7 key considerations for engaging a consultant

Regardless of whether you hire us or someone else, here are some key considerations that start your project off on the right foot.

1. Budget

Is there a budget for this project? If not, or if you don’t know, have a chat with your finance folks and see if there are any financial barriers or constraints to the project.

2. Procurement

Some organisations have very complex and lengthy procurement processes, especially for big ticket items. It pays to find out whether you need multiple proposals for a competitive tender process (and if so, what the decision-making parameters are), whether there are any specific requirements for the proposal or vendors and how long the procurement process takes. We’ve seen this take months and months, and it puts our availability in jeopardy.

3. Decision-makers

Do you have the authority to scope projects, hire consultants, execute agreements and organise payment? If not, have a chat with those folks and get them on board early.

4. Scope

Have a think about the boundaries of the project, and how far and wide we might need to cast our nets to get the job done. This informs timelines and cost.

5. Timelines

It’s really helpful if you can estimate how long the admin processes will take when you’re planning your project timelines. Often, we see clients who want to get started ASAP, but contracts etc take weeks depending on your procurement processes. Understanding your internal processes will better inform your expectations and planning.

6. Deliverables

What do you need out of this project? For reviews, will our standard summary report be suitable for public release or do you plan to release the full report? Do you expect collateral (handouts, slides, etc)?

7. Capacity

Being the point person, or review client, can be a big workload on top of your regular duties. Have a think about how much capacity you have to accommodate the project, whether you can recruit anyone else to the cause and when you can best accommodate this increase in workload.

Don’t panic if you don’t have all this in hand. We meet you where you’re at and go from there - together.