NewConsultancy Skills

Dates:

13 -17 July 2026 - London - (£2,850)

About the workshop

The demand from the international development partners and agencies for consulting services has seen significant change over the past 10 years, with the focus on creating less dependence on external expertise and fuelled by the improved quality of national consultants’ competency in many countries.  This demand for national consultants has also been stimulated by pressure on governments to reorganize, right-size and outsource more government activities in an attempt to manage costs efficiently.  However, there are significant disparities in the ability of some countries to meet the growing requirement for national consulting services of the highest standard.

Consultants, whether internal or external can bring objectivity and fresh insights into an organisation which can transform its performance.  The value that consultants can offer to the public sector is immense.  Consultants, when used appropriately, can provide considerable benefits for clients ranging from the development of core and specialist skills for individuals to major reviews of strategies and policies, organisational structures and processes. 

This workshop focusses on management consultancy for people in the profession or considering entering it or those who wish to have an understanding of the knowledge and skills needed in this area.  It is also useful for organisations which employ consultants to give them an intelligent customer capability.  It is targeted at staff in the public sector who may be acting as internal consultants within Ministries, departments, local authorities and para-statal organisations and also for private sector professionals who wish to gain a better understanding of the public sector.

Who is the workshop for?

The workshop is designed for people who are involved in change management programmes, strategic and efficiency reviews, business and process management analysis. Whether you are an existing internal or external practitioner, line manager, need a refresher or are thinking of entering the consultancy profession, the workshop covers the skills and attributes required by consultants.  Regardless of whether you come from a general management, project management, human resource, financial, auditing, sales, communications and information technology or organisation development background, the ability to consult and provide innovative but practical solutions to apparently insurmountable problems requires skills in client management, communication and presentation, creative thinking and analytical methods and the ability to negotiate and persuade managers and their staff to challenge the status quo and accept change.

The workshop is also suitable for managers whose role includes managing consultancy contracts.

How participants will benefit

The workshop will:

• Introduce you to and enable you to  practice the skills and attributes of a consultant
• Explore consultancy analytical tools and techniques available for providing clients with solutions to their complex organisational challenges 
• Provide a useful “refresher” for experienced consultants or those entering or returning to the profession
• Provide an excellent basis for further professional development
• Improve your career potential
• Offer a useful background in consultancy for senior managers of any specialisation who may also need to undertake consultative approaches or work with consultants
• Provide you with the opportunity to work throughout the week on a case study example of a consultancy assignment and present your findings to a client.

For those who wish to continue to develop their capability and professional development as a consultant, there is the opportunity to arrange one-to-one coaching/mentoring sessions remotely with our Workshop Director.  There will be an additional cost for this service.  Please let us know if you would like to discuss options for this.

What the workshop will cover

The workshop explores:

• The role and behaviours of a consultant
• The I-Adapt consultancy project cycle
• Structured knowledge gathering, research and data analysis
• Creative thinking, problem analysis and solution finding
• Communication, negotiation and persuasion for consultants
• Client relationship management
• Planning for change  
• Consultancy project management and effective delivery
• Risk analysis and management
• Reporting and presentations
• Marketing consultancy services
• Bidding for contracts