Calling the Power of Mumsnet...Can anybody please help my DH?

[flashingnose]

Dh is nearing the end of a Management Diploma and has to come up with an idea for a project. We have drawn a big fat blank after thinking about this for SIX MONTHS!!! Things are now getting desperate...

This Diploma has dominated our family for nearly a year (DH works fulltime so has been spending a lot of his weekends studying) but if he can't think of a project, we're doomed.

Can anyone think of anything?? The flashingnose family would be eternally grateful...

(This may seem a very odd request for MN but I told DH that MN can solve anything )

Can he not use a situation from work eg take current organisational structure, pick holes in why it doesn't work, do restructure type thing

What is his job? Can he relate it to something at work?

A factory manager here did something similar - his project work was on implementing a Permit to Work procedure to control maintenance activities.

Could you try asking a local shop if they have any issues or problems that you could try to investigate for them? Eg, the local newsagent/greengrocer/etc may have a supply chain issue, or find they are having a lot of wastage, or something else. Or a local church, charity, charity shop, playgroup, or school? 4.500 words isn't actually that much (honestly!), so you only want a smallish problem! And I'm sure you'll get much more credit for taking a real issue.

Trouble is, they're in the throes of a massive restructure at the moment! I think thsi has been the problem - his own company has been analysed and picked over in minute detail in the last year and there's not a lot left to look at.

Beety that's very kind - will have a word with DH tonight . I think an outside perspective could really help.

How about talking to his manager (or someone more senior) to see if they have anything they would like him to look at? When I studied for my management diploma (didn't finish it due to arrival of dd ) all my assignments and projects were based on real things happening in my company - but the diploma was sponsored by the company so it was supposed to be like that anyway...

What sort of things interest him?

There are a lot of small voluntary/few staff-run organisations like charities, youth groups, heritage organisations that would probably appreciate some help on an element of their management (forward plan, fundraising, recruitment etc).

but as he'll need to give up time to go see it 'live', it'll need to be something he's interested in... trains? kids with special needs? football supporters groups? wildlife? And then he'd need to discuss what they need as much as what he wants to do...

So could he not do retrospectively (at least he has all the answers then LOL!) Or suggest an alternative.

OOp crossed post - how about looking at a more localised issue then, rather than a company-wide one?

Try 'Paper Production' dh did his in this and got a distinction in his, went right through the process from forest management to finished products, very enlightening....

Or he could maybe see if MN HQ have need of any kind of project-based business advice support at present

Sorry, just dealing with small children crisis. All these suggestions are brilliant, thank you. I think looking outside his own company could be the answer.

Alternatively, he could pay Mothernature a large wodge of cash and copy her DH's .

Shame you couldn't ask DH to look into managing small children at home. He could investigate current issues, consider alternatives, trial the alternatives and make recommendations (good way to get him to spend more time with the kids! )

Love Marina's idea

If he likes phillipat's charities etc. idea, maybe pilotlight might be interesting people to talk to. Their brief is helping charities address management and business type issues, so your dh's project might end up helping both sides?