Business Research Project (BRP)

Module Code: LBPG5030

The Business Research Project (BRP) is an individual consultancy project that serves as a commercially and employability-relevant experience, and is an alternative to the dissertation. It requires a student to compile a 10,000 word report that acts as a solution to a business research challenge. The assessment is in two phases; A. Business research brief, to ensure that the student fully understands the project requirement (in a similar way that a consultancy would send a proposal), and B. Main report, which includes details of the research/analysis/ recommendations.

Each project requirement is summarised on a BRP brief, a one-page document that gives a succinct description of the organisation, the overall project, the specific skills needed by the student, and the expected outcomes.

In an identical way to a business consultancy, the organisation will give a summary briefing to students either face-to-face, by a pre-recorded video, or by Skype. Students then form their own Business research brief to give an enriched proposal of how they will research and analyse the project, after discussions with their project tutor (within two weeks of the project commencing). After feedback, students continue their project following the direction given. After 12 weeks of business research and project formation students submit the report.

BRP briefs are sourced by the module leader from local companies and agencies, and are live projects. In this way students gain a guaranteed business consultancy experience, use their learned skills to make a genuine impact and benefit for the company, and are able to summarise the experience on their CV. All BRP briefs will be scrutinised by the module team to ensure they are appropriate to give the high level of commercial experience required.

Preparation for and during a project will consist of lectures that cover the key parts of the report, professional skills in a commercial environment, a summary reminder of research methodology and analysis frameworks/models, and commercial advice on interviews and graduate assessment centres.

Each BRP student will be allocated an academic tutor to assist with both the interpretation and creative suggestions for the report, and academic standards.