What is a consultant? ___A consultant is an individual (or, occasionally, 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 might have knowledge relating to an issue (theoretical, experiential, or both), knowledge of a process (usually both theoretical and experiential), or a specific skill. Why might you serve as a consultant? You might serve as a consultant… ___To facilitate a particular intervention or initiative. ___To benefit or have a positive impact on a population you serve or are concerned with. ___To nurture an organization that will provide a needed service to the community. ___To cement relationships with other organizations, and encourage collaboration rather than competition among health, human service, and community workers. ___To gain recognition and credibility for your organization, or establish it as an “expert” in the field. ___To earn needed money for your organization. ___To help solve a longstanding community problem. Who might serve as a consultant? ___Current or former program directors or other staffers who have direct experience with an issue, with a population, or with organizational design, development, and management. ___Current or former local or state officials, legislators, and others who’ve dealt with issues from the policy standpoint. ___Community activists. ___Advocates. ___Members of the target community or population. ___Academics – including students – who work on a particular issue or process. ___People with organizational and process skills – counselors, mediators, social workers, psychologists, etc. When might you serve as a consultant? You might be asked to serve as a consultant… ___At the beginning of something new. ___When an organization or group is having a problem. ___When the community sets out to tackle an issue you’ve been working on. ___When you see an opportunity to help, and believe you have the knowledge, expertise, and skills to do so. ___When your acting as a consultant would clearly benefit the population you care about, or add to the credibility and reputation of your organization. ___When you’re asked. How do you serve as a consultant? ___You define your role as Advisor Facilitator Expert Specialist Trainer ___You define your relationship with the group you’re working with. ___You do your homework, learning all you can about: The organization or group you’re working with The community The issue at hand ___You tailor your guidance or work to the organization or community you’re working with. Adjust your style, your suggestions, your guidance, etc. to what people will accept. Take the group’s unique circumstances into account. Examine the issue at hand in relation to the particular group, organization, or community you’re working with. Pay attention to the potential consequences of any advice, action, process, etc. that you propose. Be flexible. Keep your eye on the long term. Institutionalize your work.
