Hi I need help with filling out the Consulting tables based on the case study.

Running Head: CONSULTATION PROJECT FOR TVO 1

CONSULTATION PROJECT FOR TVO

Name

Institutional Affiliation

CONSULTATION PROJECT FOR TVO

TVO

Date: 16th October 2018

Dear Lisa de Wilde,

Re: A five-year strategic plan consultation project for TVO.

Thank you for the chance to explore with you on the consulting project involving TVO. I am grateful for the time that you set aside for me explaining about your company, its current situation, and its future ambitions. The recent shift in broadcasting preference among consumers has a direct effect on your vision to make TVO financially viable.

Following in-depth consideration of the discussion that we had and your company’s current situation, I am honored to present the accompanying proposal to aid you in dealing with how to make TVO financially viable. The proposal further states the scope expected benefits and purpose of the services that I ought to offer. My interests and professional experience are aligned with your company’s goal of achieving financial viability (Fennell et al., 2016).

I recognize your evaluation of this proposal. I would be grateful if you would present me with another chance to deliberate the services I offer and as well clarify any doubt that you may have.

If you agree with the conditions and terms presented, kindly indicate your compliance by putting a signature on the OCP proposal agreement form found on the final page of the accompanying proposal. 

Sincerely,

 MBA Candidate

A Consulting Proposal for

TVO

A five-year strategic plan consultation project for TVO

Submitted to:

Lisa de Wilde

CEO, TVO

Prepared by

Date

INTRODUCTION

TVO was started in June 1970 by Ontario’s provincial government; its mandate is to offer support to public education by applying television technology (Kim et al., 2015). Being a media company, its significant sources of revenue are unique as they mainly come from government grants and individual sponsorship. The company produces educational content for students based in Canada. Its target audience is mostly students from all levels of education, starting from kids in lower grades to those in higher grades. The programming of TVO is all-inclusive and includes programs such as homework help, TVO kids, and independent learning center.

A change in broadcasting preference by consumers has affected its financial independence. Also, the decline in the number of grants offered by the government to the company has resulted in a reduction in revenue. Additionally, the decrease in the amount of donor funding from individuals and organizations has contributed to a decline in revenues (Bhatt, 2017). The company is not diversified in that it only deals with television broadcasting other than with also print and radio. The business model of TVO makes it a company that is less competitive as compared to other media and broadcasting companies that also include radio and print under their belt.

The company also relies on external content producers to provide useful educational content. The total yearly budget for external producers is about twenty-five million dollars. Additionally, external producers create employment opportunities for more than three hundred Canadians. In the year, 2013, more than seventeen million videos were streamed from TVO’s digital platform. During that period, The Agenda was one of the most popular programs. The program involved an in-depth analysis of recent affairs and was hosted by Steve Paikin. Its downloads were more than two million in 2012, with its site accruing more than one million views. The success of the program is attributable to it targeting every audience ranging from students to parents (Hennes et al., 2016).

PRESENT COMPANY SITUATION

The company has experienced a decline in revenues in the past year, which is a threat to its financial independence. The decline in revenue also interferes with its normal operations.

• In March 2012, the government made a change to the policy that guides the issuance of grants to public agencies. The government’s decision was a result of the occurrence of a deficit in the annual budget, and therefore, it needed to cut its spending. As a result of this, the grant given to TVO was slashed by about five percent in 2014. This is in contrast to the year 2011 when the government increased its grant funding to the company by more than sixteen percent.

• Following the reduction in grant funding, the company was forced to cut back on its cost of operation by about five percent (Oztaysi et al., 2017). More than thirty-five employees were to be laid off per the plan. Also, some legacy programs were discontinued. For instance, Big Ideas was a program that dealt with contemporary intellectual culture and was one of the programs that were terminated. Another program that was discontinued touched on the views of the artists and authors. It was a weekly interview production that was broadcasted on Fridays.

TVO's foremost challenges include the decline in the overall revenue, non-all-inclusive broadcasting program, employee retention, and motivation, as well as lack of broader involvement of all government agencies. The CEO is faced with a challenge of coming up with ways that ensure the company is financially sound by increasing self-generated revenue and that a wider variety of audiences watches its programs (Luca, 2016).

Problem Definition

An initial SWOT investigation reveals a variety of problems facing the company:

External Factors

• The decrease in the amount of funding derived from government grants and individual sponsorship impacts revenue.

• The overall shift in consumer preference from traditional modes of television programming to online methods of streaming such as Netflix. Also, consumers are regularly watching programs through their smartphones or tablets.

• The rise of other cable channels that offer educational programs has resulted in stiff completion in the industry.

Internal Factors

Financial:

• Rise in overall production budget and employee allowances and salaries.

• The decline in the amount of grant and sponsorship funding.

Marketing:

• Shrinking market regarding educational programs as a result of stiff competition from similar broadcasters.

• Outdated or non-relevant programs offered by the company making customers lose faith in the company.

• Inefficient and costly marketing strategies employed by the company.

Operations:

• Long term working contracts of employees that are disadvantageous to the company in the long run.

Human resources:

• Employee motivation and retention issues (Cloutier et al., 2015).

• Underperforming employees cost the company a fortune in terms of allowances and bonuses.

• Unavailability of proper human resources that focus on development and training.

Technology:

• Advancement of broadcasting technology that includes ultra-high definition imaging that is expensive to set up.

PROJECT PURPOSE AND SCOPE

Purpose

The purpose of the intended consultation project is to develop a five-year strategic plan that is inclusive of how to maximize revenue to achieve financial independence (Brest and Harvey, 2016). The plan should include ways to enable TVO to digitize its educational programs, which focus not only inside the classroom but also outside. Also, the methods that employees will use to ensure the success of the plan should also be included. A research-based methodology will be used to conduct the project. The major components of the project include investigation of current practices through research that is based on discovery, best research practices, analysis of gaps, and recommendations for improvement.

Scope

As presently proposed, the project entails:

• Completion of a single formal document, a five-year strategic plan that will contain the necessary measures that ought to be undertaken to ensure the financial stability and success of TVO.

• Recommendations for advancement based on needs that are either long term or short time. These needs can be of employees, businesses, or managers. A plan that ought to be followed to implement the strategy should be included.

The project does not entail:

• Implementing recommendations.

• Analysis and research related to the broadcasting industry.

• Gap analysis that compares different research.

APPROACH and METHODOLOGY

Approach

The project will be undertaken using the following steps:

1 Project set up:

• Develop a plan for conducting the research

2 A detailed analysis that involves SWOT.

• An initial SWOT analysis was undertaken in preparation of the proposal.

• Conduct a final SWOT analysis to determine threats, weaknesses, opportunities, as well as the strengths of the company (Gürel and Tat, 2017).

3 Best Practice Research

• Conduct secondary findings to identify ways that a broadcasting company can increase its revenue from secondary sources.

• The research will deal with ways of increasing revenue.

4 International Organizational Research

• Development of an interview and submission of an ethical review.

• Undertake primary research that investigates the current management in the company.

5 Internal Data Gathering and Review

• Collection and interpretation of relevant data concerning the programming of events and leadership in the company.

6 Analysis

• Incorporating data that was collected in the late stages and analysis of gaps between practices and: a) expectations of both employees and managers, b) the goals of the business, c) performance of best management practices.

7 Recommendations and plan of implementation

• Develop recommendations that aid in the improvement of both long term and short term needs of the managers and employees.

• Develop a plan that ensures that the implementation will go on as planned.

8 Presentation of results

• Review the draft accompanied by the client. The presentation of the final complete document follows the review.

Methodology Details

Develop a research plan:

• Determine the requirements and methods to gather data relating to ways of increasing revenue for a broadcasting company.

Primary research:

• Conduct interviews with the top management of the company, including the CEO.

Secondary research:

• Literature review of the various ways of increasing revenue for a broadcasting company.

PROJECT SCHEDULE and MILESTONE DATES

The project work will start as soon as this proposal is accepted, and the last deliverables are expected to be completed on February 14th, 2020. Your acceptance is needed four days after receiving this proposal for the smooth completion of the project work within the stipulated time frame.

PROJECT PHASE MONTH COMPLETED BY

 TIMINGS AND COST ESTIMATES

The final project will take close to five months to be completed, and more than four hundred hours of work are required. Some other expenses that will be incurred include printing and copying costs. The overall project is expected to cost around $40,000.

ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES and BENEFITS

The project will give a detailed analysis of the various ways that TVO can utilize to increase and generate its revenue (Hyder, 2016). It will:

• Summarize the different methods of tapping advertising revenue.

• Provide an understanding of the modern methods of broadcasting.

• Give detailed information on the ways and means of motivating and retaining employees.

• Give insights on new methods of programming that are conversant with all audiences.

SUMMARY of PROJECT DELIVERABLES

Following the formal completion of the project, the following documents will be availed:

1 A five-year strategic plan outlining the various steps to be undertaken.

2 A PowerPoint presentation that gives a summary of recommendations and findings 

(Gambari et al., 2015).

CONSULTANT’S CREDENTIALS and CONTACT INFORMATION

I completed my Bachelor's degree from Oxford University in 2009. I have more than nine years’ experience working as a consultant. Recently, I have begun a master’s degree in the same university pursuing consultancy. To date, I have undergone the necessary training and education that has equipped me with skills that ensure that I work with clients smoothly. I can deliver the required solution within the stipulated time.

MBA course work that is relevant to this specific project includes Consulting skills, project management, and organizational relations.

My consultancy philosophy is centered on partnerships that are long-lasting with clients. I work mutually with them, providing information and tools that ensure specific solutions are found.

Contact information

Office:

Email:

References

Bhatt, A. (2017). Media habit-An engagement with current trends in media consumer preferences. International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(8), 1-12.

Brest, P., & Harvey, H. (2018). Money well spent: A strategic plan for smart philanthropy. Stanford University Press.

Cloutier, O., Felusiak, L., Hill, C., & Pemberton-Jones, E. J. (2015). The Importance of Developing Strategies for Employee Retention. Journal of Leadership, Accountability & Ethics, 12(2).

Fennell, P., Ruyssevelt, P., & Smith, A. Z. (2016). Financial viability of school retrofit projects for clients and ESCOs. Building Research & Information, 44(8), 889-906.

Gambari, A. I., Yusuf, H. T., & Balogun, S. A. (2015). Effectiveness of PowerPoint Presentation on Students' Cognitive Achievement in Technical Drawing. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 3(4), 1-12.

Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: A theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research, 10(51).

Hennes, E. P., Ruisch, B. C., Feygina, I., Monteiro, C. A., & Jost, J. T. (2016). Motivated recall in the service of the economic system: The case of anthropogenic climate change. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145(6), 755.

Hyder, S. (2016). The zen of social media marketing: An easier way to build credibility, generate buzz, and increase revenue. BenBella Books, Inc..

Kim, Y., Choi, J., & Kim, Y. S. (2015). An international comparison on operational efficiency of terrestrial TV operators using bootstrapped DEA and tobit regression. International Information Institute (Tokyo). Information, 18(6 (B)), 2667.

 Luca, M. (2016). Reviews, reputation, and revenue: The case of Yelp. com. Com (March 15, 2016). Harvard Business School NOM Unit Working Paper, (12-016).

Oztaysi, B., Onar, S. C., Goztepe, K., & Kahraman, C. (2017). Evaluation of research proposals for grant funding using interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Soft Computing, 21(5), 1203-1218.