Administrivia
Professor Larry Downes
Email: ldownes@sims.berkeley.edu
Office number: (510) 526-9547
Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00pm-3:00pm 313 South Hall. Also by appointment.
TA Sarita Yardi
Email: yardi@sims.berkeley.edu
Website: http://sims.berkeley.edu/~yardi
Office Hours: Thursday 2:00pm-3:30pm South Hall Basement. Also by appointment.
Course Description
As information and information systems projects have become increasingly strategic, information workers at all levels and in all environments must demonstrate higher levels of professionalism, not only to perform their duties competently but to remain competitive in the job market. This course, in conjunction with the SIMS final project, gives students insight into the source and best practice of professionalism, and gives students the chance to refine the essential skills in a simulated but realistic working environment.
Grades and Assignments
Grades will be based on class participation, short exercises, and on the completion of a class "diary" (see below). Given the hands-on nature of this course, regular attendance is essential, as is a willingness to "perform" in front of the rest of the group.
The Diary
Course Information
Course Dates: January 19 to May 4, 2006
Lecture Schedule: Thursday 1:00pm-2:00pm in 110 South Hall
Lab Schedule: Tuesday 3:30pm-4:30pm in 202 South Hall
Lab Schedule: Thursday 4:30pm-5:30pm in 202 South Hall
Units: 2
Grading Option: Letter Grade or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory or Pass/Not Pass
Course Texts
Required
Consulting for Dummies, Bob Nelson and Peter Economy. Wiley, 1997. ISBN: 0-7645-5034-9
Recommended
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey. Free Press, 1990. ISBN: 0671708635
On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Scribner Reprint, 1997. ISBN: 0684839385
The Artist's Way at Work , Mark Bryan and Julia Cameron. Perennial Currents, 1999. ISBN: 0688166350
Course Work
:
January 26 : Thursday
February 2 : Thursday
Lecturer: Larry Downes
Required Readings
"Proposal Process Guidelines" PriceWaterhouseCoopers [Handout]
Chapter 5 and 25 of Consulting for Dummies [Textbook]
"Request for Proposal from Southwest Airlines (fictional)" [Handout]
Resources
February 9 : Thursday
Lecture: Contracting and Other Key Startup Documents
Lecturer: Larry Downes
Required Readings
Chapter 16 of Consulting for Dummies [Textbook]
"Sample Contract #1 - Large Consulting Firm - excerpts" [Handout]
"Sample Contract #2 - Independent Contractor Agreement For Software Consultant, from Consultant and Independent Contractor Agreements (NoLo Press 4th ed. 2004)" Stephen Fishman [Handout]
Sutter Insurance Co. v. Applied Systems, Inc. submitted to
Resources
February 16 : Thursday
February 23 : Thursday
March 2 : Thursday
Lecture: Client and Sponsor Relationships - The Services Model
Guest Lecturer: Joe Marino of IBM Global Services
Required Readings
"Practice Development Do's and Don'ts (undated)" Andersen Consulting [Handout]
"Putting the Client First (undated)" Andersen Consulting [Handout]
"The Quality Bible Ver. 1.1" (1992) (excerpts)" Andersen Consulting [Handout]
"Quality Management Handbook (undated)" Price Waterhouse [Handout]
March 9 : Thursday
March 16 : Thursday
March 23 : Thursday
April 6 : Thursday
April 13 : Thursday
April 20 : Thursday
Lecture: Effective Presentations II
Lecturer: Larry Downes
Required Readings
Does PowerPoint Make You Stupid?, Tad Simons [Online]
PowerPoint Sins [Online]
PowerPoint: What's Wrong With It?, Rebecca Ganzel [Online]
Summary of the Annoying PowerPoint Survey, David Paradi [Online]
Really Bad PowerPoint (and How to Avoid it), Seth Godin [Online]
Good examples of bad PowerPoint slides [Online]
More good examples of bad PowerPoint [Online]
Optional Readings
The Gettysburg PowerPoint Presentation, Peter Norvig [Online]
last updated on 2006-01-12 by syardi