PGI Consultant Handbook 2020/2021 - public good initiative
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PGI Consultant Handbook
2020/2021
1www.publicgoodinitiative.ca
Contact: publicgoodinitiative@gmail.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Public Good Initiative (PGI) 3
The Role of the Directors 3
The Role of the Consultants 4
Roles and Responsibilities within the PGI Consultant Team 5
Communications 6
Client Communications 6
Biweekly Meetings with Assigned Director 6
Monthly Check-ins with Director Team 6
Task Management Application 6
Google Drive 7
Conflict Management 7
Letter of Engagement 8
Additional Resources 10
Getting Started 10
Step 1: PGI Consultant Team Meeting 10
Step 2: First Director/PGI Consultant Team Meeting 11
Step 3: Draft Letter of Engagement 11
Step 4: First Client/PGI Consultant Team/Director Meeting 11
2Step 5: Finalize Letter of Engagement 11
Step 6: Continue with the Project! 11
About the Public Good Initiative (PGI)
The Public Good Initiative is a pro-bono, student-led consulting organization at the University of
Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy that provides consulting services to
non-profit, socially-minded organizations. PGI carefully matches Master of Public Policy
students with exciting and challenging non-profit projects that develop their professional
network and policy skill sets in areas such as research, analysis and critical thinking.
The mission of PGI is to positively contribute to the policy and research capacity of non-profit
organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. PGI seeks to develop creative solutions and reports
that are grounded in a specialized knowledge of public policy development. Since its inception
in 2008, PGI has partnered with over 80 organizations. For the 2020-2021 term, PGI has
thirteen (13) partner Clients and one (1) internal evaluation project.
The Role of the Directors
In order to maximize your learning opportunities as Consultants, your team has been assigned a
PGI Director to oversee the project. You will work closely with your Director to track your
progress and ensure that your project is going smoothly. The role of the PGI Director is:
To Liaise:
Your Director will send an email introducing your team to the Client at the beginning of the
project. They will further support communication between Clients and Consultants, if
necessary. The Directors and the PGI Evaluation Team will collect feedback from Clients and
Consultants to ensure quality and satisfaction. If a conflict arises between the Consultants and
Clients, please refer to the procedures outlines in the Professional Code of Conduct for
Consultants.
To Advise:
Your Director may not have expertise in the policy area of your project but will nonetheless act
as a resource when requested. Should you require additional resources, they will be happy to
connect you to the people and/or information you require.
3To Support:
Your Director is here to ensure your project is running smoothly. They will help in resolving any
issues with your team, project, or Client, and will consult the Faculty Advisor or Board of
Directors as required.
The Role of the Consultants
Project Scope and Deliverables:
The Directors have selected project proposals through a competitive application process and
further negotiated project descriptions and deliverables to best suit the needs and skill sets of
Consultants. It is your responsibility to ask your Client Director to clarify questions about your
project’s description and deliverables to ensure you have a good understanding of your
project’s scope and your Client’s expectations.
During your initial meeting with your Client as well as subsequent communications throughout
your project’s duration, you may want to come prepared with a realistic list of questions on
your project’s scope and your Client’s expectations. This may help you begin working on your
project and manage your work throughout the year.
Prior to, and after meeting with your Client, sit down with your teammates and create a list of
deliverables that outlines roles and responsibilities. Be sure to revisit this list on a periodic
basis. It may also be good practice to share a working copy of this list with your Client.
As your work progresses, the scope of your project may change for a variety of reasons. It is
important to remain flexible and communicate your needs and abilities to your teammates and
Client. If the project scope changes, make sure all parties agree, and communicate these
changes with your Director and Client to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Please
reach out to your Director if you have any questions or concerns regarding project scope
changes.
Provide Your Deliverables:
As a PGI Consultant, your objective should be to complete the tasks you have been assigned
and submit final deliverables to your Client to the best of your abilities. As a Consultant, your
work is representative not only of your team, but of PGI and the Munk School. Consultants are
responsible for providing copies of their deliverable(s) to their Client and Director.
Consultant Commitments:
The time commitment for most projects involves approximately one to three hours of work per
week per Consultant team but may vary according to the timeline of your project’s deliverables.
4All 2020-2021 projects are approximately six to seven months in duration. It is also important
for Consultants to discuss time commitments with their Clients, teammates, and Director.
It is recommended that during your first meeting with your Client you identify deadlines, taking
into consideration the busy times of the year for both you and your Client. We encourage you
to begin your projects as soon as possible, following your first meeting with your Client.
Dividing your project into sub-components with deadlines can help you better manage the
workload and ensure your complete your final project on time.
Roles and Responsibilities within the PGI Consultant Team:
Refer to the Roles & Responsibilities Framework 2020/2021. This framework was developed to
help foster positive team dynamics and utilize the strengths of each Consultant to achieve
strong project outcomes. Each project team is comprised of four Consultants who have each
been assigned one of four roles. The framework should be used as a tool throughout your
project’s entirety to help manage the project’s workload appropriately among team members.
The four defined roles are as follows:
1. Project Coordinator
2. Client Liaison (1)
3. Client Liaison (2)
4. Team Administrator
Communications
Client Communications:
Once your project is underway, it is important to maintain regular contact with your Client. This
will help manage expectations and allow your client to offer feedback and potential resources.
Bi-weekly contact is encouraged, but this will need to be negotiated with your Client. The Client
Liaisons are responsible for maintaining contact. Refer to the Roles & Responsibilities
Framework 2020/2021 for more detail.
Historically, PGI opted for phone calls or face-to-face meetings with the Clients. This was due to
promote a caution of over reliance on email, as the back and forth can be more time-
consuming than a simple phone call. However, in light of COVID-19 and the hurdles the
pandemic provides for the upcoming term, face-to-face communication may not be possible
among Consultant team members, Clients, and Directors. While this may change throughout
the latter half of the upcoming term where PGI may return to in-person communication,
5alternative communication methods outside of the ones already mentioned (email and phone
calls) including Microsoft Teams and Zoom are recommended in our current circumstances.
If you have issues or concerns, please notify your Director who will be able to advise you on
problem-solving strategies and provide additional resources for communication.
Biweekly Updates with Assigned Director:
Each team will be required to provide a project update to their assigned Director at least bi-
weekly in a form decided upon between the Consultant group and their Director. Again, this will
likely take the form of a virtual platform, at least during the first half of the term.
Monthly Check-ins with Director Team
Each team member will be required to attend a monthly check-in with the Director team. This
will involve formally meeting with 2-3 Directors (one being your assigned Director, as well as
consulting Director(s) from the PGI team). This is an opportunity for your team to briefly
present the status of your project, the progress that has been made and any concerns or
questions that you have for the Directors. The monthly check-ins have been scheduled in
advance, and the Project Coordinator shall book time slots for the PGI Consultant teams on
these dates. Refer to the Roles & Responsibilities Framework 2020/2021 for more detail. The
Directors will circulate an online sign-up sheet for these meetings.
Google Drive:
The PGI Directors have created a Google Drive with subfolders for each Consultant team. You
will also find a Sample Documents folder. Please save all working documents and final
deliverables in the Google Drive.
Conflict Management
In an effort to prevent and avoid conflict where possible and equip Consultants with the tools
necessary to resolve conflict independently, this section provides guidelines for managing
disputes.
What should I do if a conflict arises with a member of my team, my Client, or my Director?
In the event that challenges arise, PGI has established both a Conflict of Interest Policy and a
Professional Code of Conduct for Consultants. Please refer to both of these documents, which
can be found in the appendix of this handbook.
What do I do if I am overwhelmed with my project?
6PGI is a collaborative effort, therefore, you should first speak with the rest of your team to
determine a mitigation strategy. This might include reassigning roles, adjusting deadlines, or
reshaping the scope of your project with your Client. If your team is not able to resolve this
issue on you own, you may then seek advice from your Director. They may be able to help you
refine the issue and give you some tips on how to approach this situation with your Client or
other team members.
How should I deal with criticism of my work?
It is important to remain open and available to discuss your performance throughout your
project’s duration. Creating a strong, working relationship with your teammates, Director and
Client will make it easier to discuss any criticism in a productive and comfortable manner. If you
do feel uncomfortable with the feedback you have received, it is important to engage in
conversation with those who provided it to fully understand their concerns. The Directors may
also be able to provide insight into Consultant-Client relationships and advice on how to
proceed with constructive criticism.
What do I do if my Client is not communicating with me?
Consultants should try to regularly communicate with their Client via email, telephone and in-
person. Establish communication guidelines at your first meeting with your Client and do your
best to follow through. If you continue to face communication challenges, please contact your
Director.
What do I do if I have an issue with a team member?
If you are having challenges with one of your teammates and you are not able to resolve the
problem amongst yourselves, we encourage you to approach your assigned Director. They may
be able to assist in solving the dispute in a neutral manner.
Letter of Engagement
You are required to draft a Letter of Engagement for your project, which will be signed by your
Consultant team, your Director and your Client. This document will serve as your contract with
the Client, and it will establish the tasks and deliverables that are required for successful project
completion.
You are expected to draft your Letter of Engagement and send it to your Client at least three (3)
business days in advance of your initial meeting. Refer to the Letter of Engagement Template
found in the Consultant Resources folder on the PGI website.
Project Overview:
7What is it that the project is trying to accomplish, and why? It can be helpful to think about why
the organization is pursuing the project. Conduct a basic internet scan of their organization,
past activities, and reports to understand how this project fits in with the work they are
currently doing and how it will benefit the organization overall.
Deliverables:
Identify the major deliverables that are required. Brainstorm what these may look like and
ensure everyone is on the same page in terms of what to expect. It is also helpful to break
down deliverables in terms of early, mid-term, and final deliverables.
• Early/initial deliverables may include: Status updates, draft bibliographies, research
outlines, and interview or outreach plans.
• Mid-point deliverables may include: Draft reports, literature reviews, jurisdictional
scans, presentation of initial findings (written or verbal), draft survey, or interview tools.
• Final deliverables may include: Final report, presentation.
Tasks and Methodology:
What are the steps required to reach your deliverables? Please consider the following:
• Initial research: What internal organizational documents, reports, or research will be
required for you to have the knowledge you require to be successful in the project?
• Information gathering: if applicable, what steps will you need to take in order to get the
information you need to make appropriate recommendations (e.g. key informant
interviews, focus groups, meetings with internal staff, academic, or grey literature
review).
• Feedback loops: When will you need to receive feedback to determine next steps? Are
there any parts of your project that are conditional on information gathered at the
onset? Identify these early and schedule time to get Client feedback to determine next
steps.
Work Plan and Timeline:
How long do you anticipate each of the tasks and deliverables to take?
8• Keep in mind that often issues outside your control can slow things down (e.g.
scheduling meetings and lags in communication).
• Break down each task and deliverable according to how long it will take each person.
You are encouraged to create a work plan/team timeline.
• Make sure to schedule in feedback loops. Make it explicit when you expect to submit
deliverables and schedule meetings with your Client into your work plan so that you
receive feedback and deliverables in a timely and efficient manner.
Communications:
What is an appropriate schedule for ongoing communications with your Client? What methods
of communication are preferred by the Client?
Avoiding Scope Creep:
Client are often eager to work with PGI Consultants and have high expectations. This may result
in your Client requesting work from you that is outside the project’s original scope. While some
flexibility is required as the project tales shape, it is important to keep the project within its
original boundaries. If the scope increased beyond what is initially agreed upon between your
team and Client, or if the expectations become unrealistic, we encourage you to discuss this
with your Client.
In the event that you are ever unsure about whether or not a revision of project scope is
realistic, please contact your Director. They can be a helpful resource in this instance and can
help you to work with your Client to address any issues or respectfully decline their additional
requests.
Additional Resources
Your Director will help connect you with the additional resources you require. These may
include:
• Munk School of Global Affairs Faculty and Administration
• Y2 students who are former PGI Consultants
• Additional resources available on the PGI website
The University of Toronto Libraries system can help connect you to resources. This may be
especially helpful for the completion of literature reviews, if you are having difficulty with
compiling a research list. For example, you can make an appointment with a librarian to discuss
your research strategies. Find out more information about this here. PGI Consultant teams are
9encouraged to take advantage of the University of Toronto’s network and reach out to other
faculty within the University of Toronto for advice and consultation if their specializations and
experience are relevant to the project.
An abundance of resources has been posted on the PGI website. Use the password that will be
released at the PGI Orientation to access Consultant Resources in the Consultants folder.
Getting Started
Step 1: PGI Consultant Team Meeting
Discuss Client Expectations and Required Deliverables: Consultant will formally meet their team
members at the PGI Orientation. Outline a shared vision of the project with your team. Discuss
individual Consultant’s strengths and weaknesses and divide up the work accordingly. Develop
a work plan for how you will proceed throughout the project term. This may be reviewed by
your Director.
Step 2: First Director/PGI Consultant Team Meeting
Schedule Your First Director Meeting: The Project Coordinator will reach out to the Director to
set a meeting time prior to meeting with the Client for the first time. This meeting should be as
soon as possible. The Administrative Lead shall take notes.
Step 3: Draft Letter of Engagement
Complete Your Letter of Engagement (LOE): Refer to the Letter of Engagement template. The
Project Coordinator must send the drafted LOE to the assigned Director of approval before the
Client Liaisons submit to the Client for review and discussion at the first Client meeting. The
drafted LOE must be sent to the Client at least three (3) business days prior to the first meeting.
Step 4: First Client/PGI Consultant Team/Director Meeting
Schedule Your First Client Meeting: The Client Liaisons are responsible for setting up all Client
meetings. The first meeting must include the Director in attendance. The Client Liaisons are
encouraged to reach out to both the Client and Director to set a suitable meeting time as soon
10as possible. At this meeting, and all following meetings with the Client, the Client Liaisons shall
chair the meeting with their Client, which will be focused on introductions and discussing the
Letter of Engagement. The PGI Consultant team is ultimately equally responsible for all Client
meetings; ensuring that projects remain in scope and are feasible. The Administrative Lead shall
take notes.
Step 5: Finalize Letter of Engagement
Submit the final LOE: Submit the LOE to your assigned Director with all parties’ signatures.
Directors must sign and keep the document for their records; it should be treated as a contract
between your team and your Client. This process may require another meeting with the Client
and Director to finalize the LOE, some groups may need to make minimal changes that can be
submitted via email.
Step 6: Continue with the Project!
Once steps 1-5 are completed, PGI Consultant teams are expected to begin working on project
deliverables. PGI Consultant teams are encouraged to access the Consultant Resources folder
on the website prior to coming to the assigned Director for advice/questions/concerns. While
PGI projects are largely independent and rely on the PGI Consultant teams to track and manage
their own projects, Directors are present for ongoing check-ins and support. Refer to the Roles
& Responsibilities Framework 2020/2021 for more details about different roles.
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