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Consultancyprofile study guide

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Dear student, you are prob-ably reading this guide, because you are interested in, or have chosen for, a consultancy profile as part of your Biomedical Sciences programme at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. We cordially invite you to join us! This guide involves an adjunct to your study guide and other documents convering different aspects of your study. Most importantly, it in-cludes practical information about the consultancy profile programme and its associated internship as far as it is not self-evident or differs from what is common in other programmes.

Our vision on the consultancy profileScientific and technological develop-ments cannot be kept in a test tube. These are societal activities that deeply permeate the social context in which they exist. A context of persons who are worried, or foster high expecta-tions. Who have stakes, different views, and disagreements. How would you account for that, if you were to steer scientific and technological develop-ments in a societal context? The consultancy profile, is target-ed at preparing top-class students for a role as a scientific consultant. This does not mean that upon completion of this programme you are a consult-ant by trade, but that you have begun to develop skills required to give use-ful advice regarding issues that you are acquainted with as a scientific expert. Scientific consultants combine am-ple knowledge of their scientific dis-cipline with insight into the interac-tion between science, technology, and society. Additionally, they keep a keen

eye on the views and stakes of persons involved, and have the analytical and communicative skills to handle these. In the consultancy profile programme, students learn to view counselling as both a matter of science and a matter of managing human interaction. They will acquaint themselves with the fol-lowing items: argumentative policy analysis; the interaction between sci-ence, technology, and society; and project management. Besides, they re-ceive training in: teamwork; interview-ing and conversational techniques; managing conflicts; and win-win ne-gotiation. A critically important as-pect of this module is self-reflection: to know who you are, how you work with others, and why you react the way you are inclined to do, particularly in tense situations. Managing yourself — that is what it is all about, essentially. Therefore, your trainers will pay due attention to your participation and your personal development during the modules. An example involves preparing for a large-scale outbreak of influenza A virus sub type h5n1 (‘avian flu’), or h1n1. The Dutch Centre for Infectious Diseases (CIb) has warned that the Netherlands are poorly prepared for such an outbreak. Were they right in 2009? How should the Netherlands

Table of contentsGeneral information 2

Version and copyright — 2Disclaimer — 2Our vision on the consultancy profile — 3The programme — 4Admission — 4Target group — 5Job opportunities — 5Coordinator — 5Contact information — 5SAMS — 6Participating in our network — 8

Your consultancy profile internship 8Learning objectives — 8Criteria — 9Finding a place — 10Practicalities — 10Your internship proposal — 11Supervision — 12Presentation — 13Assessment and grading — 13

Version and copyrightVersion 5.0 Copyright © 2011 R.P.B. Reuzel. All rights reserved.

DisclaimerAlthough the information offered in this guide is considered correct, the author as-sumes no responsibility for any consequenc-es of using it. Moreover, it is not possible to claim any rights on the basis of this guide. In case this guide contradicts formal docu-ments published by programme authorities, in particular the Board of Examiners, then you should regard the latter as authorative. Would you please be so kind as to report such cases to the secretarial office?

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prepare, or have prepared, what op-tions are there? How do these op-tions relate to the views and interests of stakeholders? What realistic advice would you have to offer in this context? Here, there is a clear need for a con-sultant who is familiar with the science of avian flu and has the skills to operate in its social context. The programmeThe consultancy profile programme consists of three modules and an in-ternship, which covers three or four months. It starts yearly in January. The modules, some of which are taught in English and others in Dutch, are:• 5ichc Intervention and coordina-

tion in health care (January)• 5am06 Science popularisation

(February)• 5ozbc Policy analysis and man-

agement (March)Please refer to the Biomedical Sciences study guide for details about the mod-ules and the teaching staff. It is possible to extend your pro-gramme and include other modules that could improve your expertise as a consultant. This is particularly true for the module 5hta4 Policy re-search, which is highly recommend-ed. Students with a major in HTA al-ready have 5hta4 in their programme. Extensions require approval of the Board of Examiners. When you consider choosing an consultancy profile, you should know that the module Policy analysis and management is particularly demand-ing. Not only does it offer a serious in-tellectual challenge, but it also includes workshops targeted at developing your skills in teamwork, negotiation, and engaging in tense conversations.

the students advisor in case you have not been enrolled.

Target groupThe consultancy profile has been de-veloped for students who wish to broaden their scope and develop themselves in the field of consultancy. Communicative skills, independence, inventiveness, and a strong eagerness to learn are the main assets of these stu-dents. Moreover, they hold views about their own futures, and are not afraid to distinguish themselves. Typically, these students know what happens in the world, actively participate in boards and committees, and feel attracted to societal issues concerning science and technology. Being interested in per-sons — their stakes and perceptions —, as well as in cooperation is of pivotal importance. In short, the consultancy profile has been developed for those who are able to build bridges.

Job opportunitiesGovernments (national, regional, and local), advisory bodies, consultants, health care institutes, and research in-stitutes welcome these students. Also, students with an consultancy profile are still qualified as PhD-students. There are many institutes and organisations that work at the interface between sci-ence, technology, and society. Most of them have both research and advisory tasks. For examples, consultancy pro-file students have been employed at the Health Council, Community Health Services, the Rathenau Institute, Price, Waterhouse & Coopers, Royal Haskoning, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the World Health

Organisation, the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), several hospitals, the provincial councils, AT Osborne, Gupta Strategists, and many other organisations. Please log in to SAMS to obtain a more exhaustive list.

CoordinatorCurrently, the consultancy profile is coordinated by R.P.B. (Rob) Reuzel PhD, who is working at the Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA.

Please do not hesitate to con-tact him, should you wish to discuss any issue that is im-portant in the context your profile. You should at least consult with him about your profile internship,

which he needs to sign be-fore you submit it to the Board of Examiners.

Contact informationIf you wish to contact the profile co-ordinator, please send your inquir-ies to Ms. F. (Fokkelien) Westerweel at the department’s secretarial of-fice. You may reach her by e-mail at f.westerweel@ebh.umcn.nl, or call her at +31-24-3610389. The post-al address is: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre · Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA ·

During these workshops you will learn by doing, which requires that we ap-proach you as a professional rath-er than a student and offer personal feedback. We will realistically simu-late situations that involve challenges you might perceive as rather stressful. To learn to improve yourself in these situations, self-reflection is important. However, learning this way might at times be an emotional and aggravating experience. It is for this reason that we strongly recommend that you consult with the consultancy profile coordina-tor about your participation.

AdmissionThe consultancy profile programme requires that you have a BSc in bio-medical sciences or a related discipline. Moreover, you have a high level of pro-ficiency in both Dutch and English and excellent communicative skills, both orally and in writing. We will assume that you belong to the top of your peers when it comes to competencies such as analytical power, autonomy, inventive-ness, working under pressure, client focus, and teamwork. Importantly, you are prepared to participate actively in the workshops offered in the modules 5am06 and 5ozbc. Typically, you like to work in a social environment, with other people. You have broad interests and feel attracted to a dynamic, de-manding, and varied working environ-ment. There is no such thing as a prob-lem without a challenge. The modules Policy analysis and management and Science popularisa-tion involve workshops that necessitate limits on the number of students that can be admitted. Currently, these mod-ules can accommodate 32 students per year. Please apply timely and contact

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P.O. Box 9101 · nl-6500hb Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Visitors, please follow route 133 to the department and call on the secretarial office. Only in case of personal circumstances you may con-sider approaching him directly.

SAMSThe Students\Alumni Monitoring System (SAMS) is used by the Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre to follow students and alumni through their academic ca-reers, from their bachelor’s degrees to their current positions. BSc- and MSc-students of Biomedical Sciences at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre are included. The database con-tains information on their studies (ma-jors, minors, and career profiles), asso-ciated internships, and positions held after graduation. It is used to monitor trends in study programmes and asso-ciate professional careers with choices regarding these study programmes. Moreover, it is used to maintain a

network of students and alumni of Biomedical Sciences. Finally, it helps students finding an appropriate intern-ship by browsing a list of completed in-ternships and a list of vacancies offered by various institutes and departments. When you have been included in the database, the system automatically will send you e-mail containing a per-sonal username and password. You can use this information to log in to the system to adjust your records (which we kindly request you to do frequent-ly), or query the database in search for possible internships. To enable the latter, the SAMS-system is connected to the BMS Clients’ Portal. All students who are included in SAMS are able to view the full list of vacancies that are offered through this portal on-line. Students who have indicated that they wish to be informed about vacan-cies (internships and paid jobs) receive e-mail notification of available oppor-

tunities.

Updating your records is very straight-forward. To start, click ‘My records’ in the main menu and select one of the five tabs in the submenu that appears under your name. Please remember to update your records ‘from left to right’, i.e. first adjust your general informa-tion records, if necessary, then your preferences, your study programme, your internships, and, eventually, your career profile after graduation. Internships are always connected to a component of your study programme. Therefore, it is particularly important to have your study programme up to date, before you enter a new internship. When you select Study pro-gramme, Internships, or Career from the submenu, a list of records appears. To add a new record, please click the add icon ( ) at the bottom of the list. To edit a record, use the edit icon ( ) in front of the record. To delete a record, click the deletion icon ( ). Adding or editing a record amounts to no more than filling out a simple form. We should kindly request you to fill out the forms as completely as possible. Moreover, we ask you to use English. Finally, please enter an e-mail address (under General information, or My account) that remains valid for a longer time.

Failing to update your records may lead the BMS Clients’ Portal system to erroneously send you e-mail concern-ing new vacancies. This system does not send e-mail notifications (1) when it has been more than one year since you last updated your records, or (2) if this option is toggled off under the

Preferences tab.

SAMS users can query the SAMS-database in order retrieve information. In order to view a list of vacancies of-fered through the BMS Clients’ Portal, click ‘Vacancies’. In order to see where (anonymous) students have done in-ternships or held positions, click ‘Inspiration’ and indicate for which major or profile you wish to retrieve the associated internships or positions. Under ‘Addressbook’ you can find con-tact details of students that have indi-cated that they wished to be included. Finally, the ‘Statistics’ tab in the main menu lets you find statistical informa-tion about the number of students en-rolled on the various majors and pro-files.

As it comes to privacy, please under-stand that SAMS is not used for moni-toring study progress or achievements. Moreover, the SAMS database is anon-ymous, apart from your student’s id (s-number) and nationality not contain-ing personal information. Your name, e-mail address, and phone number are stored in a different database, only to be used by the SAMS system itself for purposes of sending you e-mail noti-fications, or faculty affiliated to your BMS study programme to be able to

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Your consultancy profile internshipLearning objectivesYour consultancy profile internship is a compulsory component of your con-sultancy profile. It comes with the fol-lowing general learning objectives:1. The student is able to plan, or-

ganize, and complete an advisory project.

2. The student is able to identify the relevant (intra- and interorgani-zational) stakeholders, to contact them (acquisition), and motivate them to participate in the project.

3. The student is able to elicit, criti-cally assess, and use stakehold-er views throughout the policy

analytical process from problem structuring till recommending policy actions.

4. The student is able to bridge pos-sible differences in stakeholder views and develop alternative so-lutions.

5. The student is able to assess the consequences and feasibility of al-ternative solutions.

6. The student is able to find and use scientific evidence wherever that is appropriate.

7. The student is able to conduct him-\herself properly when

contact you. Receiving e-mail about vacancies and\or events, as well as be-ing included in the addressbook in-volve options that are toggled off by default. You may delete information you consider private. However, de-leting your e-mail address will dis-connect you from the system. BMS Clients’ Portal users have no access to the SAMS system.

Participating in our networkAfter you have graduated, we change roles: we should like to learn from you. One important prerequisite is that we keep in touch and that you inform us about your whereabouts. We are very grateful, should you be kind enough to keep your SAMS-records up to date. Moreover, we would like to ask you to join, if you have not done so already, our LinkedIn group for consultancy profile students and alumni of from the Radboud

University Nijmegen Medical Centre. Please visit http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2591575 and join us!

meeting stakeholders. 8. The student is able to maintain an

appropriate client focus.9. The student is able to retain his\

her independence towards stake-holders, including the client.

10. The student is able to adequately manage possible negotiations and stakeholder resistance.

11. The student is able to communi-cate his\her advice in an adviso-ry report (Dutch or English) that features a clear client focus and is well-structured, concise, persua-sive, transparent, and grammati-cally and stylistically correct.

12. The student is able to deliver a concise, persuasive, and transpar-ent oral presentation to commu-nicate his\her findings to persons involved.

13. The student is able to improve him-\herself on the basis of feed-back and self-reflection.

CriteriaYour internship should meet the fol-lowing criteria:1. Your internship amounts to 12

or 16 weeks (respectively 17 or 23 ects).

2. It involves advisory work, not scientific research. Scientific re-search is allowed as long as it does not prevent you from meeting consultancy profile specific learn-ing objectives.

3. Your internship concerns a social issue, i.e. the work done explicitly departs from a problem concern-ing science and\or technology in a context of persons who are in-volved as stakeholders. A social issue need not be a societal issue, i.e., it may involve a local prob-

lem, rather than a problem that affects society at large.

4. The most important stakeholders should be actively involved and visited by you. Their views should be explicated and analysed by use of an appropriate method.

5. The product of your internship entails an advisory report, not a scientific report or paper.

6. In order to be able to perform ap-propriately, you should be able to develop a sufficient grasp of the subject of your project on the basis of the courses you have completed. This could imply that you need to complete additional courses (or minors) to prepare for your internship. Having com-pleted the modules 5ozbc Policy analysis and management and 5ichc Intervention and coordina-tion in health care is a prerequisite that cannot be negotiated.

7. Your internship proposal is ap-proved of by your profile coordi-nator and subject area tutor.

8. Your internship should be target-ed at achieving a sufficient num-ber of learning objectives to jus-tify the credits you claim. That is, your internship should not entail an inappropriate number of full time equivalents of repetive work,

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e.g. administering a specific ques-tionnaire, or performing a specif-ic analysis.

Finding a placeAn internship becomes presumably more worthwhile when you are truly motivated to work on it. Therefore, you ought to spend a great deal of effort on finding a place that suits you. You might find some inspiration using the sams system, you have been author-ized to use. Please log in at msc-hta.eu/sams and click ‘Inspiration’ to dis-cover what other students have done, or ‘Vacancies’ to obtain a list of current opportunities that have been offered through the BMS Clients’ Portal! In principle, you are to arrange your internship yourself. This means that it is up to you to identify suitable workplaces, contact potential supervi-sors, and negotiate your assignment. Of course, your consultancy profile co-ordinator is there to support you. At least, you should timely consult with him in order to assess the appropriate-ness of your plans. Here are a few tips for arranging an internship:1. Developing a vision on what you

want to learn and do helps to find a suitable internship. You ought to read the papers to identify issues that interest you and companies and institutes that are involved.

2. When you have identified a suit-able company or institute, you do well investing time in finding the right person to address. Ideally, this is someone who both knows what projects there are you could participate in and is in a position to appoint you. Often, you may find this person by browsing the

website. Alternatively, your tutors may know him or her. Usually, it is rather useless to address human affairs departments.

3. If you write an application letter (or e-mail, which is still less for-mal), please ensure that its tone is appropriate, i.e. formal. Moreover, you should help hosting organisa-tions establishing an internship by explaining what kind of project you should like to participate in. Of course, your ability to do so is also indicative of your interest. This implies that you have sur-veyed the companies or institutes you would like to work for.

4. Please allow at least three months for arranging a national intern-ship and six months for arranging an international internship. In ad-dition, allow suffient time for the profile coordinator to review your proposal.

PracticalitiesIf you have found a suitable internship, you should contact your supervisor(s) as soon as possible in order to be able to get off to a flying start on your first working day. Trainees accomodated at the Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA will receive a document con-taining regulations you are requested to comply with. These concern work-ing times, using the MS Outlook cal-endar, etc. It is important to leave a signed copy of a confidentiality agree-ment with the secretarial office of the Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA (Ms. Astrid van Alst, route 133). Trainess working elsewhere are requested to comply with local rules.

Please ensure that you, your consul-tancy profile coordinator, and your employer have signed a training agree-ment before you start. This is compul-sory! Please contact the secretarial of-fice (+31-24-3610389) to prepare such an agreement, which covers impor-tant issues such as insurance. Note that the internship proposal is part of the agreement. Please do not hesitate to contact the department’s secretarial office, should you have any questions or re-marks.

Your internship proposalAll trainees need to submit an in-ternship proposal to the Board of Examiners. As long as you have not submitted such a proposal, you will not receive a grade for your internship. However, you only need approval from your profile coordinator and subject area tutor to be allowed to start. That is, the Board of Examiners will not re-view your proposal. Starting an intern-ship without the approval of the profile coordinator is at your own risk. In fact, an internship proposal describes the results of your problem structuring, which involves an impor-tant learning objective. Therefore, you should spend ample time on it. Apart from practical information such as your name, starting date etc., a good proposal features four important sec-tions about the background, the aims and objectives of your project, your ap-proach, and the time schedule of your project. Under background you should first describe who is your client and the problem situation. Next, you should describe (a) what exactly is the prob-lem that underlies your project, (b)

what is already known about this issue and why previous attempts at solving the problem have failed, and hence (c) what are the objectives of your project. You should convince the reader that the objectives listed under c are both relevant and unmet. These objectives indicate what contribution you plan to pay to solving the problem described under a. Your approach describes the steps you take to meet your goals and objec-tives. It probably includes such items as literature study, interviewing, meth-ods of analysis, etc. What is important here, is that you explain why your ap-proach enables you to meet your goals and objectives. Usually, this requires that your explain the theoretical back-ground of your approach, which, for example, could involve the theory of argumentative policy analysis of Frank Fischer elaborated in the Policy analy-sis and management module. A workplan entails a schemat-ic representation of all your activities (literature study, circulating question-naires, interviewing, analyses, writ-ing, etc.) over time. A realistic work-plan helps you to assess whether your project is on schedule. In combination with your design, your profile coor-dinator uses it to assess whether your project (a) is feasible, (b) entails a suf-

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ficient number of learning objectives, and (c) is sufficiently challenging to justifty the credits you claim. Please describe your workplan using time units of preferably two, maximally four weeks. Of course, different activi-ties may overlap in time. This is not a problem. The point is that your profile coordinator should be reasonably able to understand what your internships looks like.

When you write your internship pro-posal, please note the following:1. A template for your internship

proposal can be found at www.umcn.nl/student. Please follow the links to forms requested by the Board of Examiners.

2. Your internship proposal should not exceed two, pages (a4), in-cluding references, etc.

3. Your internship proposal should be comprehensible to your profile coordinator.

4. Under “working area\discipline” you may fill out “consultancy”, or “policy analysis”, and the (policy) issue you are involved in.

SupervisionUnless you are working at the Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA, you will be supervised by a local su-pervisor, who is assumed to be a sen-ior fellow with relevant expertise. A large number of students to be served prohibit your consultancy profile co-ordinator from being involved in your supervision by default, or visiting you at your work place. However, you and your supervisors should not hesitate to contact him, should you have any questions or remarks, e.g. regarding the progress of your internship, or as-

sessment criteria that apply. That is, your consultancy profile coordinator is there to support you, but leaves the ini-tiative with you. In general, a supervisor is a coach who helps you to fulfill your learning objectives. For one important thing, this means that he or she will discuss your difficulties solving possible prob-lems, rather than tell you what to do. He or she will not solve your prob-lems, but tries to identify reasons why you could not do so yourself. In view of this, you should be prepared to find your way in unknown areas. Being lost in the dark at times, disquieting though this may be, never comes with-out a gift. At least, it should stimulate your independence, inventiveness, and ability to work under pressure. If all is well, your supervisor will abide by the following guidelines:1. As a rule, you and your

supervisor(s) ought to discuss your progress once a week, this of course depending on your needs and the stage of your project.

2. The student’s learning objec-tives are more important than the project goals. Supervision is al-ways targeted at achieving learn-ing objectives.

3. Adequate feedback is of pivot-al importance and should help trainees to solve their own prob-lems. Feedback may be aimed at both scientific skills and personal competencies. Please remember that competencies such as inven-tiveness, independence, etc. are as important as scientific and writ-ing skills.

4. When a trainee presents with a problem, he or she should be in-vited to discuss, before the super-

visor does, the nature of the prob-lem, previous attempts at solving it, and alternative ways of amelio-rating it.

5. Offering concrete solutions to problems encountered by you should be avoided as much as possible. In particular, the ‘track changes’ function in word proces-sors should never be used.

6. It is important that the consul-tancy profile coordinator, from whom you will receive your final grade, is able to assess the quality of the work done on the basis of the advisory report that is to be produced. Final grades will be af-fected negatively, should the sub-ject aera tutor not reasonably be able to assess to what extent the report involves your own achieve-ment.

Your consultancy profile coordinator is there to help in extremely rare cases of conflict between you and your super-visors. Here, too, your own attempts at solving possible conflicts signify your maturity. (As it is, you have received some training in engaging in tense conversations.) On the other hand, however, it is unwise to allow tensions to grow and eventually become uncon-trollable.

PresentationAt the end of your internship you are requested to present the results of your efforts to your client and\or employer. Unfortunately, it is not always possible for your profile coordinator to attend. If for any reason it is not possible for you to give a presentation on loca-tion, then you will be invited to give a presentation to staff of the Dept. of

Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA. Of course, your supervisors and col-leagues are cordially invited to attend. You are kindly requested to take the in-itiative to contact the secretarial office to schedule your presentation. If you give a presentation at the Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA, then please consider the fol-lowing:1. You have 15 minutes time for your

presentation. After the presenta-tion we have 10 minutes time for discussion. You should present in English.

2. A laptop and a beamer will be available.

3. In order to help your audience to prepare, we ask you to submit a summary of your presentation to the department’s secretarial of-fice at least one week before your presentation is due. You may sim-ply copy the abstract from your scientific paper for this purpose.

Assessment and gradingWhen you have completed your in-ternship, you should ask your lo-cal supervisor(s) to fill out an assess-ment form. You can download this form from http://msc-hta.eu > Login > Documents. (Please follow the link to forms requested by the Board of

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Examiners.) You should consider the assessment form as a checklist. It is not necessarily exhaustive. Moreover, you and your supervisors may perceive some items as more important than other items. Your supervisor fills out the form according to his or her own insight. It is advisable to initially leave the form aside and first discuss your internship without. You should hand the assessment form to your profile coordinator when you receive your final grade. Please contact the secretarial office at +31-24-3610389 to make an appointment as soon as you are reasonably certain that your assessment form and report will be available. At least one week before you are due, you should submit your report through Ephorus. To do so, please visit the Ephorus web site at student.ephorus.com and fill out the form, us-ing Mint as the hand-in code. Ephorus software requires that you submit your report in a Microsoft Word for-mat. Please do not convert it to PDF, or any other format. Reports that are otherwise sent in will not be accepted. Ephorus software is used to detect pla-giarism, cases of which will be consid-ered fraud, students involved receiving no grade for their internship and being sent to the Board of Examiners for fur-ther judgement. Finally, you should know that your grade will primarily reflect the profile coordinator’s opinion of your report, and that this grade may deviate from the score suggested by your supervisor on your assessment form. Your profile coordinator will assess your written product against the background of all you have learned so far in the context of the consultancy profile programme

and the modules Policy analysis and management and Intervention and co-ordination in health care (5ozbc and 5ichc) in particular. Students who have completed the module Policy re-search (5hta4) are considered to have even more expertise they ought to have brought to bear. As said, the assessment form pro-vides a rough indication of quality cri-teria that apply. Your profile coordina-tor will emphasize the general learning objectives, as well as the following cri-teria:1. You should demonstrate your

grasp of the project by produc-ing a report paper that is clearly structured as an advisory report. This implies that should pre-sent a well-structured problem definition and from this plausi-bly induce a set of relevant goals and objectives. Solutions you have identified ought to be tar-geted at meeting these objectives. Moreover, they should be suffi-ciently developed to be assessed for recommendation. Obviously, ‘errors of the third kind’ should be avoided.

2. Your project leads to policy rec-ommendations that ought to be actionable. That is, your client should not only know what ob-jectives he or she ought to pursue, but also understand what actions he or she should undertake to at-tain them.

3. Your report should explicitly draw on your insight into stakeholders views. This is particularly true for the sections on the problem definition, goals and objectives, and possible constraints on your recommendations. Importantly,

you should explain to what ex-tent your conclusions are shared by stakeholders, and, if necessary, address problems originating from stakeholder resistance.

4. Notwithstanding the previous point, you should understand and show that you are responsible for your report, which indeed con-tains your advice. This means that should not be satisfied with mere-ly reporting the views of stake-holders, but offer a synthesis that reveals your expertise, creativity, and negotiation skills.

5. You should be able to account for the robustness of your argumen-tation, but your report should be as concise as possible. The hall-mark of its quality is its transpar-ency and persuasiveness. As re-gards this, you should remember that it is your client who is to be persuaded of the merits of your recommendations. Please include only information that adds to the report’s persuasiveness. For ex-ample, most clients are not inter-ested in an extensive methodo-logical paragraph (although some perhaps are).

6. Your report should come with a letter of transmittal and an execu-tive summary.

When you receive your final grade, your profile coordinator should like to elicit your experiences with respect to your internship. This concerns both your experiences on the work floor (supervision, working atmosphere, progress, etc.) and the extent to which you felt prepared, on the basis of the consultancy profile programme, to complete your assignment. On this ba-

sis, the profile coordinator continuous-ly works to improve the consultancy profile programme.