Recent Projects

Internationalization at a Canadian University:

A University in Canada asked us to assist with the development of internationalization activities for its Business School. We undertook a comprehensive analysis of their current and previous activities, and worked with the School to generate objectives and options for achieving them. To help frame the strategy, we drew upon an extensive knowledge of national and international key trends and benchmarks, as well as industry practice in their key competitor demographic. The resulting Strategic Plan identified internationalization of the curriculum as a focal point through which to generate international institutional partnerships and to commercialize subject expertise, at the same time as creating student and faculty exchange opportunities, and enfranchising key stakeholders in the local business community.

Communications and Marketing Strategy for a US College:

An educational institution in the United States was experiencing a decline in enrolment, and believed this was caused by competition especially in new delivery media. We decided to include an analysis of the competitive environment along with our analysis of the institution's key market demographics. While the symptom of declining revenues was evident, our analysis led us away from recommending new delivery vehicles and to a recommendation for a targeted communications strategy. We crafted a new communications identity for the College to appeal to its main demographic segments and sectors, and developed a marketing plan that leveraged cost-effective direct marketing services to deliver the message.

Executive Education for a UK University:

A University in the UK wanted to drawn upon its internal resources to deliver executive education. Having seen how institutional forms can hinder operational effectiveness if they do not follow function, we decided to analyze both the internal administrative structure and the external environment in terms of stakeholder demand before reaching any conclusions. Our feasibility study revealed counter-intuitive results: a surprisingly strong demand from some stakeholder demographics and surprisingly low demand from others. We built that market advice into our organizational design to create an inter-disciplinary vehicle through which to deliver multi-million dollar, multi-year training products.

A New Research Centre at a Canadian University:

A Business School in Canada required research and analysis to support an application to a Provincial Government for a new Research Centre on Workforce Strategies. We worked with the School to agree a methodology for an environmental scan that would enable a targeted strategy in respect of their potential funders. We undertook extensive research into 76 similarly constituted Centres in 12 countries, using over 24 criteria, including overall mandate, level of staff research output, curriculum products, networking contacts, advocacy work, financial and budgetary resources. We then performed a feasibility study to inform a strategic organizational design for the establishment of the new Research Group, which is successfully funded and beginning work.

Curriculum Development at a Canadian University:

We are routinely called upon to develop curriculum, especially where external accreditation agencies are involved. In one recent instance, a University wished to become a Delivery Partner for the Forum for International Trade Training certifications in Canada, involving the creation of several new courses. Within three months, the curriculum was complete, and successfully approved by the accrediting agency.