What is a consultant?
___A consultant is an individual (or, sometimes, a group or organization) that brings experience and expertise about an issue or process to an initiative, organization, group, government entity, or community.
A consultant may provide:
___Knowledge of an issue.
___Knowledge of a process.
___Specific skills.
___Objectivity.
Why might you seek a consultant?
___To solve a problem you can’t solve on your own.
___To facilitate a process.
___To bring specific knowledge or theory to your work.
___To borrow skills your organization doesn’t have.
___To carry out a specific, often time-limited task.
___To mediate a dispute or a difficult situation.
___To bring a fresh, unbiased perspective to the organization.
When might you seek a consultant?
___When you’re about to start something new.
___When you’re in a transition period.
___When there’s a serious problem.
___When there’s a need for more organizational structure, but you don’t know how to go about planning for or implementing it.
___When you don’t have the in-house capacity to perform a necessary task or process.
___When you need an outside evaluator.
Whom might you ask to be a consultant?
___Professional consultants
___Academics and researchers
___Former public officials
___Current or former staff or directors of organizations that deal with your issue
___People with specific professional skills
___People affected by the issue you’re working with
___People with specific cultural expertise
How do you choose a consultant?
___Define clearly what you want done.
___Determine the skills and knowledge the consultant will need to do the job.
___Determine the personal characteristics the consultant will need to work well with your organization.
___Determine what you can afford.
___Recruit candidates.
___Screen, interview, and choose among applicants.
___Evaluate the consultant’s work and its results.