Eksempel på hva som kreves for A i faget. Eksamensoppgaven er som følger:
You are a young analyst in the strategy department writing a policy oriented memorandum to your boss. She runs (and owns much of) an industrial firm, and also is the provincial representative to a national association of similar firms.
She wants a brief on how environmental economics gives concrete inputs to an environmental problem facing both her firm in its city, and other firms in the national industry.<br

Eksempel på hva som kreves for A i faget. Eksamensoppgaven er som følger:
You are a young analyst in the strategy department writing a policy oriented memorandum to your boss. She runs (and owns much of) an industrial firm, and also is the provincial representative to a national association of similar firms.
She wants a brief on how environmental economics gives concrete inputs to an environmental problem facing both her firm in its city, and other firms in the national industry.
She has asked you to give an evenhanded and scholarly treatment of her firm’s and industry’s situation and options. She lets you know that part of your explicit treatment is to show investment analysis (c, below, for instance) and that to her, investment analysis is serious, it is meant to inform decisions. It is not necessarily conclusive alone, but it has to touch a nerve.
a) The environmental problem itself. Regarding the environmental problem itself (likely a public good), as for instance the local river (or some other tangible environmental challenge), you will inform her of its environmental (pollution, for instance) status, and its severity (effects on health, for instance), her firm’s involvement in it, what can be done.
b) A plausible government policy. In the case of her firm and its environment, as well as nationally, you will describe as a possible frame of reference, a policy from government that results in cost effective (or optimal) responses from firms, and how. For such a policy, you will also describe and quantify how it would affect firms, and her firm in particular.
c) An investment analysis. You will describe in simple terms how her firm (and perhaps firms) faces alternatives in how it can respond (to the environmental challenge, to government policies, or both), for instance in terms of emission treatment investments, doing nothing, modernizing, closing, or expanding (choose). While such investment alternatives may be executed in the coming three years, you may need something like a net present value analysis to include valuation of its consequences over a few decades.
d) Political engagement and lobbying Now that you have an idea of how her firm and the industry can be affected by the environmental problem and possible government policies, you shall also develop advice to her on how she may engage to influence policies, both in her city regarding her own firm, and at national level with the industry association. To be helpful to her in this, you are mindful that in dialogue with government, arguments and pressures in favor of efficiency (including environmental) carry weight, but not always all weight alone.
e) Longer term issues for her firm Your boss now invites you to take a step back. Looking farther ahead, the firm knows that interactions with government, with workers, with banks and owners, local community, and brand positioning in product markets may have consequences in terms of exposure to regulatory, political and other pressures. She wants your analysis of whether there are ways in which – especially referring to the nature and position of her firm – you see rewards or risks in longer term investments that position her firm to be (regarded as) more environmentally friendly. She tells you that you’ll have to be sharp and a devil’s advocate: She does not like to spend money on something vaguely underpinned, and want your advice in one direction or the other to be directly related to her firm, her market, her position. She tells you that the firm’s traditional approach to shoring up political support has been prioritizing workers and their labor union, and to some extent church, and let much of the relationship with local government take that route. So your analysis may use that strategy as a benchmark or comparison.
Be careful, in your analysis, to relate these questions to specifics of the environmental problem (how local, type of pollution, beneficiaries), but also your (boss’) business, its markets, financiers, workers, etc. You will introduce, as necessary, data, numbers, assumptions and simplifications. Do not be afraid to simplify, but be mindful that your memorandum hangs together: you bring the reader with you, are not repetitive but logical. Your boss hates errors, unclarity, vanity, and disregard for the reader.
In your memorandum, your concern is to be helpful to your boss. You speak your mind, but you are clear about your line of argument and its basis.
In your analysis, you are aware you are valued and tested as the young business analyst, knowing how benefits and costs in the environment are and can be stated in business terms, as business relevant. If you use graphs, numbers or formulas make sure they are helpful to the reader. If your argument includes a curve that moves, be sure she understands why and how, and make sure the graph helps her grasp an implication you want her to be aware of.
You are well advised to use the five points a) through e) as your sections. Our guidance to grading is NOT that the points a) through e) are to be given equal weight, but c is rather compulsory and may be given 40% if exceptionally poor or good. You may choose to emphasize what you want on that list, but touching all five will be important to many. You need to show coherence and use of the tools and concepts of business analysis and environmental economics. You may want to give a reason if you are brief or skip a point (or two) on the list.
The memorandum does not exceed six pages, but references may represent an extension. Font size etc about like this (11), not denser.