External Consultants: Your New Best Friends? Dr Simon N Davey Managing Associate Preponderate.network

We ’ d love to … but we don ’ t have time …  "Here comes Edward Bear now, down the stairs behind Christopher Robin. Bump! Bump! Bump! on the back of his head. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming down stairs. He is sure that there must be a better way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment to think of it. “ – A.A.Milne

What is an external consultant?  They work for someone else  They have an ‘ outside ’ view  They tell it like it is  They earned the right to be called a ‘ consultant ’

Why use external consultants?  Experts in specific issues  Previous experience  Different perspective  NOT Someone to blame when it goes wrong

What makes a good external consultant?  Empathy  Experience  Expertise  Credibility  Someone you feel comfortable with

The Trusted Advisor  Evidence of competence  Evidence of experience  Evidence of interest in you and your organisation  A good attitude towards work (professional and friendly) “ Olu fast became a friend and trusted advisor ”

Where do you find good consultants  Recommendations from people you trust  ‘ Trusted ’ directories e.g. NCVO  Recommendations from organisations/media you trust  Making contributions to groups/charities/issues  NOT usually out of the phone book  Consultants are like children – don ’ t get one in a hurry

How do you select a consultant  Take recommendations and do background research  Make shortlist of candidates  Invite them to ‘ tender ’ (they ’ ll need a good brief)  Interview the strongest candidates  Decide which ones ‘ fit the bill ’ (group decision)  Agree a workplan/fee structure  Sign on the dotted line

How do you get the best out of them ?  Know what you want  Brief them well (provide as much detail as possible)  Agree the project in writing  Communicate well – be honest, constructive and easily contactable  Don ’ t be defensive if you hear something you don ’ t like  Hold review meetings and keep an eye on progress  Don ’ t interfere!

Telling them what you want  Agree with colleagues/management that this is what you really want  Agree tangible deliverables  Brief the consultant (a good consultant will shy away from something he/she cannot do)  Badly briefed consultants fail regardless of ability/effort  Keep in close contact with the consultant during the project  Never, ever, ignore your consultant ’ s questions!

Bite Sized Chunks  Keep it simple  Start small and work up  Don ’ t expect a new consultant to know your needs overnight  Get success in early (use staged targets)  Break the project into bite sized chunks

It ’ s a Partnership  Menage a trois  You, them and the project  Take responsibility

Issue Management  If you don ’ t like them, don ’ t hire them  If you don ’ t trust them, don ’ t hire them  If they mess up once, work it out  If they keep messing up, sack them  “ Nearly finished ” x3 = “ we don ’ t have a clue what we ’ re doing ”  Always have a back up plan

But you ’ re only a charity  Beware the ‘ favour ’  (Some) consultants do have heart  What effect will a ‘ discount ’ have on service?  Get someone with experience of the sector  Don ’ t mix volunteering and paid consultancy with same consultant

Beware The Wonder Consultant  No one is perfect  No one knows everything  Cheap isn ’ t better  Good consultants rarely give it away

Beware the Gifted Amateur  What have they done before?  Who have they done it with?  Is this sufficiently similar to this job?  Do they have the time and resources to do the job?  Are they credible?  If you ’ re worried now, you ’ ll be petrified later

Good Projects Sometimes Fail Anyway  IT projects rarely work to expectations  Successful IT projects are a result of technical, strategic, management and partnership excellence  You get back what you put in  You can never guarantee success

Case Study: Success  Good brief with tangible, understood, deliverables  Well chosen consultant with good skills match  Effective partnership from first meeting  Close working relationship  Effective issue management  SUCCESSFUL project

Case Study: Failure  Good brief with tangible but misunderstood deliverables  Well chosen consultant with good skills match  Partnership good at first but breaking down  Arms length working relationship  Scope creep  Miscommunication around issue management  FAILED project

How to make every project fail  Forget the brief and just get on with it  Don ’ t tell them what you want and why  Pick the cheapest person for the job  Demand it ’ s done in half the time it should take

Why do Consultants Mess Up  Overcomplicated projects  Bad management/communication  Mismatch of expectations  Bad day at the office  Maybe they weren ’ t so great anyway

Fitting square pegs into round holes  Don ’ t ask Jonny Wilkinson to win a penalty shootout in the FOOTBALL World Cup

Q&A  Why/what can ’ t you do yourself?  What are external consultants good for?  Aren ’ t they all profiteers?  Experiences …

Preponderate.network  "A network of consultants and professional firms providing complete project solutions to businesses, charities and the public sector whilst supporting the local communities in which they work."  Dr Simon N Davey  Managing Associate  E: - T: