Business Question

Action Learning ProjectFinal Report Specifications
The Action Learning Project is intended to demonstrate to WGB 691 students in their capstone MBA class how to undertake a rigorous real-life
consulting project and to professionally present it to the client and other interested parties.
In formulating your Final Report, you are encouraged to be thoughtful, analytical, creative, and professional. The best consulting reports are:
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Complete, well-written, and easy to navigate;
State the purpose and major findings of the consulting project;
Identify issues encountered in conducting the work effort; and
Suggest next steps and implementation issues (both positive outcomes and risks).
As you will see, the following pages are a skeleton of what the final report of your Action Learning Project might include. It is a guide; slavish
attention to it will inhibit your creativity.
Here are some editing suggestions and requirements for report production:
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Single-space the report, using 12 point font for the body of the report. Headlines can be larger for emphasis.
Use your professional judgment for the appearance of the appendices, but make them readable—avoid a data dump.
Times New Roman is the preferred typeface for the text.
To add to its professionalism, the final report should be presented in a binder, with tabs.
Your instructor gets two physical copies of the report. Make sure there are enough other copies for the client(s) and the
presentation attendees.
✓ The final report should be emailed to your instructor in this manner: create a folder that contains all the various project files, and
then condense the information using a zip file.
I.
COVER PAGE
Title of Project
Date of Final Report
Team Names—names should be in alphabetical order
Course Name and Code: WGB 691
Instructor’s Name
II.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Numbering scheme is different than that used in body of report, e.g., i., ii., iii
Appendices are listed individually
III.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (max. 2 pages)
In no more than two pages, concisely summarize the consulting project (the task) and the major findings. Be sure to mention the
name of the client organization. After reading this section, the reader should have a solid overview of the objectives of the project,
the methodology employed, the obstacles encountered and how they were handled, the major results obtained, the conclusions drawn,
and the recommendations for further work.
IV.
INTRODUCTION OF CLIENT ORGANIZATION (approx. 2 pages)
A brief description of the client organization, including:
o Location of the client company
o Nature of the client company’s work or mission
o Names and contact information for the principal contacts
o Reasons given for undertaking the project
o Client history: when established, size, internal resources—staffing, financial position, sources of funding—reputation,
affiliations
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V.
STATEMENT OF WORK and MAJOR DELIVERABLES (approx. 2 pages)
This includes the agreed-upon terms of the consulting engagement. Moreover, it is a precise description of the project, the needs to
be satisfied, the nature of the work to be undertaken, and the process for accomplishing the assignment. The full scope of the project
is described in a detailed fashion:
What is being evaluated or studied? What will be the nature of the recommendations and how will they assist the client
organization’s decision-making?
How will the consulting project be undertaken? What information will be collected? What research methodologies will be
employed? What assumptions must be made? What information will the client organization provide?
How will communication take place?
If a team project, how will you organize the work effort?
What is the project timeline, including the intermediary steps?
What issues arose along the way that may have changed the original expectations for the consulting project?
Remember to include the original Statement of Work and Major Deliverables in an appendix, if not placed within this section.
Also, a Project Timeline is strongly suggested and can be included here or as an appendix.
VI.
RESEARCH CONDUCTED and RESULTS OBTAINED (approx. 5 pages)
This is a detailed discussion of how your research was conducted, any obstacles or anomalies encountered, the validity and quality of
your data, inconsistencies observed, and the outcomes obtained. If primary research was conducted, the questionnaire must be
included here or as an appendix to the report.
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VII.
ANALYSIS (approx. 5 pages)
Describe what your research allows you to say? To what degree has your research supported the questions raised by the Statement of
Work objectives? Use charts and graphs to present your results.
VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS (approx. 2 pages)
Based on your research and analysis, what are your recommendations? Be as specific as you can in terms of likely impact, cost, risk,
return and defend your reasons.
IX.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER WORK (approx. 2 pages)
Given your findings, provide insight as to how your results should be implemented and in what manner the continuation of your work
would be advantageous to the client organization.
X.
CLIENT PRESENTATION MATERIALS
Include either the PowerPoint slides or the “Deck” that was used during the final client presentation.
XI.
LEARNINGS (approx. 2 pages)
What specifically did you learn? If you had to do the consulting project over again, what would you have done differently?
XII.
WORKS CITED—use APA Citation
XIII. APPENDICES
Here’s where you place the bulk of your research data and materials provided by the client such as past surveys or reports.
XIV. TIPS
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Be logical
Be analytical
Engage the reader
Provide creative insights
Provide good direction in the report to appendices or other sections
Avoid use of first person, “I”
Avoid use of first names
Use an outside reader
Use SHU’s Mail and Duplicating Center to save money on the production of the final report
Use Spell and Grammar Check
Watch out for missing words
Avoid padding the text with data that more properly belongs in an appendix
Use the Welch College of Business rubrics for oral and written communication—these are available in Course Resources on
Blackboard
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Outreach Plan:
This brochure, developed by Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, helps inform the general public about
the mental health services offered. This mission statement, “Providing HELP Creating HOPE- Serving
ALL,” depicts the organization’s mission and focuses on helping people find their way to achievement
and enhanced mental health. The brochure can be distributed strategically to enhance visibility and ensure
that everyone in need of the services is well-informed. This is because centers for community, changes,
and places of worship are common grounds where people seeking support feel inclined to gather and may
offer good visibility domains for the brochure. Also, placing the brochure on the walls of the apartments,
laundromats, and other social places would ensure that many people get to read it, including those who
need access to traditional community centers.
Since people with mobility issues can also need cab services, passing out the flyer at bus stops, train
stations, and any other area with populace transport can help create awareness among the transport users.
Furthermore, being placed in doctors’ offices or clinics, would let the people suffering from anxiety or
other mental issues know that Catholic Charities of Fairfield County provides mental health services, too.
This way, the organization can widely distribute the flyer in supermarkets, other packing grocery stores,
and other related shops, where it will be certain that nobody will be left out first within the society in their
fight to achieve mental health. In conclusion, this flyer can be placed somewhere important to initiate
people who need help to embrace the journey to mental health support.
The brochure folds out into three panels. The front panel displays the Catholic Charities logo and the
tagline “Providing Help, Creating Hope, Serving All.” Below is a welcome message and a brief
statement about the organization’s mission to create a community where everyone can access necessities
and the support they need to thrive. The left interior panel lists their core values: excellence, dignity, and
self-sufficiency. They emphasize that they serve everyone regardless of age, race, religion, or ability to
pay. The middle interior panel lists some of their programs, including mental health counseling, furniture
ministry, housing programs, immigration services, a preschool program, a self-sufficiency program, a
senior nutrition program, and SNAP outreach. They also mention that they offer additional programs on
their website. Contact information is listed for several of the programs. These are all places that people in
need may frequent, and staff may be happy to display the brochure in a waiting room or bulletin board.
Many apartment buildings and laundromats have bulletin boards where residents can see flyers and
announcements. People waiting for appointments may be interested in learning about the resources
available from Catholic Charities.
https://www.canva.com/
https://www.ccfairfield.org/programs/
https://www.ccfairfield.org/
The poster focuses on Catholic Charities’ preparedness to help the people by providing the necessary
services, including food and temporary housing assistance, support for families and immigrants,
counseling services for mental and nutritional support, parent education, and immigrant support. Putting
the poster in places where the targeted population would be in large numbers or see it, like near the
receptions of supermarkets and grocery stores, community halls, centers that feed the hungry, reading
rooms, and washing places like laundries, would help spread the message. These are some of the areas
that people who can require assistance from Catholic Charities may visit, so the poster not only serves as
a way of reaching out to a variety of people but also has the potential of reaching those who need the help.
The use of an attractive message on the poster is relevant for adopting the organization’s goals and
stimulating the public’s involvement in the quest. It can bring a sense of urgency to those needing help or
encourage people to help. In addition, the contact information at the bottom of the poster gives individuals
needing additional information on the website and a phone number to call for more information about
Catholic Charities’ services. This level of accessibility improves the poster and makes it more appealing
to the people, thus making the chances of people seeking help easier.
The poster’s objective of advertising Catholic Charities’ services is achieved by outlining the
organization’s mission statement and its purpose to serve and build hope. The design idea is fairly simple
and flashy, the name and logo of the organization and the pertinent details have been written or drawn in
bright and large letters/inks to capture the attention of a person who comes across this poster. Having a
phone number and a website address on the poster is also significant since it helps the interested viewer
receive more information on what Catholic Charities offers and possibly get help from them. The level of
access depicted in this poster ensures that the point made passes a long way and that more people become
aware of the help offered. This poster can be placed on wall spaces that many people can view, including
bus stop areas, train stations, buildings’ entrances, and popular community halls. These places attract
various populations, meaning the poster is more likely to reach those individuals who might benefit from
the organization’s purpose. The poster also displays a phone number and a website address to contact the
organization which enables interested viewers to gain more information
This bookmark shows the hope and opportunity that Catholic Charities offers to those in need. It
highlights Catholic Charities’ dedication to education and laying a solid basis for the future. The
bookmark has a blue color scheme and reads “Find Support. Find Strength.” “Find Hope” implies
that Catholic Charities is ready and willing to help anyone in need. We intend to distribute these
bookmarks in a variety of areas, including universities, schools, libraries, and offices, in order to
raise awareness of our organization among students, educators, and book lovers. We believe that
by doing so, we will inspire young people and educators to get involved with our purpose,
whether through financial support or volunteering. The bookmark’s design, with a blue gradient
background and a big crossed keys logo, exudes serenity and professionalism while clearly
distinguishing the organization as Catholic. The tagline “Empowering Minds, Strengthening
Futures” summarizes our purpose to enhance people’s lives by providing mental health care and
education, allowing them to achieve better and more stable futures. By posting these bookmarks
in key locations such as community centers, healthcare facilities, and public transportation hubs,
we hope to reach those who could benefit from our offerings. This method keeps Catholic
Charities visible and available to those in need, encouraging them to seek the assistance and
support they need.
This idea is for a white porcelain mug with the words “Hope in every cup” inscribed on the side
in black script type. The statement on the mug looks to be both reassuring and empowering,
informing their decision to attend the event, make donations, or seek additional assistance. It
would be suitable to utilize it in waiting areas, break rooms, and client homes to provide hope
and inspiration in people who work for Catholic Charities. To the staff and volunteers, the image
can serve as a marker that raises awareness about the organization’s primary operations and the
type of contribution that the staff and volunteers make to improving the welfare of the served
clients. It is a subtle corporate art piece that can be displayed in reception areas, break rooms
and offices.