INFOSYS 704 : IT Consultancy

Business and Economics

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Focuses on developing IT consultancy skills by introducing the lifecycle of IT consultancy project and best practices per each phase. Prepares students for IT consultancy roles that involve business and technology analysis, change management, implementation and performance management.

Course Overview

This course explores the profession of IT consulting and the art and science of providing counsel to organizations in the public and private sectors. The course is designed to provide a framework for collaborating with organizations to solve problems and to execute IT projects efficiently and effectively. Students will explore and utilize practical tools that will enable them to solve problems and execute projects as consultants or as individual contributors within organizations. The course introduces frameworks as well as methods and tools that are typically used in IT consulting.  

Key goals of the course include:
• Showcase the end-to-end consulting process in the technology space
• Understand typical roles in IT consulting and their responsibilities
• Expose students to the classical literature of the profession
• Design and implement solutions through case studies, utilizing technical expertise and experience.
• Developing the skills needed to engage, understand and advise executive and business stakeholders
• Apply course theories and principles to provide consulting services in real world contexts.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Master of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Define consulting and understand why and how consultants are utilized. (Capability 1, 4.1 and 5.1)
  2. Apply a consulting framework to a potential client engagement. (Capability 2, 4.2 and 4.3)
  3. Develop the skills needed to engage, understand, and advise executive and business stakeholders. (Capability 2, 4.3 and 5.2)
  4. Develop a proposal and work plan for a consulting project. (Capability 3, 4.2 and 6)
  5. Develop, practice, and refine skills for client engagement and project management. (Capability 3, 4.3 and 6)
  6. Design and implement appropriate solutions using discovery techniques, qualitative, quantitative, and design thinking skills. (Capability 2, 3, 4.2 and 6)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Proposal 10% Group & Individual Coursework
Business Case 15% Group & Individual Coursework
Project Plan 15% Group & Individual Coursework
Design 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Implementation 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Learning Journeys 20% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Proposal
Business Case
Project Plan
Design
Implementation
Learning Journeys

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, 24 hours of lab/ tutorial, 36 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 66 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs/tutorials to complete/receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials/labs/ will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Case studies and relevant readings will be made available. Other supplemental material will be distributed in class as needed. Students are also advised to take advantage of the extensive software resources made available for this course.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

This course is being offered for the very first time.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.