Hiring outside consultants to do short-term projects is common in business. More and more frequently, as in-house resources become scarcer and impartiality is required, organizations and municipalities are turning to consultants to get the job done.Hiring a consultant for the first time can be a little intimidating. This Factsheet provides basic information that will help your organization or municipality make the best use of consultants.

Consultants generally specialize in a particular area. They may be good at solving problems or doing research or exploring alternatives. Consultants usually work on contract, they sell their knowledge or services for a fee. Professional consultants can bring new ideas to community projects, and your organization or community can often learn from working with them.

Addressing this question sets the stage for determining the terms of reference and helps your organization or municipality clearly state what needs to be done. Only when this is accomplished can you proceed.

Before hiring a consultant, ask yourself if you can do it yourself, or if other help is available?

Choosing The Best Consultant: Leaders in the community, project supervisors, and citizens could serve on a selection committee.

The terms of reference is a short description of the project and what you want produced. The terms help explain your project to the consultant and keep things on target. They also help the consultant estimate the cost of doing the work.

A properly written contract clearly states who is responsible for what and helps prevent unpleasant surprises for both the client and the consultant. When you and the consultant sign a contract, you're both part of a legal agreement. If either party feels at some point that the other hasn’t complied with the terms of the contract, each can turn to the legal system to set things right.

One of the keys to getting the right consultant to do a job that's right for your community is to work as equal partners. The important thing to remember is that you can't hire a consultant to come in and tell you what you need. You can't walk away when the consultant arrives and expect that he or she will solve all your problems. Hiring a consultant means consultation. You consult with each other.

When the consultant has finished his/her work for you, it is very useful to review the whole experience. Look at both the accomplishments and problem areas.

Choose consultants carefully and you’ll usually get the kind of end result you need. Always say exactly what you want. Supervise the work performed. Be demanding — but fair — about the final product you accept.