment to the assignment.

• Stakeholder mapping identifies influence, interest, impact and likely sources of resistance
• Power-interest grids guide engagement priorities for sponsors, users and gatekeepers
• Network analysis reveals informal influencers beyond the formal organisation chart
• Stakeholder interviews build trust while testing competing accounts of the issue
• Resistance diagnosed as loss, uncertainty, disagreement or capability gap
• Engagement plans match communication, consultation and involvement to stakeholder needs

Participants can frame, investigate and test root-cause hypotheses before developing recommendations.

• Problem statements distinguish presenting issues, root causes and consequential risks
• Fishbone diagrams structure hypotheses across people, process, technology and policy
• Five Whys testing avoids premature conclusions from plausible but weak explanations
• Diagnostic plans specify questions, evidence sources, sampling and decision criteria
• Triangulation compares interviews, documents, observations and performance data
• Systems maps expose feedback loops, hand-offs and unintended consequences

Participants can collect reliable evidence through structured conversations, observation and document review.

• Interview guides use funnel questions, probes and neutral wording
• Active listening techniques capture facts, assumptions, emotions and unspoken concerns
• Observation protocols distinguish reported process from actual work behaviour
• Document reviews test policy intent against operating evidence
• Data quality checks assess completeness, consistency, timeliness and bias
• Evidence logs preserve source, finding, confidence level and implications

Participants can turn diagnostic evidence into feasible options and defensible recommendations.

• Affinity mapping groups evidence into patterns, themes and diagnostic insights
• Root-cause hypotheses tested against disconfirming evidence and stakeholder challenge
• Option appraisal compares impact, feasibility, cost, risk and ownership
• Force-field analysis identifies drivers and barriers affecting proposed change
• Recommendation logic links evidence, options, decisions and expected benefits
• Decision papers state required choices, trade-offs and consequences

Participants can communicate recommendations clearly to senior stakeholders and client groups.

• SCQA framework structures concise messages for senior decision-makers
• Pyramid principle places the recommendation before supporting evidence
• Storylines connect operational evidence to client priorities and decisions
• Slide headlines communicate conclusions rather than generic subject labels
• Visual exhibits select charts that answer a defined management question
• Pre-wiring conversations identify objections before formal recommendation meetings

Participants can design and facilitate meetings that resolve issues and secure clear actions.

• Meeting designs align purpose, participants, process, outputs and decision rights
• Facilitation contracts establish participation norms, time boundaries and conflict rules
• Nominal Group Technique generates and prioritises options without dominant voices
• Decision matrices make evaluation criteria explicit during option selection
• Constructive challenge separates ideas, interests and personalities during disagreement
• Closure techniques confirm decisions, owners, deadlines and communication actions

Participants can support clients in converting accepted recommendations into managed implementation actions.

• Change impact assessments identify process, role, capability and control implications
• ADKAR model frames awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement
• Implementation roadmaps sequence workstreams, dependencies, milestones and decision gates
• RACI matrix assigns accountabilities for recommendations accepted by the client
• Benefits measures define baselines, targets, owners and review dates
• Risk registers record adoption threats, triggers, mitigations and contingency actions

Participants can strengthen their consulting credibility and plan targeted application after the course.

• Reflective practice reviews consulting behaviour, assumptions, impact and learning
• Consultant credibility built through preparation, reliability, discretion and follow-through
• Boundary management handles conflicting loyalties between sponsor, client and employer
• Personal consulting brand defined through strengths, expertise and service standards
• Peer feedback converts observed behaviours into specific development priorities
• Ninety-day application plan schedules live assignments, support and review points