Client Advisory

qNomics is a vibrant and active programme, and students should expect to engage with it consistently throughout the semester.

As a general guide, you should plan to dedicate around 2–3 hours per week to the programme, although this may increase at key points in the project cycle.

Most qNomics activities are scheduled on Wednesday afternoons, and students should treat this as their main qNomics commitment time. Training sessions, workshops, meetings and other programme activities will usually take place during this period, although there may be some exceptions.

You should also be prepared to be flexible. qNomics involves working with real clients, community organisations, supervisors and team members, so not every meeting or activity will always fit neatly into a fixed timetable. From time to time, you may need to adapt to a client’s availability or arrange meetings with your team outside the usual Wednesday afternoon slot.

Your time may include training, client meetings, team discussions, research, supervisor meetings, networking opportunities and preparation of your final recommendations and presentation.

qNomics is designed to sit alongside your academic studies, but it is a meaningful commitment. Students who benefit most from the programme are those who stay engaged, communicate well, remain flexible and take responsibility for keeping their project moving forward.

qNomics supervisors are experienced professionals who support student teams at key stages of the Client Advisory process. They bring professional insight from areas such as business, consulting, finance and related fields, helping students strengthen the quality of their analysis and recommendations.

Supervisors do not complete the project for students. Students remain responsible for researching the client challenge, developing their analysis and producing the final project report.

After the initial client meeting, the supervisor will spend some time with the student team to reflect on the discussion, clarify the direction of the project and help identify the next steps.

From that point, the main interaction with the supervisor takes place through the project report and feedback process. Students submit their work through the qNomics Coordinator, who facilitates the exchange between the student team and the supervisor. The supervisor reviews the report, provides professional feedback, and students are expected to respond to that feedback and strengthen their work accordingly.

The supervisor will then support the final stage of the project as students prepare to present their findings and recommendations to the client.

The supervisor’s role is therefore to challenge, guide and provide professional feedback, while students retain ownership of the project and responsibility for the final output.

Client Advisory takes students through a structured consultancy project, from receiving a client brief to presenting final recommendations.

At the beginning of the project, your team will receive information about your assigned client and the business challenge they would like you to explore. You will have time to research the organisation, review the brief and prepare for the first client meeting with support from your professional supervisor.

Your team will then lead the initial client meeting, using the opportunity to learn more about the business, ask questions and clarify the project brief.

After the meeting, you will move into the main research and project-development stage. During this period, you will work closely with your team and have regular check-ins with the coordinator. You will have the support of the supervisor to evaluate the report with the recommendations to the clients. 

Alongside the project, you will take part in training designed to prepare you for the consultancy process, including areas such as interviewing, business case development and report writing.

The project concludes with an in-person final presentation, where your team presents its findings and recommendations to the client.

Throughout the process, students are expected to take ownership of their project. This means preparing for meetings, organising the work within the team, meeting deadlines and making active use of supervisor feedback.

Most qNomics sessions and project activities take place on Wednesday afternoons, although some flexibility is required when arranging activities involving clients and professional supervisors.

Each Client Advisory project brings together students, a client, a professional supervisor and the qNomics team. Each has a different role in making the project work.

• Student advisers – You will work as part of a small team assigned to a client project. Your role is to understand the client’s challenge, prepare for and lead key conversations, conduct research and analysis, work collaboratively with your team, and develop the final recommendations and presentation. Students are expected to take ownership of the project and keep the work moving between scheduled sessions.
• The client – The client brings a real business challenge to qNomics and provides the context, experience and information needed for students to understand it properly. Clients are collaborators in the process: they help students understand their business, respond to questions at key stages and provide feedback on the work.
• The professional supervisor – Each student team is supported by an experienced practitioner. The supervisor does not complete the project for the team; instead, they help students develop their thinking, challenge assumptions, provide feedback and guide the team through the consultancy process. Students will have structured opportunities to meet with their supervisor throughout the project.
• The qNomics team – The qNomics team designs and coordinates the programme, matches students with projects and supervisors, organises training and key activities, supports communication between those involved, and helps ensure that projects remain on track.

The relationship between these roles is deliberately collaborative. Students are given real responsibility for their project, but they are not working alone: they are supported by their supervisor and the qNomics team while learning directly from the experience and expertise of their client.

Successful participation in qNomics is formally recognised in several ways.

Students who complete the programme and meet the expected standards of participation will be eligible to receive a qNomics certificate and HEAR accreditation, with their participation recorded on their Higher Education Achievement Report.

Students who make a meaningful contribution to the programme may also be able to request a reference letter reflecting their involvement in qNomics. This can provide evidence of the experience and skills developed through working with clients, supervisors and team members on a real project.

Recognition is based not simply on attendance, but on your engagement throughout the programme. This includes participating in required sessions, contributing consistently to your team, engaging professionally with your client and supervisor, meeting agreed deadlines, and contributing to the successful completion of the final project.