Are School Consultants Effective in Indian School System

Disclaimer: I am part of a consulting company which specialises in setting us CBSE, ICSE, IB, IGCSE School as a School consultant. The name of my School Consulting Company is The Lok Associates & Educational Consultancy Firm

So now the question is about hiring School Consultants to build your own school. How much of it is worth?

Starting a school and managing it is not a rocket science. If one understands the sector, is specific about the goals the orgsaintion is going to strive towards, good on project management and has an eye for creatives and detail should become a successful promoter.

But here is the catch, When I was a little kid, I bought a book which said “Learn, How to Play Guitar”. At that time, I didn’t had a guitar and the book for me was a waste, which i realised later though it costed me my pocket money. Not many of us have the luxury of time of getting into depth of any subject matter and mastering the content. Here is where the consultants makes his living.

School as a project goes through three broad categories;

1. Pre Planing of the school
2. Execution of the project
3. Running of the school

Now each of them have got their nuance, out of this the last one can be done by Trial &  Error but as one would understand the second has to be pitch-perfect as the building is coming up costing in crores. Whereas the first stage is concerned i.e Pre Planning – It need to be decisive, showing clear direction and proving clarity on the facilities we are looking to match, the competition we are up against, fee structure etc etc. This is where I believe the consultant really adds value.

Remember School is a heavy cash-guzzling project, so the entire focus should be on ‘Putting the best foot forward’. A consultant can help with the following;

Project Conception

• Feasibility Studies
• Concept Development
• Competition Analysis & Market Mapping
• Strategic Choices & Planning
• Architectural Concept
• Project Finance
• Business Planning

Approvals, Affiliation & Accreditation

• Assistance in affiliation with CBSE, ICSE, CIE, IB
• Assistance with AICTE, NCTE UGC and other professional affiliating bodies
• Assistance in NAAC accreditation
• Accreditation assistance and training for CBSE Schools

Academic Management

• Development of Academic Profile and Academic Model and its implementation
• Academics Management Systems and Innovations
• Curriculum Planning

Human Resource Management, Recruitment & Training

• Assistance in Recruitment and selection of staff
• Training, Induction, Management and Orientation Modules
• Development of Organisational Structuring
• Process Manuals and Philosophy Handbooks

Promotion

• Communication Strategy
• Positioning and Branding Strategy

Admissions Assistance

• Assistance in designing and implementation of admission process
• Training of counsellors and admin office

Resource Management

• Concept to Interior design
• Empanelling Architects and other Suppliers
• Resource utilisation
• Facility Management System
• Concept blue-print to complete Design
• Resource Utilization & Facilities Management Systems
• Critical Analysis of Capital Purchases and Investments

System Management, Academic Audit & Quality

• Yearly Academic Audit
• Assistance to Professional Consultants for obtaining ISO Certification as Client’s representative
• Initiate Implementation of Quality Assurance Model

Training

• Training for School & College Staff

The ADVANTAGES of a consultant are as follows;

• Understanding of the business feasibility
• A ready made understanding of the Regulatory approvals and processes
• Understanding of the investment required and Returns on the investment
• Practical issues and resolutions
• Clear defined project planning with thought through goals and timelines
• Understanding of the Admissions/ Parents and Teachers’ psych

There are many other advantages but I believe the above mentioned 6 are the biggest deciders for Consultants.