Thesis (doctoral)--Uppsala universitet, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

“Specifics of the educational consulting of parents” by J. Aleknavičiūtė. Master work. Managed by doc. dr. A. Grabauskienė. Vilnius Pedagogical University, Department of Educology. – Vilnius, 2005. The problem of the cooperation between the ofice and family is being raised up in educational literature and practice. For improving and managing the cooperation between school and family, different forms of work are investigated. In the review of educational and pedagogical literature the analysis of lithuanian and foreign publishings on educational institution and family cooperation is made, with the intention of finding the right place for pedagogical consulting. After acquiring the today’s situation, the fact of missing analysis of the consulting of parents is stated, and there are not so much information published on the subject. Institutions, intended to consult, themselves face the same problem. It was noticed, that parents are leaking the educational culture, with knowledge as one of it’s components, and parents could acquire that from consultants. So the analysis was made on the evaluation and knowledge about educational consulting from the side of consultants. Also veryu important, that the consultants should have a possibility to evaluate their own expertise and competence, ability of consulting parents. Subject of analysis – specifics of consulting the parents. Target of analysis – to find out the value of consulting, the influence of the consultant and his... [to full text]

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

M.Ing. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The goal of this diploma paper is to present Business Consulting, describe characteristics of european and global consultancy market, give detailed description of the Ukrainian consultancy market and finally to propose the strategic steps necessary for the Czech consultancy company with intention to enter the Ukrainian market.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Management consulting refers to the area of intervention, which is assistance to entrepreneurs, managers and other decision-makers in business management and the public sector. The study will cover the area of management consulting and the primary focus of this study is companies presently doing business as Management Consulting firms with a global presence. The study excludes software vendors and management consulting firms that specialise only in implementing computer software systems like Oracle, SAP, etcetera. There are a great number of firms offering management consulting among other services like auditing for example. Prominent among these are the major accounting firms namely Ernst and Young, Deloitte Consulting, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Arthur Andersen. They form part of this study. Marketing has become a more critical need than ever and it has become an important and influential factor in building and maintaining a profitable enterprise. The marketing of a product and or service is very important and the question can be posed whether management consulting firms have clear marketing strategies and tactics, or whether they stumbled onto their success in attracting clients per chance. The purpose of this study is to identify existing marketing strategies and tactics being used by management consulting firms. The objective is to determine the nature of the compilation of a structured framework for an effective standardised marketing strategy plan. The problem statement is the following: "How can marketing strategies and tactics for management consulting firms be used as an effective marketing tool to attract business for the consulting firm?" The greatest problem concerning this study is the fact that minimal research and literature has been directly compiled on thé topic. It was therefore a study on opinions, viewpoints, books in general on the topic of marketing as well as the daily media was researched to determine and evaluate possible existing marketing strategies and tactics. Since the field of marketing strategies and tactics for management consulting services and firms is relatively new, the exploratory research approach was used. Chapter 1 deals with the purpose, objective, problem statement and research methodology. Chapter 2 involves a literature study to define the term and scope of management consulting, and an overview of the management consulting process is given. Chapters 3 identifies and evaluates the existing marketing strategies and tactics of management consulting firms. Chapter 4 explores differentiation based on service and skills as well as industry specialisation. The question that needs to be answered is whether management consulting firms should be specialists or generalists. Chapter 5 addresses pricing. The different approaches to costing and fee setting are discussed. The study is completed in chapter 6 with conclusions and recommendations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bestuurs konsultasie verwys na die area van intervensie waar hulp aan entrepreneurs, bestuurders en ander besluitnemers in die private en publieke sektor verleen word. Hiedie studie dek die area van bestuurs konsultasie en die primêre fokus van die studie is firmas wat tans konsultasie firmas bedryf met 'n internasionale teenwoordigheid. Hierdie navorsings verslag fokus op die bemarkings taktiek en strategieë van bestuurs konsultasie firmas. Die studie sluit sagteware firmas en bestuurs konsultasie firmas uit wat uitsluitlik spesialiseer in die implementering en instandhouding van rekenaar sagteware. Voorbeelde van sulke firmas is Oracle en SAP. Daar is 'n groot aantal firmas wat bestuurs konsultasie saam met ander dienste soos byvoorbeeld ouditering aanbied. Prominent onder hierdie groep is Ernst and Young, Deloitte Consulting, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Arthur Andersen. Hulle vorm deel van hierdie studie. Bemarking van die diens word al hoe meer belangriker as ooit en dit is 'n kritiese faktor om 'n winsgewende firma te bedryf. Die bemarking van 'n produk of diens is baie belangrik en die vraag kan gevra word of bestuurs konsultasie firmas uitgewerkte bemarking strategieë en taktiek het om kliënte te werf, en of hulle per toeval daarin slaag om besigheid te kry. Die doel van hierdie studie is om bestaande bemarkingstrategieë en-taktiek wat deur bestuurskonsultasie firmas gebruik word, te evalueer. Die doelwit is om die aard van die gestruktureerde raamwerk vir 'n effektiewe gestandardiseerde bemarkingsplan te bepaal. Die probleem stelling is as volg: "Hoe kan bemarkings taktiek en strategieë vir bestuurskonsultasie firmas gebruik word as 'n effektiewe bemarkingsmiddel ten einde besigheid vir die konsultasie firma te lok?" 'n Groot probleem is dat minimale navorsing en literatuur aangaande die onderwerp opgestel is. Dit gaan dus 'n studie wees van opinies, standpunte, asook boeke in die algemeen oor die onderwerp bemarking. Die daaglikse media gaan ook nagevors word om die moontlikheid van bemarkingstartegiëe en taktiek te bepaal. Aangesien die veld van bemarkingtaktiek en -strategiëe vir bestuurskonsultasie firmas redelik nuut is, gaan die eksploratiewe navorsings metode gebruik word. Hoofstuk 1 behandel die doel, doelwit, probleemstelling en navorsingsmetodologie. Hoofstuk 2 dek 'n literatuurstudie aangaande die aard en omvang van bestuurs konsultasie, asook 'n oorsig van die bestuurs konsultasie proses. Hoofstuk 3 identifiseer en evalueer die bestaande bemarkingstrategiëe en taktiek van bestuurs konsultasie firmas. Hoofstuk 4 ondersoek differensiasie gebaseer op diens en bevoegdhede sowel as industrie spesialisasie. Die vraag wat beantwoord moet word is of bestuurs konsultasie firmas slegs in een veld moet spesialiseer en of hulle 'n meerdoellige fokus moet hê. Hoofstuk 5 spreek prys aan. Die verskillende benaderings tot prys en koste word bespreek. Die studie word afgesluit in hoofstuk 6 met 'n samevatting en aanbevelings.

Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business / Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This mini-study project is a review of South African and International practices for the procurement and remuneration of consulting engineering services. The manner in which engineering services have been procured from professionals in the built environment over the last decade in South Africa has varied considerably within the public sector. Historically government and professional associations published time based and percentage fee based scales. In 1997 the government published a Green Paper on Procurement Reform. This paper called for the uniformity of procurement policies throughout all industries. In 2000, a statutory body, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) was established. The CIDB has developed procurement regulations based on the government guidelines for the construction industry. Compliance with these regulations became mandatory as of 14 November 2005 for organs of state who solicit tender offers such as national, provincial and local government institutes. Within the private sector, services have been procured on an ever increasing basis based on a negotiated fee with an agreed scope of works and involvement. The importance of this study is that no single procurement system has been proven worldwide to be optimal. The CIDB have set the rules and now it is up to the construction industry to develop a framework of practice that is sustainable and competitive. The study is a systematic investigation to establish the facts about the new government procurement policies and regulations for the South African construction industry. The guidelines and proposals of associations such as the South African Association of Consulting Engineers SAACE), the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and The World Bank are reviewed. Personal interviews are conducted with South African consulting engineers to investigate opinions on the latest reforms and practices. Procurement and remuneration practices in various other developed and developing countries are also reviewed. From the review it was found that the pertinent measures for the procurement and remuneration of consultants were project categorisation, consultant selection criteria., procurement processes, procurement procedures, cost based procurement approaches, the use of professional fee scales and the cost weighting of consultant remuneration. Trends that emerged from the study were the move in international practices away from the use of professional fee scales. Although the Quality Cost Based Selection (QCBS) approach is still used widely internationally, there is an increase in emphasis and move towards a Quality Based Selection (QBS) approach. Internationally there has been a trend to simplify the process and criteria for the selection of consultants. An important debate identified was whether the use of professional fee scales in South Africa should be eliminated and the determination of professional fees be left to market forces. The review found that although the CIDB had done immense work in the formulation of the new regulations to meet government reform policies, there were certain short comings that needed to be addressed. These included implementation, education of public officials in consultant evaluation, dealing with the tremendous shortage of public officials to do consultant evaluation and the simplification of processes. The study produces a comprehensive comparative table of institutional and practitioners inputs with respect to the identified consultant procurement and remuneration measures. The significance of this table is that it can be used to formulate or adjust existing frameworks. It is proposed that such revised frameworks be monitored and studied to optimise the objective of sustainability and competitiveness in the procurement and remuneration of consulting services in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie mini navorsingsprojek bied 'n oorsig van die Suid-Afrikaanse en lntemasionale praktyke vir die werwing en vergoeding van raadgewende ingenieurs. Die manier waarop ingenieursdienste gewerf word van professionele persone in die konstruksiebedryf oor die laaste dekade in Suid-Afrika het aansienlik verskil binne die openbare sektor. In die verlede het die staatsdiens en professionele instansies tydgebasseerde en persentasievergoedingskale gepubliseer. In 1997 het die Regering 'n "Groenpapier" oor werwing en hervorming gepubliseer. In hierdie dokument word 'n oproep tot uniformiteit van werwingsbeleid deur alle deelnemers gedoen. In 2000 is 'n statutere liggaam, die "Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB)", gestig. Die CIDB het werwingsregulasies ontwikkel wat gebasseer is op die regering se riglyne vir die konstruksiebedryf. Hierdie regulasies het sedert 14 November 2005 vir tenders aan staatsliggame soos nasionale, provinsiale en plaaslike regerings verpligtend geword. Binne die privaatsektor word dienste op 'n toenemende basis op 'n onderhandelde basis vergoed. Daar is gevind dat daar geen enkel werwingsisteem wereldwyd is wat as optimaal bewys is nie. Die CIDB het die reels neergele en dit is nou die verantwoordelikheid van die konstruksiebedryf am 'n praktykgerigte raamwerk te ontwikkel wat beide volhoubaar en kompeterend is. Die navorsing is 'n stelselmatige ondersoek om vas te stel wat die regering se werwingsbeleid en regulasies vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksiebedryf is. Die riglyne en voorstellings van instansies soos die van die Suid-Afrikaanse Assosiasie vir Raadgewende Ingenieurs (SAACE), die "International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC)" en Die Wereldbank is ondersoek en vergelyk. Persoonlike onderhoude is gevoer met Suid-Afrikaanse raadgewende ingenieurs om 'n ondersoek na opinies te doen oor die onlangse hervorming van praktyke. Werwings- en vergoedingspraktyke in verskeie ander lande is ook ondersoek. Hierdie ondersoek het uitgewys dat die pertinente metings vir die werwing en vergoeding van raadgewende ingenieurs projek kategorie, wenvingsprosesse, werwingsprosedures, koste gebaseerde benaderings, die gebruik van professionele vergoedingskale en die koste van vergoeding, is. Tendense wat na vore kom vanuit die navorsing, is die intemasionale praktyk om weg te beweeg van professionele vergoedingskale. Alhoewel die Kwaliteit Koste Gebasseerde Seleksie benadering nog steeds wyd gebruik word intemasionaal, is daar 'n toename in die beklemtoning en beweging na die Kwaliteit Gebasseerde Seleksie benadering. Daar is die neiging intemasionaal om die proses en kriteria vir die seleksie van konsultante te vereenvoudig. 'n Belangrike debat wat geidentifiseer is, is of die gebruik van professionele vergoedingskale in Suid-Afrika geelimineer moet word en of die vasstelling van professionele vergoeding deur markkragte bepaal moet word. Die navorsing het bevind dat alhoewel die CIDB heelwat werk gedoen het in die formulering van nuwe regulasies om te voldoen aan regerings hervormingsbeleid, dat daar sekere tekortkominge is wat aangespreek moet word. Hierdie sluit in: implementering, die opleiding van openbare amptenare in konsultant evaluering. die hantering van die geweldige tekort aan openbare amptenare om die konsultant evaluerings te doen en die vereenvoudiging van prosesse. Die navorsing produseer 'n omvattende vergelykende tabel van institutionele en die praktykvoerder se insette ten opsigte van die geidentifiseerde konsultant werwings - en vergoedingsmeetmiddels. Die belangrikheid van hierdie tabel is dat dit gebruik kan word om te formuleer of om aanpassings te maak aan bestaande raamwerke. Dit word voorgestel dat sulke hersiende raamwerke gemonitor en bestudeer word om sodoende die doelwit van onderhoudbaarheid en kompeterendheid in die werwing en vergoeding van konsulterende dienste in Suid-Afrika te optimaliseer.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the intervention of the Competition Commission and the abolition of the mandatory use of the government gazetted Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) fees scale, engineering services consultants in South Africa have been competing based on price for engineering contracts in both the public and private sectors. Discounts benchmarked against ECSA professional fees scale demanded by clients have resulted in declines in professional fees over the years. The capacity to deliver professional services that are of such high quality that it meets the client’s expectation, professional and ethical standards when working at low fees is one of the biggest challenges facing consulting professionals today. This research studied the risks encountered by civil and structural engineering services consultants and the impact of discounted professional fees on their risk exposure. The study included a review of literature, discussions with practicing engineers and a questionnaire based survey. A total of 23 practicing consulting engineers representing small, medium and large consulting engineering firms participated as respondents in the questionnaire survey. The literature review identified project and organisational level risks particular to civil and structural engineering services consultants. The study compiled information on the discounting practices of civil and structural engineering services consultants in South Africa. It is found that the practice of discounting is widespread, affecting small, medium and large consulting firms. The range of discounts offered in the industry results in a significant decrease in the fee scale recommended by ECSA for various engineering project types. Respondents identified the primary reasons why they are forced to offer discounts and identified project and organisational risks most impacted by discounted fees in an order of perceived importance to them. Financial loss on the project, inadequate supervision and quality control on site and inability to perform value engineering were identified as project risks with the most impact on respondents’ organisation. At the organisational level human resource issues such as training and mentoring of young engineers, ability to attract and retain quality/experienced staff and overall business sustenance were identified as risks most impacted by discounted fees. Measures adopted by respondents to mitigate risk associated with discounted fees on project were also identified and recommended. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die ingryping van die Kompetisie Kommissie en die afskaffing van verpligte fooie soos gepubliseer deur die regerings koerant en Ingenieurs Raad van Suid Afrika (IRSA), het ingenieurs konsultante in Suid Afrika meegeding gebaseer op die prys van ingenieurs kontrakte in beide die publieke en private sektore. Afslag wat gemeet word teen professionele skale van ECSA word vereis deur kliënte. Onetiese tender gedrag deur kliënte en raadgewers het gelei tot ʼn daling in professionele fooie oor die jare. Die kapasiteit om professionele dienste te verskaf, wat van ʼn hoë kwaliteit is, kliënte se verwagtinge bereik en professionele en etiese standaarde bereik teen lae koste is een van die grootste uitdagings vir professionele raadgewende ingenieurs in vandag se mark. Hierdie tesis bestudeer die risiko’s wat siviele en strukturele raadgewende ingenieurs ondervind, asook die impak wat afslag van professionele fooie het in terme van die blootstelling van risiko’s. Hierdie studie behels ʼn literatuur studie, gesprekke met ingenieurs in die praktyk en ʼn vraelys opname. ʼn Totaal van 23 raadgewende ingenieurs wat klein, medium en groot raadgewende ingenieurs instansies verteenwoordig het deelgeneem aan die vraelys opname. Die literatuur studie het projek risiko’s en risiko’s op die organisasie vlak geïdentifiseer wat veral verband hou met siviele en strukturele raadgewende dienste. Die studie het informasie gegenereer oor die dalende uitvoering van siviele en strukturele raadgewende dienste in Suid-Afrika. Dit is bevind dat die beginsel van afslag in die algemeen klein, medium en groot raadgewende firmas beïnvloed. Die omvang van die afslag wat aangebied word in die ingenieurs bedryf het gelei tot ʼn beduidende afname in die fooi skaal wat aanbeveel word deur ECSA vir die verskeie ingenieurs projek tipes. Die verskeie deelnemers van die studie het gedui dat die primêre rede hoekom hulle gedwing word om afslag aan te bied en projek en organisasie risiko’s identifiseer, is omdat afslag fooie ʼn voorafgestelde belang is vir hulle. Finansiële verliese op ʼn projek, onvoldoende toesig, kwaliteitsbeheer en die onvermoë om hoë gehalte ingenieurswese toe te pas was geïdentifiseer as die projek risiko’s wat die meeste invloed het op die deelnemers se organisasies. By die organisasie vlak was menslike hulpbronne, soos opleiding en die mentorskap van jong ingenieurs, die vermoë om kwaliteit of ervare personeel te trek en te behou, en die algehele besigheid lewensmiddele geïdentifiseer as risiko’s wat die meeste beïnvloed word deur afslag fooie. Maatreëls wat aangeneem is deur deelnemers aan die studie om risiko’s wat verband hou met afslag fooie van ʼn projek te versag is geïdentifiseer en aanbeveel.