The disagreement between the two consulting firms on GERD to work in accordance with the directive of the Tripartite National Technical Committee has delayed the study, according to Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity.
The companies are given the last chance to inform the 10th_Tripartite National Technical Committee whether they are willing to carry out the study in line with the directive and their responsibilities.
The letter written by Ethiopia to Egypt and Sudan about the date of the next meeting of Tripartite National Technical Committee has not, however, received any response.
Border and Cross-Border Rivers Affairs Advisor to the Minister, Tefera Beyene told ENA that the two consulting firms selected to conduct studies on the possible socio-economic impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the lower riparian countries has not yet began.
The consulting firms were selected to conduct study on the possible impacts and associated impacts that may occur due to the change in the course of Nile._
Tefera said the Tripartite National Technical Committee selected the French BRL as the main firm to carry out 70 per cent of the study and hired the Dutch Deltares as a sub-contractor for the rest of the task as per the request of Egypt in order to create mutual trust among the committee member countries.
Though the consulting firms were supposed to submit their findings within 15 months to the committee, they have not yet submitted the study due to disagreements between themselves, the advisor elaborated.
Even if Ethiopia proposed the entire task to be given to a contractor selected by all the three countries so as to quickly complete the study, it was not accepted due to Egypt's unwillingness to agree on the idea and hence the current delay, Tefera pointed out.
He said GERD, in addition to being designed in a way that ensures the benefits of the lower riparian countries, has opened opportunity for the countries to work closely.
see more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201511251689.html
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Combining the ‘know-how and know-who’ in consulting
Having spent three decades in Germany working for other people, Brendan McKearney recently established his own consultancy service to advise Irish companies supplying high tech solutions to the German automotive and technology sectors.
McKearney left Frankfurt-based Fujitsu Semiconductor this year after 25 years, during which McKearney rose to the top of the organisation becoming its managing director in 2009 and its first European-born president and management board member in 2011.
Europeans often struggle with the Japanese way of doing things. McKearney thrived and says growing up in a farming community in Ballybay, Co Monaghan, prepared him well for the consensus culture.
“I came from a background with a history of farmers sharing equipment and helping each other out. In ways it was very similar to the co-operative Japanese approach,” he says.
“There is still a huge difference in business culture between Asia and Europe but I think being Irish helps,” he adds. “We’re generally good with people, willing to work hard and adaptable. I definitely wouldn’t say the Germans work harder but their focus is different and their most notable trait is that they’re very gracious losers at football . . . They emphasise being effective and efficient whereas Irish people like to improvise and just get things done with the tools in hand.”
Japanese companies often get criticised for not empowering overseas employees and subsidiaries. McKearney says Fujitsu was the opposite.
“We had over 400 people in Europe and fewer than 5 per cent were Japanese. The Fujitsu culture in Europe was very dynamic. We had a lot of autonomy, world-class design teams and revenues of several hundred million euro. During my time as president, we won first place twice in our category in the Great Place to Work awards.”
McKearney left Ireland in 1984 when the economy was on its knees and jobs for young graduates were rare as hen’s teeth. He had studied electrical engineering at DIT Kevin Street and ended up in Germany by chance. It could easily have been Britain or the United States as he had applied for jobs in both.
Language classes
His first job was as a development engineer at EPI Messtechnik in Wiesbaden. He quickly recognised that fluency in German would be a major asset and took language classes at night followed by a degree in German.
He joined Fujitsu Semiconductor in 1989 as a technical author before moving into product marketing. He then spent the next 25 years developing the business in major European vertical markets.
read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/combining-the-know-how-and-know-who-in-consulting-1.2435184
McKearney left Frankfurt-based Fujitsu Semiconductor this year after 25 years, during which McKearney rose to the top of the organisation becoming its managing director in 2009 and its first European-born president and management board member in 2011.
Europeans often struggle with the Japanese way of doing things. McKearney thrived and says growing up in a farming community in Ballybay, Co Monaghan, prepared him well for the consensus culture.
“I came from a background with a history of farmers sharing equipment and helping each other out. In ways it was very similar to the co-operative Japanese approach,” he says.
“There is still a huge difference in business culture between Asia and Europe but I think being Irish helps,” he adds. “We’re generally good with people, willing to work hard and adaptable. I definitely wouldn’t say the Germans work harder but their focus is different and their most notable trait is that they’re very gracious losers at football . . . They emphasise being effective and efficient whereas Irish people like to improvise and just get things done with the tools in hand.”
Japanese companies often get criticised for not empowering overseas employees and subsidiaries. McKearney says Fujitsu was the opposite.
“We had over 400 people in Europe and fewer than 5 per cent were Japanese. The Fujitsu culture in Europe was very dynamic. We had a lot of autonomy, world-class design teams and revenues of several hundred million euro. During my time as president, we won first place twice in our category in the Great Place to Work awards.”
McKearney left Ireland in 1984 when the economy was on its knees and jobs for young graduates were rare as hen’s teeth. He had studied electrical engineering at DIT Kevin Street and ended up in Germany by chance. It could easily have been Britain or the United States as he had applied for jobs in both.
Language classes
His first job was as a development engineer at EPI Messtechnik in Wiesbaden. He quickly recognised that fluency in German would be a major asset and took language classes at night followed by a degree in German.
He joined Fujitsu Semiconductor in 1989 as a technical author before moving into product marketing. He then spent the next 25 years developing the business in major European vertical markets.
read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/combining-the-know-how-and-know-who-in-consulting-1.2435184
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
The perfect resume for consulting
If you want to break into a Big Four consulting division, or move into the likes of Bain or McKinsey, you need to make your CV all about tangible achievements.
It’s all very well gaining the right sort of experience, but how you applied yourself, got your ideas across and implemented the right strategy are equally as important to convey on your resume as putting big brand names up in lights.
So, what does it take to impress? We’ve spoken to specialist consulting recruiters who told us what they expect from the perfect consulting CV.
1. You will include a brief personal statement
Personal statements in resumes are frowned upon in the financial sector, but a brief summary of the sectors you specialise in, combined with some indication of what results you achieved during your latest assignments are encouraged, says Rakesh Pabbi, a former KPMG consultant who now heads executive search firm Consulting Point.
“The key here is to be concise and not too wordy,” he says. “This is a test – if you can’t sell yourself concisely, how can you get a complex point across to a client effectively?”
If you’re applying for an entry-level role, start with your academics, however.
2. You will summarise your achievements in a table
Pabbi says that you have around 20 seconds to impress with your resume. The best way to pull in a recruiter is to outline your sector expertise and client list in an easily digestible table, says Pabbi. Here’s an example:
Industry Sector Selected Major Clients
Oil and Gas BP, Saudi Aramco, Q8
Petrochemicals Stahl, EQUATE
Automotive Jaguar Land Rover, Fiat, GM
Industrials GKN, Michelin, Meggitt, QinetiQ
Consumer & Retail SABMiller, Birds Eye, Wight Salads, ATS
Utilities EON, Veolia, RWE
3. You will be very exact about academic qualifications
Consulting has traditionally been a magnet for MBAs from top business schools, but in spite of this it’s rarely a requirement, says Richard Stewart, managing director of consulting recruiters Mindbench. Instead, consultants want to see a) a first class degree and b) a top university listed on academic achievements.
read more: http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/225615/the-perfect-resume-for-consulting/
It’s all very well gaining the right sort of experience, but how you applied yourself, got your ideas across and implemented the right strategy are equally as important to convey on your resume as putting big brand names up in lights.
So, what does it take to impress? We’ve spoken to specialist consulting recruiters who told us what they expect from the perfect consulting CV.
1. You will include a brief personal statement
Personal statements in resumes are frowned upon in the financial sector, but a brief summary of the sectors you specialise in, combined with some indication of what results you achieved during your latest assignments are encouraged, says Rakesh Pabbi, a former KPMG consultant who now heads executive search firm Consulting Point.
“The key here is to be concise and not too wordy,” he says. “This is a test – if you can’t sell yourself concisely, how can you get a complex point across to a client effectively?”
If you’re applying for an entry-level role, start with your academics, however.
2. You will summarise your achievements in a table
Pabbi says that you have around 20 seconds to impress with your resume. The best way to pull in a recruiter is to outline your sector expertise and client list in an easily digestible table, says Pabbi. Here’s an example:
Industry Sector Selected Major Clients
Oil and Gas BP, Saudi Aramco, Q8
Petrochemicals Stahl, EQUATE
Automotive Jaguar Land Rover, Fiat, GM
Industrials GKN, Michelin, Meggitt, QinetiQ
Consumer & Retail SABMiller, Birds Eye, Wight Salads, ATS
Utilities EON, Veolia, RWE
3. You will be very exact about academic qualifications
Consulting has traditionally been a magnet for MBAs from top business schools, but in spite of this it’s rarely a requirement, says Richard Stewart, managing director of consulting recruiters Mindbench. Instead, consultants want to see a) a first class degree and b) a top university listed on academic achievements.
read more: http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/225615/the-perfect-resume-for-consulting/
Friday, November 6, 2015
Iowa City superintendent's consulting questioned
Murley told the Iowa City school board in an email this week he had no knowledge of SUPES activities beyond the teaching he did with administrators.
“I believe that the hundreds of superintendents from around the country who worked with the program feel disappointed and betrayed by the leaders of the Chicago Public Schools and the SUPES Academy who engaged in the illegal acts,” Murley wrote.
Murley, hired to lead the Iowa City school district in 2010, is allowed 10 days of discretionary leave each year for consulting or other professional activities “mutually agreed upon by the superintendent and board president,” according to his employment contract signed July 30.
The school board president must approve any outside activities for which Murley is paid, the contract states.
“He provides me an update annually about what he’s doing on his discretionary days,” board President Chris Lynch said Thursday. “I know the days, the company and generally what he’s doing.”
Murley does not report how much he’s paid for outside activities, Lynch said. So far, the district has not made those records available to the public.
School board Member Chris Liebig said he expects the board to have a discussion soon about whether school administrators should disclose outside activities.
“I do think we probably need to talk about a policy on outside work, disclosure and prior conflicts,” Liebig said. Whether this disclosure would be exempted from Iowa’s Open Records law as a personnel record needs more review, he added.
Board member Phil Hemingway said he will request the discussion be put on the Nov. 24 agenda.
“We’ve got a full-time job here in Iowa City, but we’ve got a full-time employee trying to solve problems elsewhere,” Hemingway said.
Murley’s three-year contract provides a $205,500 salary, $26,715 in deferred compensation and a $7,150 vehicle allowance for the first year, with the amounts renegotiated each year. The contract also promises $6,000 more per year if Murley earns his doctoral degree.
“If he wants to get a $6,000 raise, all he has to do is get himself his Ph.D,” Hemingway said. “The community is paying for his education.”
Board member LaTasha DeLoach said she wants to learn more about Murley’s consulting work before deciding whether it’s worthwhile to the district. “I do think it’s important we as a board know what’s going on,” she said.
read more: http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/k-12-education/iowa-city-superintendents-consulting-questioned-20151105
“I believe that the hundreds of superintendents from around the country who worked with the program feel disappointed and betrayed by the leaders of the Chicago Public Schools and the SUPES Academy who engaged in the illegal acts,” Murley wrote.
Murley, hired to lead the Iowa City school district in 2010, is allowed 10 days of discretionary leave each year for consulting or other professional activities “mutually agreed upon by the superintendent and board president,” according to his employment contract signed July 30.
The school board president must approve any outside activities for which Murley is paid, the contract states.
“He provides me an update annually about what he’s doing on his discretionary days,” board President Chris Lynch said Thursday. “I know the days, the company and generally what he’s doing.”
Murley does not report how much he’s paid for outside activities, Lynch said. So far, the district has not made those records available to the public.
School board Member Chris Liebig said he expects the board to have a discussion soon about whether school administrators should disclose outside activities.
“I do think we probably need to talk about a policy on outside work, disclosure and prior conflicts,” Liebig said. Whether this disclosure would be exempted from Iowa’s Open Records law as a personnel record needs more review, he added.
Board member Phil Hemingway said he will request the discussion be put on the Nov. 24 agenda.
“We’ve got a full-time job here in Iowa City, but we’ve got a full-time employee trying to solve problems elsewhere,” Hemingway said.
Murley’s three-year contract provides a $205,500 salary, $26,715 in deferred compensation and a $7,150 vehicle allowance for the first year, with the amounts renegotiated each year. The contract also promises $6,000 more per year if Murley earns his doctoral degree.
“If he wants to get a $6,000 raise, all he has to do is get himself his Ph.D,” Hemingway said. “The community is paying for his education.”
Board member LaTasha DeLoach said she wants to learn more about Murley’s consulting work before deciding whether it’s worthwhile to the district. “I do think it’s important we as a board know what’s going on,” she said.
read more: http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/k-12-education/iowa-city-superintendents-consulting-questioned-20151105
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The 25 best consulting firms to work for in Europe
Since 2009, Vault, a global career intelligence platform, conducts research into good employership in the consulting industry. The European edition of the study, titled ‘Vault Consulting Europe’, presents the 25 best consulting firms to work for in Europe, and is based on the views of almost 3,000 strategy and management consultants working at reputable firms across the continent. In order to judge a firm’s status as an employer, consultancies were evaluated across seven dimensions*. When rating quality of life issues, advisors were only allowed to rate their own firm, while for the prestige dimension consultants were only permitted to rate their competitors.
Similar to last year’s edition, McKinsey & Company tops the list, building mainly on its top of the bill compensation packages, high employee satisfaction and an unmatched prestige score, a feat where it consistently outranks its peers. The New York based firm, founded in 1926, has been named Europe’s most prestigious consultancy every year since the launch of the research in 2010, a performance also realised in the global version of the rankings. Bain & Company holds second spot, across the board with a similar profile as McKinsey, scoring high on prestige, with the Boston headquartered firm in particular admired for the strategic and high-level impact of engagements and for its fast progression and friendly culture.
The third of the Big 3 American strategy consultancies, The Boston Consulting Group, finds itself in on #23 this year, its lowest position since 2010, when it ranked #2 – between 2011 and last year the strategy advisory hovered between positions 15 and 21. From an employership perspective, BCG’s European operations lag behind the firm’s global score – BCG has ranked in the top 3 best firms to work for consistently since 2010 while in another ranking BCG was even named the globe’s best consulting firm to work for – the researchers however not elaborating on the key reasons. What is clear is that it has nothing to do with reputation: in line with the 2014 edition, BCG is ranked the #2 most reputable firm in Europe after McKinsey.
see more at: http://www.consultancy.uk/news/2851/the-25-best-consulting-firms-to-work-for-in-europe
Similar to last year’s edition, McKinsey & Company tops the list, building mainly on its top of the bill compensation packages, high employee satisfaction and an unmatched prestige score, a feat where it consistently outranks its peers. The New York based firm, founded in 1926, has been named Europe’s most prestigious consultancy every year since the launch of the research in 2010, a performance also realised in the global version of the rankings. Bain & Company holds second spot, across the board with a similar profile as McKinsey, scoring high on prestige, with the Boston headquartered firm in particular admired for the strategic and high-level impact of engagements and for its fast progression and friendly culture.
The third of the Big 3 American strategy consultancies, The Boston Consulting Group, finds itself in on #23 this year, its lowest position since 2010, when it ranked #2 – between 2011 and last year the strategy advisory hovered between positions 15 and 21. From an employership perspective, BCG’s European operations lag behind the firm’s global score – BCG has ranked in the top 3 best firms to work for consistently since 2010 while in another ranking BCG was even named the globe’s best consulting firm to work for – the researchers however not elaborating on the key reasons. What is clear is that it has nothing to do with reputation: in line with the 2014 edition, BCG is ranked the #2 most reputable firm in Europe after McKinsey.
see more at: http://www.consultancy.uk/news/2851/the-25-best-consulting-firms-to-work-for-in-europe
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