CSC Communication & Documentation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A consultant needs to communicate a significant scope change that will increase project cost. When should this communication occur?
- After the additional work is completed to demonstrate value first
- As soon as the change is identified, before additional work proceeds (Correct answer)
- Only at the next scheduled steering committee meeting
- When the client asks why the invoice is higher than expected
Correct answer: As soon as the change is identified, before additional work proceeds
Proactive, early communication of scope changes allows the client to make informed decisions and maintains trust before costs are incurred.
Question 2: What is the key differentiator between a finding and a recommendation in a consulting report?
- Findings are opinions; recommendations are facts
- Findings describe observed current-state evidence; recommendations prescribe specific future-state actions (Correct answer)
- Findings come from client interviews; recommendations come from benchmarks
- Findings are placed in appendices; recommendations go in the executive summary
Correct answer: Findings describe observed current-state evidence; recommendations prescribe specific future-state actions
A finding is evidence-based observation about what exists today, while a recommendation proposes a specific action to address a gap or opportunity.
Question 3: A consultant is facilitating a workshop with 15 stakeholders who have divergent views. What technique best ensures all voices are captured without dominant personalities hijacking the discussion?
- Allow open debate until consensus naturally emerges
- Use structured techniques like silent brainstorming or dot voting before open discussion (Correct answer)
- Have the most senior stakeholder decide the outcome
- Limit speaking time to two minutes per participant throughout the workshop
Correct answer: Use structured techniques like silent brainstorming or dot voting before open discussion
Silent brainstorming and dot voting allow equal input from all participants before open debate, reducing the influence of dominant personalities.
Question 4: Which approach to meeting documentation best serves a consulting engagement?
- Transcribe every word spoken during the meeting
- Capture decisions made, action items with owners and due dates, and key discussion points (Correct answer)
- Document only the agenda items that were fully resolved
- Send a summary email three business days after the meeting
Correct answer: Capture decisions made, action items with owners and due dates, and key discussion points
Effective meeting notes focus on decisions, accountabilities, and context rather than verbatim transcription, making them actionable and time-efficient.
Question 5: A client asks a senior consultant for a 'quick answer' on a complex question during a steering committee. The consultant is not fully certain of the answer. What is the best response?
- Provide the best guess to appear confident and authoritative
- Acknowledge the question, share preliminary thinking, commit to a validated answer by a specific date (Correct answer)
- Deflect by saying the question is outside the project scope
- Ask another team member to answer on the spot
Correct answer: Acknowledge the question, share preliminary thinking, commit to a validated answer by a specific date
Credibility is built by intellectual honesty — sharing a preliminary view while committing to a rigorous follow-up is more trusted than a confident wrong answer.
Question 6: What is the primary risk of using highly technical jargon in client-facing documents?
- It may violate confidentiality agreements
- It can exclude key decision-makers who lack technical backgrounds, reducing document utility and adoption (Correct answer)
- It increases document length unnecessarily
- It is prohibited under most consulting firm style guides
Correct answer: It can exclude key decision-makers who lack technical backgrounds, reducing document utility and adoption
Jargon-heavy documents alienate non-technical stakeholders, undermining their ability to evaluate, approve, or act on recommendations.
Question 7: When creating a RACI matrix for a consulting project, what does the 'I' (Informed) designation mean?
- The individual is responsible for completing the task
- The individual must be kept updated on progress and decisions but does not actively participate (Correct answer)
- The individual must approve the output before it proceeds
- The individual is the primary point of contact for the task
Correct answer: The individual must be kept updated on progress and decisions but does not actively participate
Informed parties receive one-way communication about progress and outcomes but are not accountable for task execution or approval.
CSC Communication & Documentation 3
A consultant needs to communicate a significant scope change that will increase project cost.
When should this communication occur?