Sustainability Management Consultancy
Timeline
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September 13, 2018Experience start
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September 22, 2018Confirm and communicate with company
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October 6, 2018Scope and Deliverables Statement
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October 22, 201830 Minute Professor check-in
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October 29, 2018Key Learning Deliverable
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December 1, 2018Final Report
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December 6, 2018Experience end
Timeline
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September 13, 2018Experience start
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September 22, 2018Confirm and communicate with company
Professor will assign students to a company based in part on student preference. The group will then reach out to the company by this date to begin the consulting process.
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October 6, 2018Scope and Deliverables Statement
A scope and deliverables statement is a high level overview of what the student groups are developing and delivering on over the semester. It should explicitly identify and elaborate on the deliverables associated with the project including documents, research, models, and reports. A scope statement helps to ensure that the student group and the company partner are aligned. This document will also contain information on how the company and professor should grade the deliverables.
Expect that you will receive feedback from both the company and the professor to ensure the scope statement is feasible, valuable to your company, and is suitable to the course objectives.
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October 22, 201830 Minute Professor check-in
Complete a 30 minute professor check-in during the week of October 22nd including written answers and discussions regarding the following 5 questions:
1. Describe the progress you have made to date.
2. Describe the activity that you are planning on taking.
3. What is going as planned with the project?
4. Where are the challenges with the project?
5. What other issues would you like to discuss?Students will respond to a doodle poll in order to schedule a professor meeting.
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October 29, 2018Key Learning Deliverable
Produce a deliverable that displays in an interesting manner, learning that the group gained in the process of the project. Usually this is the result of some research (primary or secondary). Discuss the nature of this deliverable with your client and professor. The deliverable should be in a creative and useful format such as an infographic, video, podcast, diagram or animation, etc.
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December 1, 2018Final Report
Final report is due. Students will submit 10+ page final report to both the organization and professor (through Avenue).
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December 3, 2018Final Presentation
Your group will make a 15 minute presentation to the class. In most cases, representatives from your industry partner will be in attendance. The report should follow, in general, the same content as the report.
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December 4, 2018Final Presentation Conference
In a conference type format, student groups will present their work through short, approximately 3 minute pitches supported by a poster or short PowerPoint presentation. The aim s to provide the key insights of your project and spark interesting conversation.
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December 6, 2018Experience end
Categories
Skills
consulting data analysis report writing sustainability integration certification trackingImprove your organization's sustainable practices. Student-consultants will evaluate and recommend tactics and specific actions to implement for your organization to make a positive impact on society, the environment, and your earnings.
The final deliverables include:
- A 1-page deliverables agreement: Through this document the student group and organization will agree upon the high level scope of the project. This should include details on the expected documents, research, models, and reports.
- A key learning deliverable: Students will, in the process of completing the assignment, learn about a topic central to the project. Students will explain this learning through the use of multi-media (video, infographic, presentation, etc.). While this deliverable is primarily a class requirement, the organization may also find this useful.
- A 10+ page research report with analysis and recommendations: In most cases the student group will prepare some form of final report detailing analysis and recommendations.
- A final poster-type presentation: Student groups will present their final work in a 3 minute poster-type presentation. Q&A encouraged. This event will be a social even providing plenty of time for organizations to interact with their students.
Project timeline
-
September 13, 2018Experience start
-
September 22, 2018Confirm and communicate with company
-
October 6, 2018Scope and Deliverables Statement
-
October 22, 201830 Minute Professor check-in
-
October 29, 2018Key Learning Deliverable
-
December 1, 2018Final Report
-
December 6, 2018Experience end
Timeline
-
September 13, 2018Experience start
-
September 22, 2018Confirm and communicate with company
Professor will assign students to a company based in part on student preference. The group will then reach out to the company by this date to begin the consulting process.
-
October 6, 2018Scope and Deliverables Statement
A scope and deliverables statement is a high level overview of what the student groups are developing and delivering on over the semester. It should explicitly identify and elaborate on the deliverables associated with the project including documents, research, models, and reports. A scope statement helps to ensure that the student group and the company partner are aligned. This document will also contain information on how the company and professor should grade the deliverables.
Expect that you will receive feedback from both the company and the professor to ensure the scope statement is feasible, valuable to your company, and is suitable to the course objectives.
-
October 22, 201830 Minute Professor check-in
Complete a 30 minute professor check-in during the week of October 22nd including written answers and discussions regarding the following 5 questions:
1. Describe the progress you have made to date.
2. Describe the activity that you are planning on taking.
3. What is going as planned with the project?
4. Where are the challenges with the project?
5. What other issues would you like to discuss?Students will respond to a doodle poll in order to schedule a professor meeting.
-
October 29, 2018Key Learning Deliverable
Produce a deliverable that displays in an interesting manner, learning that the group gained in the process of the project. Usually this is the result of some research (primary or secondary). Discuss the nature of this deliverable with your client and professor. The deliverable should be in a creative and useful format such as an infographic, video, podcast, diagram or animation, etc.
-
December 1, 2018Final Report
Final report is due. Students will submit 10+ page final report to both the organization and professor (through Avenue).
-
December 3, 2018Final Presentation
Your group will make a 15 minute presentation to the class. In most cases, representatives from your industry partner will be in attendance. The report should follow, in general, the same content as the report.
-
December 4, 2018Final Presentation Conference
In a conference type format, student groups will present their work through short, approximately 3 minute pitches supported by a poster or short PowerPoint presentation. The aim s to provide the key insights of your project and spark interesting conversation.
-
December 6, 2018Experience end
Project Examples
Students in this course learn a range of knowledge pertaining to the role of corporations in society. They are challenged to reconceptualize how firms can solve social and environmental issues. Topics touched on include certification systems, sustainability reporting, supply chain issues, business models to support social and environmental innovation, social entrepreneurship, climate change strategies, and social finance.
This consulting-type project will put that learning into practice. Beginning this September, an interdisciplinary team of 4 to 5 student-consultants will spend 80 to 100 hours working for your organization on a challenge your organization faces related to social or environmental issues. The professor for the course will work with you to refine the project and define the associated deliverables.
Drawing from information your organization provides and student research (primary or secondary), the group will prepare, in most cases, a final report detailing their recommendations. Participating organizations will be encouraged to attend a final event where students will present their project findings through posters or small presentations.
Project focus may include, but is not limited to:
- Exploring solutions to a sustainability-related issue facing your firm.
- Aiding your organization in addressing one or more of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300.
- Identifying and analyzing sustainability-related certifications relevant to a product, process, or business function.
- Analyzing a firm's sustainability practices and making recommendations regarding a firm's sustainability report.
Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:
Be available for a quick phone call with the organizer to initiate your relationship and confirm your scope is an appropriate fit for the experience.
Minimum of 2-4 interactions with the students in-person or remotely (approximately 4-6 hours over the duration of the project).
Provide a dedicated contact who will be available to answer periodic emails or phone calls over the duration of the project to address student’s questions or provide additional information.
Be available to send a representative to the final poster presentation event in the last week of November or first week of December
Provide written feedback as to the performance of the team within one week following the final poster presentations.
Timeline
-
September 13, 2018Experience start
-
September 22, 2018Confirm and communicate with company
-
October 6, 2018Scope and Deliverables Statement
-
October 22, 201830 Minute Professor check-in
-
October 29, 2018Key Learning Deliverable
-
December 1, 2018Final Report
-
December 6, 2018Experience end
Timeline
-
September 13, 2018Experience start
-
September 22, 2018Confirm and communicate with company
Professor will assign students to a company based in part on student preference. The group will then reach out to the company by this date to begin the consulting process.
-
October 6, 2018Scope and Deliverables Statement
A scope and deliverables statement is a high level overview of what the student groups are developing and delivering on over the semester. It should explicitly identify and elaborate on the deliverables associated with the project including documents, research, models, and reports. A scope statement helps to ensure that the student group and the company partner are aligned. This document will also contain information on how the company and professor should grade the deliverables.
Expect that you will receive feedback from both the company and the professor to ensure the scope statement is feasible, valuable to your company, and is suitable to the course objectives.
-
October 22, 201830 Minute Professor check-in
Complete a 30 minute professor check-in during the week of October 22nd including written answers and discussions regarding the following 5 questions:
1. Describe the progress you have made to date.
2. Describe the activity that you are planning on taking.
3. What is going as planned with the project?
4. Where are the challenges with the project?
5. What other issues would you like to discuss?Students will respond to a doodle poll in order to schedule a professor meeting.
-
October 29, 2018Key Learning Deliverable
Produce a deliverable that displays in an interesting manner, learning that the group gained in the process of the project. Usually this is the result of some research (primary or secondary). Discuss the nature of this deliverable with your client and professor. The deliverable should be in a creative and useful format such as an infographic, video, podcast, diagram or animation, etc.
-
December 1, 2018Final Report
Final report is due. Students will submit 10+ page final report to both the organization and professor (through Avenue).
-
December 3, 2018Final Presentation
Your group will make a 15 minute presentation to the class. In most cases, representatives from your industry partner will be in attendance. The report should follow, in general, the same content as the report.
-
December 4, 2018Final Presentation Conference
In a conference type format, student groups will present their work through short, approximately 3 minute pitches supported by a poster or short PowerPoint presentation. The aim s to provide the key insights of your project and spark interesting conversation.
-
December 6, 2018Experience end