Creating a client guide for your SEKE module

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The clients for your student projects will need a good insight into what the module is about and the overall timeline. We’ve found that having a guide, or document, that your clients can use early in the process is a great help. In this tool, we explain why a client guide is needed, when to use it, and we have created a template which you can download covering the key topics you might consider putting into your guide. And you can easily customise the guide. It’s worth developing the guide with some clients you know well, and revising it based on feedback. We’ve provided some examples of client guides, and I hope this stimulates some ideas for your own guide.

Using this tool helps all involved as follows:

Clients will have clarity about how the module works and key administrative information.
Students benefit by knowing that clients have a guide to the module, and reduces the extent to which students have to explain the module.
Tutors benefit, as they can create a coherent set of information between the module’s Virtual Learning Envrionment and what is being shared with the clients.

Learning Outcomes

Additional Resources

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Overview

This tool provides guidance about how you can create a client guide. Although you will know the specific details of your module, we have suggested some common items you might want to have in your guide.

What is a client guide?

This is a document or website that is available to all clients, and irrespective of the particular project in your module, gives a basic set of information to help the client understand what the module is about and what it will entail.

When is it used?

The guide needs to be available well before the module start date, ideally as soon as you have recruited your external collaborators. This will support the clients with information they may need throughout the process of their SEKE project.

Where is it accessed?

Using a website or webpage that your University has agreed to and has the appropriate logos and styles applied. The advantage is that the guide is seen as part of all other pages about courses and modules. The disadvantage is that you may find it difficult to update quickly and information may become outdated.

Using a separate website, such as a Google site. These are generally free, and you and your teaching team can directly create and amend the content without a series of detailed sign offs - although quality is of course important.

Using a shared drive. This is probably the easiest method. You can control who can see it, and invite comments by clients so that you can respond to their feedback. However this can often get lost among other documents and may become confusing if newer versions are uploaded on top.

Client guide template

Download the client guide template here. The headings in the template are suggestions to help you create your guide.

Example client guide

Click on the example here which is a Google Site for the client guide for module at the University of Portsmouth. See if the site can stimulate some ideas about what you want to put in your own client guide.

Summary

Now you have accessed the Client Guide template, you can edit this according to your module when working with external clients. This should give some insight into what information an external client may want to know, either before partnering with a university, or once they have been engaged to provide a project.