Postgraduate Course: Carbon and Environmental Consulting Project (CMSE11457)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The Carbon and Environmental Consulting Project is an interdisciplinary MSc course at the University of Edinburgh Business School in which climate change and the environment are viewed and addressed from the perspective of private and public-sector organisations. Students are matched in groups to assess and address real-world, climate change-related challenges that a private or public-sector organisation is experiencing. During the course students investigate and try to solve this challenge in the form of a consulting project. By the end of the course students present their findings and solutions through a written consulting report to their clients, examiners and other stakeholders. |
| Course description |
Climate change brings significant risks for natural and social systems. These developments pose fundamental challenges to the way in which society is organised and governed. An increasing number of studies therefore advise that an interdisciplinary effort from businesses, society and policy makers alike is needed to respond to these challenges. The Carbon and Environmental Consulting Project is an interdisciplinary MSc course at the University of Edinburgh Business School, and challenges students to think about climate change in the context of organisations' current and future decision-making. Currently, businesses are largely seen as organisations that are impacted by climate change, rather than being important participants, and possibly leaders, in attaining a low carbon society. Students will learn to challenge this interpretation of organisations by gaining an in-depth understanding of the fundamental challenges that climate change and environmental-related issues pose to business current decision making. More specifically, students will gain expertise on how business leaders make decisions related to climate change and environmental-related issues and how specific problems can be solved through knowledge attained in previous classes. The course will prepare students to be future leaders that engage with climate change in sustainable, profitable and meaningful ways.
Students are matched in groups to assess and address a real-world, climate change-related challenges that a private or public-sector organisation is experiencing. During the course students investigate and try to solve this challenge in the form of a consulting project. By the end of the course students present their findings in a written consulting report to their clients, examiners and other stakeholders.
The main focus of the course is on the successful cooperation between the student groups and their client partner. Students are therefore expected to spend a significant amount of time consulting with the client partner and their group members outside of the lectures/discussion sessions. Students are expected to deliver their final work in the form of a written report. There will also be other written assignments.
A Carbon and Environment Consulting challenge involves:
1. A private or public sector organisation/business (the 'client') who proposes a challenge.
2. A group MSc students who address the proposed challenge over a 10/11-week period. Towards the end of this period the group of students provides a written consultancy report and video to the client which detail the findings and associated solutions.
3. An appropriate level of input from the client during the 10/11-week period through e.g. access to data, periodic guidance and conversations via emails, phone and face-to-face meetings. The client also attends (physically or virtually) the initial briefing meeting at the beginning and the final video at the end of the 10/11-week period.
The client receives a detailed written report and video addressing the proposed challenge, and may also benefit by building links with potential graduate employees. Students gain considerable benefit from working on a real-world project, including learning how to communicate and work with a client. Consulting projects generally work best when the output is something of genuine and immediate value to the client. There is no financial payment as part of the consultancy project to the clients or students.
Outline Content
1. The purpose of Consultancy
2. Establishing a Client Relationship
3. Team Building and Project Management
4. Establish an Internal Consultancy Contract
5. Monitoring Consultancy Progress
6. Reviewing Consultancy Progress
7. Consultancy in Reflection
Student Learning Experience
Students will experience a mixture of lectures, workshops and discussion sessions which are spread over the semester period and which will occur in conjunction to the student's assignments. The main focus of the course is on the successful cooperation between the student groups and their client partner. Students are therefore expected to spend a significant amount of time consulting with the business partner and their group members outside of the lectures/discussion sessions, workshops and training sessions. Students are expected to deliver their final work in the form of a video and a written report. There will also be a number of other written assignments.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop and articulate a clear and appropriate consultancy project methodology that is sound and feasible within the time scale of the project.
- Build and sustain a mutually satisfying relationship with a client partner, particularly in terms of communication, negotiation and a flexible response to changing circumstances within the relationship.
- Establish a consultancy analysis for the client's challenge, proposition and needs.
- Understand and critically evaluate the impacts of climate/environmental change on organisations and vice versa.
- Identify and apply knowledge, tools and practices as a team to deliver a client-focused output.
|
Reading List
- The McKinsey Way (1999) by Ethan M. Rasiel
- Swart, R.J., et al. Developing climate information portals with users: Promises and pitfalls. clim. Ser. (2017), http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.cliser.2017.06.008
- Keele, S. Consultants and the business of climate services: implications of shifting from public to private science. Climatic Change 157, 9-26 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02385-x
- Uggla, Y. & Lidskog, R. (2016) Climate risks and forest practices: forest owners' acceptance of advice concerning climate change, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 31:6, 618-625, DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2015.1134648
- Haque, S., Deegan, C. & Inglis, R. (2016) Demand for, and impediments to, the disclosure of information about climate change-related corporate governance practices, Accounting and Business Research, 46:6, 620-664, DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2015.1133276
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should have:
- Knowledge of the diverse aspects and steps organisations need to consider when confronted with a specific environmental and/or climate change mitigation and adaptation challenge
- A critical understanding of the role of a consultant by developing, articulating and implementing a consultancy methodology while being able to build and sustain a mutually satisfying relationship with a client partner and other stakeholders
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Be able to construct a consultancy report with associated methodologies, background information and solutions to critically assess and advise a client on mitigation and adaptation to climate change
- Act as a consultant by developing, articulating and implementing a consultancy methodology while being able to build and sustain a mutually satisfying relationship with a client and other stakeholders
Cognitive Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Critically evaluate and synthesise new and complex ideas
- Make informed judgements in the absence of complete or consistent data
- Offer creative solutions and insights on complex issues
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Communicate technical, conceptual and critical information clearly and concisely
Autonomy, Accountability and Working with Others
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Provide and receive peer-feedback
- Cooperate with others from different professional, educational and cultural backgrounds
|
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kathi Kaesehage
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Fionna Grant
Tel: (0131 6)51 3028
Email: |
|
|
University Homepage