Introduction to Consultancy: Social Enterprise and Community Impact

MCEL20042 Introduction to Consultancy: Social Enterprise and Community Impact 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 2 Robin Martin Unit coordinator Alliance Manchester Business School 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Middle part of Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 Introduction to Consultancy: Social Enterprise and Community Impact is a 20-credit enquiry-based learning elective delivered by the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre at Alliance Manchester Business School.  <o:p></o:p>This unit has been developed to provide students—regardless of their degree programme—the opportunity to experience consultancy as a professional practice. Students will work in small groups on a real, open-ended organisational challenge supplied by an external partner organisation, typically a Manchester-based enterprise, social enterprise, charity, Community Interest Company (CIC), or purpose-driven community venture. <o:p></o:p>Throughout the unit, students will learn how consultants analyse real organisations performance, engage with the client organisation, identify stakeholder needs, and translate their insights into practical plans aimed at improving resilience, sustainability, social value and growth potential. <o:p></o:p>The unit emphasises the civic dimension of enterprise, promoting social responsibility, and ensuring that students develop the skills and mindsets required to turn knowledge into action with public benefit. <o:p></o:p> Students should leave the unit with: <o:p></o:p>-An understanding of consultancy processes  <o:p></o:p>-Experience of working with real clients <o:p></o:p>-Improved confidence in professional communication <o:p></o:p>-Awareness of social value creation <o:p></o:p> Introduction to Consultancy: Social Enterprise and Community Impact is a 20-credit enquiry-based learning elective delivered by the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre at Alliance Manchester Business School.  <o:p></o:p>This unit has been developed to provide students—regardless of their degree programme—the opportunity to experience consultancy as a professional practice. Students will work in small groups on a real, open-ended organisational challenge supplied by an external partner organisation, typically a Manchester-based enterprise, social enterprise, charity, Community Interest Company (CIC), or purpose-driven community venture. <o:p></o:p>Throughout the unit, students will learn how consultants analyse real organisations performance, engage with the client organisation, identify stakeholder needs, and translate their insights into practical plans aimed at improving resilience, sustainability, social value and growth potential. <o:p></o:p>The unit emphasises the civic dimension of enterprise, promoting social responsibility, and ensuring that students develop the skills and mindsets required to turn knowledge into action with public benefit. <o:p></o:p> Students should leave the unit with: <o:p></o:p>-An understanding of consultancy processes  <o:p></o:p>-Experience of working with real clients <o:p></o:p>-Improved confidence in professional communication <o:p></o:p>-Awareness of social value creation <o:p></o:p> The unit aims to:<o:p></o:p>Provide students with a structured introduction to professional consultancy practice through working in terms of a live brief supplied by a real organisation,<o:p></o:p>Enable students to evaluate the current performance and strategic position of an early stage typically missions driven venture, and to develop credible recommendations for its survival, resilience, and/or growth.<o:p></o:p>Develop the student’s ability to integrate academic knowledge with practical problem-solving in an authentic organisational context, generating value for external organisations across the University of Manchester’s local and global ecosystem in line with the University’s Manchester 20235 ambition of partner-enabled learning and social responsibility.<o:p></o:p>Create a supportive learning environment in which students become comfortable coping with the uncertainty and complexity inherent in real client engagements, gaining experience of professional teamwork, stakeholder communication and ethical decision making.<o:p></o:p>Encourage reflective learning habits through the maintenance of a weekly diary, enabling students to identify their own professional strengths, areas for development, and future personal development planning.<o:p></o:p> <ul><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">The intended learning outcomes ensure students develop practical and transferable consultancy skills through engagement with a live client. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Students enhance their employability by gaining authentic experience of teamwork, project planning and professional stakeholder interaction. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Analytical and problem-solving abilities are strengthened as students assess real organisational performance and community needs. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Students develop the capacity to produce actionable, impact-focused recommendations that support venture resilience and sustainable growth. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Clear and persuasive communication skills are built through preparing executive summaries and presenting findings to diverse external audiences. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Regular client meetings help students practice professional behaviours, including negotiation, adaptability and ethical awareness. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">The requirement to maintain a weekly diary fosters reflective learning habits valued across professions. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Students conclude the unit with a focused Personal Development Plan, enabling lifelong skills development based on their consultancy experience. <o:p></o:p></li></ul><o:p></o:p> <ul><li>Understand the role, purpose and core processes of professional consultancy practice and how these can be applied to support enterprises from a sustainability and social perspective <o:p></o:p></li><li>Recognise the key factors that influence new venture performance and viability in mission-driven contexts, including financial sustainability, stakeholder needs, and ethical and regulatory considerations. <o:p></o:p></li><li>Describe how social enterprises create and measure social value, and how impact metrics are used by consultants and founders to inform strategic decision making.<o:p></o:p></li></ul> <ul><li>Analyse and refine a live client brief into a clearly scoped project, through engagement with the external partner. <o:p></o:p></li><li>Apply structured analytical frameworks to diagnose organisational problems and opportunities using evidence from primary and secondary research. <o:p></o:p></li><li>Evaluate alternative recommendations for survival and growth and justify these coherently in relation to the client’s mission, resources and constraints. <o:p></o:p></li></ul> <ul><li>Work effectively on a consultancy project, taking responsibility for defined roles, planning and timely delivery of outputs.<o:p></o:p></li><li>Engage with external clients in a professional and ethical manner, managing meetings and communications appropriately. <o:p></o:p></li><li>Prepare and deliver professional communications, including a presentation and materials suitable for sharing as a professional report to the client. <o:p></o:p></li></ul> <ul><li>Complete a reflective diary and portfolio that captures weekly progress, key events and learning experiences.<o:p></o:p></li><li>Reflect critically on their personal contribution and development in undertaking the unit, coping with ambiguity and stakeholder interaction. <o:p></o:p></li><li>Create a focused Personal Development Plan (PDP) identifying how they will strengthen their consultancy and employability skills in the future based on insights arising from the unit. <o:p></o:p></li></ul> Indicative syllabus:<o:p></o:p>The unit introduce and develop the following areas:<o:p></o:p><ul><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Understanding the role and purpose of consultancy<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Working on a real client brief<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Scoping projects and rewriting briefs based on client engagement<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Assessing the current performance of social enterprises<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Using research methods to gather evidence<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Developing practical recommendation presentations to external partners<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Reflecting on practice and creation of a personal development plan.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>  <ul><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">The intended learning outcomes ensure students develop practical and transferable consultancy skills through engagement with a live client. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l7 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Students enhance their employability by gaining authentic experience of teamwork, project planning and professional stakeholder interaction. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Analytical and problem-solving abilities are strengthened as students assess real organisational performance and community needs. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Students develop the capacity to produce actionable, impact-focused recommendations that support venture resilience and sustainable growth. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo5;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Clear and persuasive communication skills are built through preparing executive summaries and presenting findings to diverse external audiences. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l4 level1 lfo6;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Regular client meetings help students practise professional behaviours, including negotiation, adaptability and ethical awareness. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l5 level1 lfo7;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">The requirement to maintain a weekly diary fosters reflective learning habits valued across professions. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo8;tab-stops:list 36.0pt;">Students conclude the unit with a focused Personal Development Plan, enabling lifelong skills development based on their consultancy experience. </li></ul> 0 Other 100% Formative Assessment Task<o:p></o:p>This unit is assessment-led and includes regular formative activities that directly contribute to the development of the summative assessments.  <o:p></o:p>For the consultancy project itself, students will receive weekly formative feedback in the form of group meetings with the tutor.  <o:p></o:p>These weekly tasks are designed to scaffold learning, build evidence, and support students in developing their consultancy project and building their reflective portfolio and diary. <o:p></o:p> Summative Assessment Task<o:p></o:p>S1: Project Proposal Briefing Document – 10%<o:p></o:p>S2: Presentation of Report – 20%<o:p></o:p>S3: Individual Reflective Report – 60%<o:p></o:p> 15 working days after submission via Canvas . Y <ul><li>Ostrom, E., 1990. Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge university press. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li>Porter, M.E. and Kramer, M.R., 2011. Creating Shared Value. HBR. Org Harvard Business Review Jan-Feb. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></li><li>Westhead, P. and Wright, M., 2013. Entrepreneurship: A very short introduction. OUP Oxford. </li></ul> Lectures 22 Seminars 6 0 172 Free choice course unit across the university.<o:p></o:p>Core for BSc Public Health<o:p></o:p>