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Module

NES8502 : Marine Consultancy Project Planning

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Sarah Coulthard
  • Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
  • Teaching Location: Mixed Location
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

To give students from a range of backgrounds a common level of knowledge and understanding of the variety of marine consultancy businesses currently operating; by providing hands-on experience of the marine consultancy environment, and it’s business principles and practices. To prepare students for more effective competition within professional consultancy environments involving project design and original investigation, through the examination of real-life case studies from business and the delivery of an assessed practical consultancy project plan.

It offers students the opportunity to learn from in- depth case studies of real consultancy projects in the marine environment, provided by governmental, environmental and commercial partners. Students select an appropriate partner with whom to develop a project plan, for delivery during NES8013.

Outline Of Syllabus

Lectures and Seminars

(1) Background and introduction to the module.
(2) Attendance at Coastal Futures conference to develop networking skills and contacts for projects.
(3) Seminars given by partners from local/regional consultancies, supplementing existing project conception,
planning and management skills in the context of specific case studies of partner organisations.
(4) Laying the foundations of the consultancy project; initial project planning and competitive tendering.

Tutorials (1-5) Project development (with potential project supervisors for NES8013).

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials21:002:00Background and introduction to the module
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion160:0060:00Completion of Assessed Proposal
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching54:0020:00In person -Working on project proposals - group and ML support
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching28:0016:00Laying the foundations of the consultancy project.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops54:0020:00In person- Clients present project ideas to students - Enrichment weeks
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesFieldwork28:0016:00Coastal Futures Conference January 2024 in London
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery52:0010:00In person- ML support project surgeries - Enrichment weeks
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDissertation/project related supervision52:0010:00Student organised with supervisors/clients as identified
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study144:0044:00Developing awareness of consultancy landscape and client identification
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesModule talk21:002:00In person Intro lectures and discussions
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Taught sessions offer an extended introduction to the discourses, methodologies and approaches involved in marine consultancy work (IKO1-4). A series of seminars is used to acquaint students with the module, introduce them to detailed consultancy project case studies, and introduce them to project partners and prospective business supervisors. Lectures and seminars deliver generic skills in project planning and paper writing, and initiate project planning (ISO1- 6). Further tutorials are used to help develop project plans and planning.

A 'fieldtrip' to the nationally recognised 'Coastal Futures Conference' allows students to experience a professional consultancy setting, and interact with a wider pool of organisations.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Research proposal2M100Assessed Proposal - max. 3500 words - for Consultancy Project (delivered in NES8001).
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The consultancy project plan tests your ability to design an investigation for completion within a fixed period of time with limited resources, while proposing a solution to a problem identified by a client (and refined by the academic supervisor). It tests your ability to plan for data collection in the light of knowledge of the subject and the literature. It assesses your ability to prepare a persuasive and technically accomplished plan to meet the needs of your client.

Project proposal development starts with supervisor selection and continues with formative feedback from supervisor. Ability to devise an original study summatively assessed by means of project proposal (rationale, budget, statutory provisions, logistics and other requirements).

Assessment criteria will include: selection of consultancy relevant topic; writing project proposal; referencing of appropriate literature; production of a competitive tender document for assessment by the consultancy partner; project feasibility; project monitoring; analysis and interpretation of information.

Reading Lists

Timetable