IMPLEMENTATION

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Implementation, the fourth phase of the consulting process, is the culmination of the consultant’s and the client’s joint effort. To implement changes that are real improvements from the client’s point of view is the basic purpose of any consulting assignment.

If there is no implementation, the consulting process cannot be regarded as completed. If the client does not accept the consultant’s proposals at the end of the action-planning phase, the assignment has been poorly managed by both parties. If the consultant and the client collaborate closely during the diagnostic and action-planning phases, the client cannot really reject proposals that are the product of joint work. If there is any doubt about the focus of the consultant’s work during action planning, or about the feasibility of the proposals that are emerging, corrective measures should be taken immediately, without waiting until the proposals have been finalized.

It may happen that the consultant does not find a solution to the client’s problem. Maybe the problem as formulated does not have a solution (e.g. the goal set was too ambitious and unrealistic). Such a situation should also have been discovered at an earlier stage and the work on proposals redirected, so that action planning comes up with realistic proposals on how to deal with a redefined problem.

In planning an assignment and negotiating a contract, the client and the consultant should not forget to define what they mean by “implementation” and “results”. If the consultant is developing and helping to introduce a customized information system, for example, what operations have to be completed and what parameters have to be achieved before the system can be regarded as fully implemented? What is meant by implementation in an actionlearning programme – increased competencies of the participants, approval of the proposals developed in action-learning teams or the completion of all the change measures proposed? What is meant by “learning material” to be delivered by the consultant – a complete package ready for immediate use by the client in internal training programmes, or a detailed outline with