December 2024 Research, Consultancy and Advisory Past Paper Answers

Description

CS INTERMEDIATE LEVEL RESEARCH, CONSULTANCY AND ADVISORY
TUESDAY: 3 December 2024. Afternoon Paper. Time Allowed: 3 hours.

Answer ALL questions. Marks allocated to each question are shown at the end of the question. Do NOT write anything on this paper.

QUESTION ONE
(a) XYZ Solutions, a mid-sized technology consulting firm, has experienced a steady decline in client retention and satisfaction over the past year. The firm specialises in providing customised IT solutions to healthcare organisations and management is concerned about their decreasing market share. Despite investing heavily in leadership training for consultants, client feedback indicates dissatisfaction with service delivery and problem-solving effectiveness. The firm has approached external experts to help identify underlying issues, improve client relations and develop actionable strategies for long-term growth and sustainability.

Required:
(i) Identify THREE qualitative research methods that could be employed by the external experts to gather feedback from clients on their experience with XYZ Solutions’ services. (3 marks)
(ii) Outline THREE ways in whcih XYZ Solutions should prioritise changes in their service delivery model to address critical client concerns while maintaining operational efficiency. (3 marks)
(iii) Analyse FOUR data-driven approaches that consultants at XYZ Solutions may use to identify and prioritise client concerns during service delivery. (8 marks)

(b) Evaluate THREE situations that may necessitate the use of systematic sampling in data collection. (6 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION TWO
(a) Identify FOUR merits of using tables as tools for writing reports in research. (4 marks)
(b) During client discovery, the consultant dives below the client organisation’s surface to gather details on the facts that the client has provided, test hypotheses and probe deep into whatever problems the organisation is facing.
With reference to the above statement, outline SIX goals to be achieved during this phase. (6 marks)
(c) Managing a client-consultant relationship effectively is crucial for the success of any consulting project.
Analyse FIVE strategies for managing this relationship. (10 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION THREE
(a) In the “expert model”, a person in an organisation decides they could use some help in dealing with a need and looks for an internal or external expert to bring in to fulfill that need.
With reference to the above statement, summarise FOUR factors that determine the success of the expert model.
(4 marks)
(b) Distinguish between “facilitation” and “instruction”. (4 marks)
(c) Explain SIX skills of an effective coach. (12 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)

QUESTION FOUR
(a) Outline FOUR external factors that could affect a consulting firm’s strategy. (4 marks)
(b) With reference to theories of research, explain FOUR elements of micro level analysis in social network theory.
(8 marks)

(c) Discuss FOUR uses of a proposal to the client in the consulting process. (8 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION FIVE
(a) Explain THREE methods of developing alternatives for taking action in the consulting process. (6 marks)

(b) Interview schedule is a widely used tool in data collection in research despite its limitations.

In relation to the above statement, discuss FOUR limitations of this tool. (8 marks)
(c) Analyse THREE challenges of management of consultancy in the modern business setups. (6 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
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