Process for BAE Company in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example

? How to Undertake a Consultancy Project Case Study: BAE Company Introduction Most consulting companies undertake their project plenty much in the same way. However, differences may occur based on either on the process or the content, though most good content-focused consultants hold excellent process skills which they use in the consulting process. This paper reviews consultation process for BAE Company in Saudi Arabia. BAE refers to a British company that act as major defence contractor worldwide ( BAE Systems 2000, p. 110). The BAE Company in Saudi Arabia started in 1973, where BAE started providing manpower and support for the Strikemaster and lighting aircraft. The company still experiences problems in Saudi Arabia, most of which affect the productivity of employees. The company currently experiences problems with the HR department. Therefore, the BAE Company plans to work with the Delta HR consultancy to enable them identify the issues related with the HR department. The consultant presented in this paper is Delta HR consultancy group, consultee in BAE company systems and the consultee’s client group are Strikemaster aircraft in Saudi Arabia ( BAE Systems 2000, p. 111). In any consultancy project, consultants must know the operational and conceptual picture of their definition in consultation, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the appropriate operation models to enhance their effectiveness in consulting. This also facilitates the expansion of experience and enhances understanding the necessary process in their consultancy projects. Studies indicate that only few consultants succeed in the absence of high quality skills. Such skills include evaluation of the problem definition, knowing of when to listen or confront, being a good relation builder, and recognition of excessive dependency or understanding dynamics of resistance. Such skills enhance the competency of a consultant (Biech 2005, p. 20). Objectives of the project entail the investigation of the problems facing BAE, the proposal of the process involved to undertake a consultancy project, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the consultancy project with regard to BAE. Process of Undertaking a Consultancy Project The process of undertaking a consultation project involves six steps. The steps apply to both long-term and short-term consultation. These include pre-entry, entry, information gathering, solution searching, evaluation and termination (The Consultancy Process, 1990). The steps are in correspondence to the research methods undertaken and data acquired through qualitative and quantitative methods. All information in this paper originates from questionnaires and interviews where the consultant seeks to get first hand information that forms the basis to the consultancy project. Step 1: Pre-entry Pre-entry step underscores significance of the consultants in their regular engagement in self-assessment. This ensures that consultants remain in their rightful positions situations arising. The consultant may be misperceived as possessing unusual knowledge, insights and skills in defining and solving problems for another person. The pre-entry step therefore focuses on the consultant, and in this case, Delta HR consultancy. This step forms the preliminary stage where the consultant establishes a conceptual framework. This also enables the consultant assesses himself to articulate to others and to self of his/her true capabilities in providing them with the services they require. Failure of going through this step leads to possible underestimation or overestimation of the potential of the consultant to be useful. The assessment prevents the consultant from considering most problems and needs of the consultee as fitting to the favourite interventions and paradigms of the consultant for helping. The reflective and self-assessment involved in this stage enable the consultant understand the beliefs and values to be able to understand how organizations solve their problems. The Delta Consultancy must understand all the problems that are currently facing BAE. The accomplishment of the self-assessment process involves the use of various questions to facilitate the tasks. Here, the consultant administers both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to enable him get first hand information. The information must be administered to both the management and employees and their responses evaluated. The consultant will use questionnaires and interviews. Any relevant secondary information from company reports will be important when evaluating the trends in HR performance. Thereafter, the consultant should evaluate the perceptions of both employees and management (Biech 2010, p. 45). Studies show indicate that consultees and consultants often espouse various theories, and in most cases, the theories cannot be observed from how they behave. The consultants must cling on the ethical guidelines that indicate that the consultants should provide services in which they are qualified. The consultant in the pre-entry stage conceptualizes the operation and meaning of consultation in preparation for working with the consultee system. The conceptual understanding involves the consultant evaluating the theories, paradigms, processes and models drawn from the conceptual model being developed. The pre-entry focuses on consultant, and it reflects the critical aspect of the responsibility of the consultant in understanding the conceptual framework and the personal beliefs in doing consultation. The absence of conceptual understanding leads to the consultant offering inappropriate interventions that result in frustration and disorders for everyone. The pre-entry level improves with increased training and experience of the consultant (Consulting Service, 2000). Step 2: Entry, Problem Exploration and Contracting This forms the second step in consultancy project development. Entry refers to events which unfold during the initial contact between the consultant and consultee, and the actions leading to problem exploration. The information obtained from the pre-entry step enhances the evaluation of the feasibility of the contract. This step marks the beginning of the interaction between consultee and consultant towards exploration of the problem and contracting for the future success of the project. The initial contact may take place through various ways where the consultants potentially get exposure to various initial contacts with the consultee. The consultant contact takes place in more formal way, and mostly occurs through letters or telephone call. The consultant must articulate elements and principles requiring the exploration prior to project consideration (Edlund 1987, p. 86). The consultees present their problems and may propose some solutions. The BAE Company, represented by the HR department head must specify what they feel is needed. The consultant thinks conceptually, and must briefly describe the conceptualization that they would wish to proceed in the initial contacting. This stage must involve questions and answers through questionnaires and interviews to facilitate the move towards the success of consultation. The questions should aim at getting answers regarding the performance trends of HR department, the employee response, the extent or duration that the problems with HR department have been experienced in BAE, and the probable effects upon failure of the consultation. The consultant must aim at getting the information needed for the project from the consultee. The questions asked must be tactful to help in obtaining as much information as possible from the consultee (Edlund 1987, p. 88). The consultancy project must incorporate two models in gaining an understanding of the culture and problems presented. These models include the cycle of change and forces of change. The process of asking consultee to describe the problems enables the consultant ask and formulate better questions on any need for help. The consultants must be aware of development, maintenance, decline and crisis. Development entails the need for any help during the early stages of the project. The early consultant intervention indicates openness and insightfulness of the consultee. The maintenance stage involves the period when things become relatively stagnant and fall behind calling for improvement. This stage indicates the motivation and desire of consultee to improve. The decline illustrates the stage when things get tough, and the consultees recognize of their inadequacy in solving the problem. This may prompt the need for the quick fix with expectations expressed to the consultant. The consultee members disagree on the need for any help. The crisis stage indicates the time when consultee system direly needs help. Consultant may identify any dependency and consultee must understand that their system and situation must turn to a stable state. The consultant must not overinvest in activities that are past the recovery state (Edlund 1987, p. 90). Identification of the point of manifestation of the problem and determination of intervention required may provide considerable insight for the consultee and consultant in establishing reasonable contract. Though most consultees request for help during the decline stages, the consultant must develop consultees in recognizing the need for solving their problems. The process involves unique stages and each stage must have the problems identified and operating factors at each stage clarified. The reliance of people on consultants reveal the importance of the changes in every stage, and this prompts them to engage the consultants more in quest of their needs (Hipkiss 2006, p. 90). The understanding of the forces forms an important component of consultant entry and contracting. The models must be used in providing additional critical information that enhances making of the decisions of the project. The consultant and consultee may profit significantly when they identify the source of the problem within the change cycle, and this enables them establish the degree of the system in readiness for the changes. The Contracting Process This step involves planning for the meetings so as to clarify the expectations and needs of the consultee. It involves reaching of agreement with the consultee on the aims of meetings, the agendas to be discussed, membership in meeting, the expected outcomes, length, place and time of meeting, the chairpersons for the meeting, costs for the meeting, and materials required by the consultee and consultants (Jazayeri & Scapens 2008, p. 67). The consultants usually appear more cautious with time than money. The success of the consultancy project forms their main objective. The enquiring process clarifies the nature of the project, and whether is short or long-term. In either case, consultant must be ready to offer the fee schedule. Also, consultants must be specific on the resources required towards completion of the project. Some common issues that arise include time, materials, space and priorities regarding the involvement process. The success of the project also depends on established trust among the consultee, consultee system and the consultants. Trust forms the most essential aspect of consultancy project, though interpersonal trust is not the sole guarantee for project success. Some different operational models must be utilized to enhance clarification of the contract. The fundamental issues involved in the definition of consultation must involve the consultant conceptually drawing the consultation models as the main resource in clarifying contracting and entry. The consultees may explicitly or implicitly state their requirements to the consultants as their entrust them to solve their problems. Writing consultancy projects for individual contracts may be less formal than for the organization contracts. The performance of any activities outside individual consultation involves written agreement to frame the contract by indicating the purposes, objectives, expectations, time lines, resources and ground rules. The development of the wide contact of an organization enhances development of the contract. Such contracts require the consultant to concentrate on assessment and definition of the problem to address the interventions which require implementation and evaluation (Jazayeri & Scapens 2008, p. 68). Step 3: Information Gathering, Confirmation of the Problem, and Goal Setting Development of written contract requires considerable data. Essentially, good data must define the problem to enhance determination of the interventions’ selections regardless of the process of gathering data. Studies indicate that accurate problem definition acts as the basis for successful consultation outcome. The consultancy project must aim at getting both quantitative and qualitative data to enhance validity. The data must be dependable and useful, and both qualities become indispensable during data collection process. The consultation depends mostly on consensus to determine the validity and reliability of the data. This involves reaching consensus among all people affected by data usage and interpretation ( Novak 1999, p. 590). The consultant and consultee usually share the roles of gathering, analysis and synthesis of data. The Delta Consultants must corporate with HR department in BAE to ensure quality information for the consultancy project. The consultant will often need to be active towards helping the consultees understand the meaning of the data. Any unintentional misinterpretations form powerful barriers for future project success. This may sometimes require the use of more than one procedure in gathering data to enhance accuracy. Immediately after the problem definition, agreement on project ownership must be reached ( Novak 1999, p. 591). Quality information enhances the consultation process. After the decision on the source of information and decisions on data collection methods, there is the determination of the explication on the data analysis, synthesis and interpretation. The confidentiality of the data must be evaluated, and forms of probable defensiveness likely to confuse data confidentiality must be determined. The people to use the data, in this case, the HR department in BAE, as well as the interpreters and presenters of data must also be determined. These factors act as the basis for success of the consultancy projects. This must involve helping the consultees realize the nature of the problem to come up with future solution, and defines the problem as the goal for the project. Step 4: Searching of Solution and Selection of the Intervention Consultees have the natural tendency of desiring early and quick interventions. Consultees deal often with the problem just for sometime after which they seek for external help. Searching for the solution and selection of the intervention forms a basis good data and accurate definition of the process. Failure of allowing the favourite paradigm leads to errors during the selection of the desired intervention. The consultation and planning process require the intervention of entry into the ongoing relationship systems to come in between the company consultee to help it achieve a solution. The intervention framework forms the basis for the analysis in pursuit of the intent or goal using strategy or technique. This indicates that the intervention begins at the early consultation stages, and this may continue even beyond the termination step. The consultants must be aware of the stage where client, consultee and consultant need to decide the intervention treatment most appropriate and which can be predicted as the best solution for the problem at hand ( Novak 1999, p. 593). In this case, the Saudi Arabia Airline, that is the main client may be involved in the proposal for intervention. Various criteria must be followed when searching the best intervention. First, the interventions must be classified based on the tests before making the selection. This should focus on primary, secondary and tertiary helping. Primary interventions reduce the recurrence incidences of the problems. Secondary interventions treat the already existing problems, as well as decrease the duration of existing problems. Tertiary interventions comfort the clients as well as prevent a relapse due to unlikely problem resolution (Quinn & Wayne 2006, p. 477). The interventions can be in different classes with the major ones being: Diagnostic interventions used when learning about individuals, systems or groups. The diagnostic interventions use survey feedback as the major method. Individual interventions focus on helping people develop high functioning level and takes place during seminars, workshops, and during other educational approaches. The interventions may also involve individual involvement with consultees to enable them understand the project. Process interventions involve people cases where people experience problems and require help in examining the problem, and hence, this intervention act as a process consultation Structural interventions focus on resolving the dilemma between the consultant and consultee regarding the focus on the changing human factors like selection of interventions towards changing the human behaviour, feelings or beliefs, as well as the focus on the organizational structure that changes the people. The ideal approach involves consideration of both human and structural approach on the most appropriate in producing the desired outcome. Mostly, the interventions should be provided at the problem definition stage, where the human and structural problems must be distinguished. The best predictor of success for an intervention must clearly define the problem owned by the consultee’s client and consultee. Research show that any change involves client and consultee understanding and accepting the problem definition and the solution proposed. The success of the project may be hindered by too much diagnosis that leads to unrealistic hope. The consultee groups and consultee may sometimes provide cues suggesting the resistance of an intervention when it appears impractical (Quinn & Wayne 2006, p. 480). Step 5: Evaluation In the general sense, the systematic enquiry targets for getting more understanding on observations and cases that producing knowledge. The evaluation process helps the consultant determine the extent of the technical response regarding the behaviour of the consultee in obtaining the desired solutions. Overtime, functions and roles of the evaluation activities during the consultancy projects increase substantially. The expansion of vision and evaluation role must include the moral concerns (Weiss 2004, p. 13). Typically, evaluation acts as a distinct stage of consultancy project and it recognises importance of evaluating the interventions after the implementation. Evaluation enhances judgment on the outcome of an intervention in support of the decision during the process if project development. Evaluation process determines the extent and the appropriateness of the interventions. This also evaluates for the need of further intervention and the response to the interventions. The evaluation process provides data critical in recycling of the decisions made in the earlier stages. In this regard, several possibilities may exist. Evaluation may indicate the appropriateness and feasibility of the interventions, and this may lead to recycling to the implementation stages. However, evaluation may sometimes indicate the working of interventions, but the problems still persist. In this case, recycling for review and revision of interventions objectives proves more appropriate. Also, the unanticipated effects of the interventions may justify the supplementary and secondary interventions. Either way, the interventions may lead to termination. This must be considered as a pivotal event in decision making. The quality of the decisions depends heavily on quality of the process of data evaluation ( Edlund 1987, p. 87). For the evaluation to serve the maximum utility and effective implementation, the consult must greatly expand the conceptualization of the evaluation. The evaluation must be fully integrated during the consultation process. Every step of the consultation process must address the evaluation objectives. This must consider the responsibilities related to the evaluation outlined during entry and contracting. Gathering of information and defining the problem must include the exploration of methods ad measures used in the evaluation. The searching for the solution and selection of the intervention must include delineation of the criteria, standards and measures applied in the evaluation. The decisions in evaluation substantially influence the termination step. The evaluation of the process provides information regarding the validity of the problem definition, the adequateness of the objectives and the effectiveness of the implementation of the interventions. This helps in evaluating the full potential of the evaluation process. The evaluation relates to the design measurement and relates highly to the technical enterprise. The consultant must be well equipped with the expertise of addressing the technical requirements of the evaluation, failure to which purchasing of the appropriate expertise from outside may prove necessary. The consideration of the human factors bear heavily on the effectiveness of the evaluation, and hence, proves equally important. Most of the issues affecting the project, and which relates to human factors, must be considered during evaluation design (Quinn & Wayne 2006, p. 483). Step 6: Termination This marks the last step where the consultant reaches to an agreement with the consultee that the consultation be terminated either because of successful project completion, or due to high unlikelihood of the success. When the failure of meeting the goal becomes eminent, the people involved must be conversant with all the variables regarding the failure of the consultation process. The parties must work independently where they review all the steps from the first stage, pre-entry, to the final stage, termination. This may provide some elements of each phase that may have contributed to failure of the project. The consultee and consultant must review the essential conditions required for successful consultation and evaluate the importance of effective working relationship, open system, accurate problem definition, good data, supportive change culture and good process of evaluating to practice that ensures the relevance of recycling, as well as determining the extent of failure of the consultancy project (Quinn & Wayne 2006, p. 490). The perceived failure might not be real failure, but may present important offering in the findings about the inadequacies of the contract and the requirements for recycle and continued process. Studies indicate that the termination step of any consultancy project results due to premature decision. The consultant or the consultee may decide the best option as being the termination of the project. After the consultant leaves the scene, consultant faces all the blames for the project failure after which the business go back to usual with unresolved problem. Upon the success of the consultancy project, the termination elements are similar to those of the failed project. However, successful project results in little stress on the involved parties due to overvaluation of success and undervaluation of the failure. When the new learning forms the overriding goal, new learning takes place in both successful and failed projects. Nevertheless, cognitively, success results in a satisfying feeling of achieving the objectives. The termination of a successful consultancy project should consider informing all the members involved of the forthcoming termination with appropriate explanations. Also, the termination must involve the recognition of the processes and members involved. The termination must indicate clearly all the met objectives and interventions. Here, the Delta Consultancy must evaluate its success in the interventions it proposes to BAE regarding the HR improvement ( Novak 1999, p. 592). Conclusion The process of undertaking a consultancy project involves conceptualizing the situation as an influential element. The definition of preentry significantly affects the consulting process, and determines the progress of the process with time. The activities and the process involved determine the result of the desired consultation. The consultant must, therefore, monitor all the work to take advantage of the feedback opportunities for the objectives. As a result, no any one step proves to be more important than the other. The Delta HR Consultancy must follow all the steps from pre-entry to termination. The consultant cannot work without the help of the consultee, and hence, Delta Consultancy must work hand in hand with BAE to ensure accurate problem definition and quality proposals for interventions. Every consultancy project works with the aim of achieving the objectives. In this case, this consultancy project has described the step by step process of developing the solution to the HR department. It is anticipated that this process will identify all the problems experienced in BAE through qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, and the information gotten must be used as basis for the interventions. References List Biech, E. (2005). The 2005 Pfeiffer Annual: Consulting. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. Biech, E. (2010). The 2010 Pfeiffer Annual: Consulting. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Consulting Service. (2000). Nedlands, W.A.: Entrepreneur Business Centre. Edlund, B. (1987). Consultation. Clinical Nurse Specialist 1(2), 86-90. Hipkiss, A. (2006). Consulting. Blacklick, OH: McGraw-Hill. Jazayeri, M., & Scapens, R. (2008). The Business Values Scorecard within BAE Systems: The Evolution of a Performance Measurement System. The British Accounting Review . Novak, T. K. (1999). Project DARE: No Effects at 10-year Follow-up. 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