If you’ve made sure your organization is ready for a consultant, and found one that is a good fit for your project  – congratulations! That’s half the challenge.

Now, in order to get the most out of the consultancy, you will need to build a strong partnership with your consultant.  The more you can orient and engage with the consultant, the better equipped they will be to deliver tailored and useful support.

Here are 5 steps you can take to ensure your consulting partnership is off to a strong and successful start.

1. Provide a project lead that can dedicate time to working with the consultant.

Identify a staff person who will be able to share necessary context and insight with the consultant as well as serve as the coordinator for gathering internal feedback. Ideally, this person will be able to provide feedback on deliverables and garner continued support from stakeholders for the project.

2. Share background information about your industry, organization, and the project.

Having this context helps the consultant develop a strong foundation for the project, and focus their energies on building upon existing evidence and lessons learned.  What is shared depends on the project but may include:

  • Organizational documents (strategic plans, branding guidelines, etc.)
  • Key communication materials (annual reports, program brochures, etc.)
  • Project documents (logic model, evaluation report, etc)
  • Other relevant research or reports on the issue or constituents

3. Schedule a project launch meeting with consultant and key staff.

It is critical to make sure the consultant, project lead, and other key staff are on the same page regarding expected roles, responsibilities, and outcomes. Carefully review milestones and deliverables, and agree on the process for working together and making decisions.  This can also be an opportunity to share background and context, including any considerations or limitations to keep in mind.

4. Develop a work plan that all stakeholders agree upon.

As a first order of business, your consultant should draft a work plan based on the launch meeting to be reviewed and approved by the project team and other key staff. This document should clearly articulate the project goals, outcomes, and deliverables as well as detail key tasks, roles, and timeline. While the timeline may need to be adjusted as the project gets underway, it is important to work closely with the consultant to develop a work plan that is realistic and meets your needs.

5. Communicate openly, honestly, and often.

Provide clear direction during the launch meeting and honest feedback on the work plan. Sharing any possible barriers or limitations up front will build trust, and help the consultant to better mitigate challenges and/or delays. Set a schedule for regular check-ins between the project lead and consultant to share progress updates and discuss any challenges.