Working With Consultants:

When to Use Them and How to Get the Most Benefit From Them

by Anne W. Ackerson

In this article, I'm going to use the rather amorphous noun "consultant," which should be taken to mean any outside expertise, paid or volunteer, who your organization may call upon to assist you with some aspect of your operation. Consultants can serve as subject matter experts, group facilitators, or mentors. They can work with your organization on short or long-term needs or special projects.

There comes a time in every organization's life when a bit of objective analysis or special expertise can facilitate the work of a board, a committee, or staff. Sadly, many organizations don't reach out for help for fear of appearing vulnerable or direction-less, or for not knowing how and whom to ask for help. However, a well-timed visit by the right pair of outside eyes can bring tremendous benefits to an organization -- structure through renewed focus and process, new ideas and creative solutions, boosts to momentum, and overall rejuvenation.

On the other hand, a poorly timed intervention, or a poor choice of consultant, can be a real time-waster, if not a disaster. I don't know how many times I've heard a board or a staff lament, "We've been burned by consultants before." What does that mean? Upon closer examination, what that means is usually one or a combination of three things: 1) the consultant and the organization weren't a good match -- they didn't get along well; didn't understand one another; didn't listen to each other; 2) the organization hadn't clearly articulated to itself why it needed a consultant and, in turn, was unable to adequately communicate its needs to the consultant; and/or 3) there was no real organization support for bringing in a consultant -- it was being done simply to meet someone else's expectations.

So, how do you know when it might be the time to call in a consultant or facilitator? The time is ripe to call in outside help when a group

• has gotten stuck on some issue that keeps resurfacing without resolution, such as that strategic plan that hasn't been updated in five years, or whether to move to a larger building; 
• has an issue on the table that needs the benefit of a new perspective, such as a new program direction 
• needs to tackle a project, but does not have the expertise within the organization to do it, such as assistance with deaccessioning or exhibit design 
• has run out of steam and needs some reenergizing.

Consultants, whether it's the board president of another organization who's voluntarily talking to your board about leadership issues, or whether it's a person whose expertise you're paying for, will need first to be engaged in a discussion about your needs. Consultants are not clairvoyants. It's kind of like going to the doctor -- if you don't tell her where it hurts, she's going to have a hard time making you feel better. So, a little self-assessment before talking to a potential consultant is in order. The more you can pinpoint your need, the more likely you can find the right person with the best strategy to help.

Most consultants I know want to be approached well before they are formally hired. They welcome the chance to be a part of a collaborative process of diagnosing needs and providing solutions. If a consultant has an opportunity to design an intervention with a potential client, the intervention itself will be more tailored to your needs and more flexible than if the consultant is asked to implement someone else's design, or worse -- clean up a half-finished project designed and left by someone else! Plan on spending time talking with potential consultants about your needs as you perceive them and about how they would approach your situation.

Where do you find consultants? Treat the search for a consultant the way you would search for any professional employee. Ask around -- talk to other nonprofits, your regional service organizations, and funding organizations. Look in the publications of museum associations, such as AAM or AASLH, for articles written by consultants. The Internet has also become a vast source of information. As with most contractor-types, your best leads are referrals from others.

Ask consultants for a client list and a resume. Talk to those clients to find out how well a consultant worked out -- if project goals and deadlines were met, if the work was of quality, if the consultant was easy to work with.

Ask consultants for some samples of their work. Interview consultants face-to-face if you can, especially if you've got an involved and/or lengthy project ahead. You want to know that you can get along with this person and that they are listening to you.

Discuss fees up front. You will find that consultants charge on an hourly, daily, or fixed-fee basis. Understand what other billable expenses you will be obligated to pay, i.e., travel time, out-of-pocket expenses.

What you want to get from any potential consultant is a written proposal of how they are going to work with you to meet your needs. For projects where you're planning to ask numerous consultants to submit proposals, it's best that you prepare a written Request For Proposal (RFP). The RFP lays out the scope of your need, your desired result, your anticipated timeframes, pertinent information about your organization, and what you want the consultant to submit to you. An RFP insures that each consultant is preparing his/her proposal (and costs) on the same project specifications as the next consultant.

Once you've chosen a consultant, put an agreement in writing that outlines specific expectations, outcomes, and deadlines. Note to whom the consultant is responsible and the frequency of reporting contact. Outline also what your organization will do/provide to expedite the consultant's work. Address the issue of payment: lump sum, divided equally over a period of time, etc. If paying in lump sums, never pay any consultant his/her entire fee up front. Always reserve a portion of the fee for payment after satisfactory completion of the job. Also address the issue of termination. No matter the amount of preparation, sometimes consulting relationships just don't click. You and the consultant need to have an agreed upon mechanism to end a contract.

Written agreements provide the consultant with a sense that the organization is committed to a project; they also help to protect a consultant in case the organization is not.

A consultant experience is only as good as the time and energy an organization puts into the preparation for it. If an organization fails to define its needs, actively search for the right consultant, and provide organizational commitment to the consultant in terms of time and other resources, then the consulting process may yield poor results. Both the organization and the consultant will be soured by the other.

Consultants will be eager to work with you if they feel you have a handle on what you need or where you want to go your organization is committed to working collaboratively with them, to utilizing their expertise, and following through on their recommendations there is a defined plan of work that has been jointly created you have a track record for building productive relationships with consultants

If, after reading this, you are contemplating the use of a consultant, do some further research (especially if you've never used a consultant before). Talk with other organizations that have successfully used consultants and read some books and articles on the subject. To paraphrase an advertising slogan, "An informed consumer makes the best customer."

For Further Reading

Andringa, Robert C. and Engstrom, Ted W. Nonprofit Board Answer Book: Practical Guidelines for Board Members and Chief Executives. Washington: National Center for Nonprofit Boards. 1997. ISBN: 0-925299-80-4. $29.95. To order, call 202-452-6262.

Forsht, Nichol J. The Not So Mysterious Request for Proposal (RFP) Process, Federation Files, c1989. Federation of Historical Services (now the Museum Association of New York), 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180.

Managing Consultants and Contract Workers, In The Field, April, 1999. New York State Archives and Records Administration, Albany.

Munley, Mary Ellen and Kent, Frances Beth. Advice with Consent: Using Consultants, American Association of Museums Museum News, May/June, 1980.

About the Author

Anne W. Ackerson is the administrator of the Museum Association of New York and is also an independent consultant providing management, organizational development, and creative services to cultural institutions. She can be reached at 1914 Burdett Avenue, Troy, New York 12180; 518-271-2455.

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