The project “European Management Consultant - competency development programme” will be conducted in partnership consisting of representatives from nongovernmental and business sectors, organisations specialising in improvement and certification of management consultants, as well as training organisations involved in education and vocational training of, among others, management consultants. The partners originate from 4 European countries, i.e.: Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. The project will be implemented over a period of 2 years, from 1st September 2015. The project’s goal is improvement in quality of management consultant’s education in Europe and better adjustment of consultant’s education to market needs through development, testing and implementation of management consultant education programme under the European Management Consultants’ School. The programme will be adapted to current market needs, sectorial trends and will be based on developed competency standards chart. Project goals will be achieved by performance of the following actions: - preparation of two reports: 1/ report on comparative study on needs and expectations of business regarding consultants (4 partner countries); 2/ report on education market for consultants in Europe (4 partner countries + selected European markets)’ - development and description of competency standards chart, based on analysis of descriptions of competency standards in consultant profession used by various institutions, as well as adaptation of the map to results of studies no. 1 and 2; - provision of a complete, tested and validated Management Consultants School’s Programme; the programme will be adjusted to needs of consultants at various competency and experience levels (3 levels); - preparation of a trainer’s manual for the Management Consultants’ School, which will be used by at least 32 trainers in at least 4 EU countries; - conducting a pilot project for the Management Consultants School’s programme, comprised of 2*5-day residential training programme in 2 countries, supplemented by at least 3 on-line trainings (webinars); a report on pilot project will be complied, containing recommendations for the programme, - conduct of comprehensive train-the-trainers programme for the trainers of the Management Consultants’ School, coming from 4 EU countries; 32 trainers will be trained in total; the programme covers both the stationary course (5 days), as well as 3 webinars; - development of sectorial platform addressed mainly to management consultants, but also businesses interested in cooperation with consultants; the platform will consist of a public part and a part for registered users (consultants) and will include access to training content (webinars), as well as other content attractive for the industry, e.g. tools, interviews with experts, videos on school’s pilot project; an important element of the platform will be the consultant community, which will be moderated; - wide dissemination of the project’s results during dissemination seminars in 4 partner countries, summary conference (at least 330 participants), as well as conferences and other industry events. The official language will be English. The project will contribute to establishment of 4 European Management Consultants’ Schools – in Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark and the Netherlands, offering 3-level vocational education programme adapted to consultant’s competency standards. The project will have an impact on increase in management consultant work standards by e.g.: better adjustment of consulting interventions to business needs, adjustment of consultant’s role to needs of specific companies, increase in consultant’s work ethics. The project will also influence adaptation of management consultants to work at other EU markets by application of a programme developed in international environment, use of intervention tools and methods verified at various markets. At the impact level, it will contribute to growth in entrepreneurship and increase in management quality level in companies of at least 4 EU countries. The project contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy in the goal 1 - employability.
The partners of the project European Management Consultant – Competency Development Program – have set themselves the goal: to improve the quality of management consultant’s education in Europe and to adjust consultant’s education to market needs through development, testing and implementation of management consultant education program. The core outcome of the project is 15 days school program designed for management consultants. The steps that led to achieve this main goal was a research on educational offer in selected EU countries and in the US, a survey about business expectations towards managements consultants, and the definition of the competence framework. Additionally, the partners developed the web platform, with a Learning Management System and created a valuable content that is available on the platform (i.e. articles, video interviews with business representatives, questionnaire to assess management consultants competencies). The partners tested the school program during the 10 days pilot course (2x5 days) and improved the program as a result of a feedback from participants. Finally, the partners designed and delivered the Train the Trainer where representatives of participating organizations were trained how to deliver the school program. The partners in the project were: MATRIK Management Consultants and Trainers Association – the project leader. MATRIK’s members are trainers and management consultants. It is operating since 1998. The organization’s mission is professional development of trainers and management consultants. CMC Denmark – a member of International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. It associates management consultants. The organisation cares for their professional development and certification. BAMCO – a member of International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. It associates management consultants. The organisation cares for their professional development and certification. InDialogue (till June 2017) – a company specialising in communicative and relational aspects of organisational and educational life. The project contributed to establishment (planned for 2018) of 3 European Management Consultants’ Schools – in Poland, Bulgaria and Denmark offering vocational education programme adapted to consultant’s competency standards.