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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 60:00 | 60:00 | Completion of Assessed Proposal |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Background and introduction to the module |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 2 | 8:00 | 16:00 | Laying the foundations of the consultancy project. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 4:00 | 20:00 | In person -Working on project proposals - group and ML support |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 4:00 | 20:00 | In person- Clients present project ideas to students - Enrichment weeks |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 2 | 8:00 | 16:00 | Coastal Futures Conference January 2024 in London |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | In person- ML support project surgeries - Enrichment weeks |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Student organised with supervisors/clients as identified |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 44:00 | 44:00 | Developing awareness of consultancy landscape and client identification |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | In person Intro lectures and discussions |
| Total | 200:00 |
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 proposal | 2 | M | 100 | Assessed 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
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES8502's Timetable