Using Consultants

Choosing & Using a Consultant - Selection

If you are only expecting a consultancy to last no more than a couple of days, there may be an understandable resistance for consultants to give up half to a whole day attending competitive interviews. However, a protracted consultancy in which you will be investing considerable resources will merit a selection process that requires much more than reading tender documents.

Some consultants will produce tenders that may not be within your original time scale or budget. However, there is rarely a more fluid item than a consultant's fee structure.

When the tenders are in, you will be able to form a shortlist of organisations / individuals to undertake the work or to invite to interview. The Shortlist should not be longer than three or four for everybody's sake. If you do 'interview', remember that this is a two-way process. As with making any staff appointment it makes the absolute soundest sense to ensure best equal opportunities practice. In selecting consultants you really should be making sure you get the best person / people for the job.

Note: Before making the final decision, you and the prospective consultant should always meet (again) face to face. Only then will both sides be able to be reasonably sure that they can have a successful working partnership. Check that the people that you are meeting are the actual people who will be doing the work.

IF THIS MEETING IS LIKELY TO BE REGARDED AS AN INITIAL CONSULTATION, THEN YOU MUST CHECK BEFOREHAND WHAT COSTS ( IF ANY) YOU WILL INCUR.

At the interview:

Prepare a list of questions in advance, and make sure that the prospective consultants are aware of the criteria for selection.

Whether by telephone or in person, there are lots of questions you may ask.

These might include:

• What kind of work have you done before?
• What kind of approach do you take?
• What are your relevant skills?
• What values or principles underpin your work?
• How do you demonstrate your commitment to the equality of opportunity?
• What are your fees for this type of work? Do you charge VAT?
• What additional costs do you anticipate as expenses?
• Do you charge for your initial consultation? What about travel (time and direct expenses)? (See above, as this may already be the initial consultation!)
• Are you available during the time scale/on the dates required?
• Can you provide further information about yourself?
• Can you provide referees for similar work you have done?
• Why are you interested in doing this work?
• How have you gone about telling clients things they don't want to hear?
• Can you give examples of difficult, complex sensitive issues you have dealt with (without betraying confidences!)?

Your prospective consultant should be interested and will ask questions concerning your organisation and the brief. The meeting is a chance for you to discuss the details of your needs and how they might be addressed; skills costs, time involved. It is also your chance to assess the consultant's suitability, their general approach, skills and integrity. Note also the quality of their written materials / presentations.

If the contract is large, the written tender itself may be the subject of further negotiation. If it is small, you may now have all the information you require to make a decision.

Remember, unlike a member of your staff, your relationship with your consultant may be based on contrasting attitudes in order to challenge existing presumptions and organisational paradigms.

Fees & Expenses

It is always a good idea to ask consultants to detail their fee structure in their tenders. For example consultant A may charge £200 per day including report writing / background research etc. and quote ten days for a piece of work, consultant B may charge £400 per day but quoted just five days for the same piece of work. Always check VAT status.

At interview or first face to face meeting stage you should clear up any questions about fees, and establish who will be responsible for what. MAKE SURE THE DECISION(S) ARE PUT IN WRITING.

The fees you decide upon may cover some or all of the expected expenses the consultant(s) may incur.

• Travel
• Postage / stationary
• Telephone costs
• Photocopying
• Overnight accommodation
• Training expenses (inc. venue hire / catering etc.)
• Office accommodation
• Meals
• Printing (reports etc.)
• Meeting room hire

As a rule it is better to state what you will pay for, excluding other items, rather than to state what you will or will not pay for which runs the risk of omitting something.

Self Employment

You must be absolutely clear that consultants are not your employees. They must be responsible for their own tax and National Insurance arrangements. Seek advice from an accountant or the Inland Revenue especially if the consultancy will cover a large time span. Ask consultants to quote their Schedule D number on all invoices.

The Contract

No matter how short or long the consultancy is expected to last, you should always put the major points of agreement in writing with the people appointed. If the time span for the work is protracted, you may consider introducing a trial period and review stage (with clear expectations from both partners to the agreement).

The brief you originally prepared for the work should form the major part of the agreement contract, including any details and changes you later agreed with the consultant(s) you appointed.

• Names of client and consultant
• Key dates (including conclusion of the work)
• Amount of contact time with named people / organisations
• The nature and number of copies of reports etc. – including ownership of copyright
• Confidentiality clause (if appropriate)
• Skills to be imparted
• Expenses
• Fees and payment schedule (including VAT details) limits and milestones.
• Details for monitoring progress (dates and nature of review meetings etc.)
• Evaluation methodology – what will make it a good job?
• Who the main point of contact in both client organisation and consultant is and the authority they have.

Work References

Always take up References.

Consultants are asked to provide their two most recent pieces of work or clients and update the register on an ongoing basis. It may be worth contacting these clients in addition to the referees supplied. Organisations may not wish to discuss their confidential affairs with a stranger, but like a job reference, you should be able to find out what the consultant did, the methods they used, how they worked with the people concerned etc.

If you notice that consultants have not undertaken any work within the last six months or so, you may wish to ask them why?