When I meet with a prospective client they are assessing me as a consultant but I am also evaluating them as an organization. Just as the client wants to get the best possible results for their money, I want to be assured of the success of the project. I want the job to be a good experience and, selfishly, I want the product to reflect well on my work. The trick is that it’s not always possible to tell whether the organization will stand up to the initial judgment. Sometimes the strengths of the Executive Director belie faults in the infrastructure, or the first impression of the staff capability is miscalculated, or the Staff and Board might unknowingly give exaggerated assurances of the agency’s competence.

It is in an organization’s best interest to undertake a careful self-examination when considering embarking on a project that requires outside expertise. Before retaining a consultant, the nonprofit’s executive staff should be carefully assessing whether they have the in-house capability to carry out the proposed work and implement the resulting product. Here are some illustrations of this point.

Board Development

A board development project normally requires establishing a nominating committee and going through a procedure of identifying likely board candidates. Although this is a group process, it requires follow-up by the Executive Director and Board members. They ultimately need to do the required networking – meetings, lunches, interviews – that contributes to the decision making. The consultant facilitates the project but if the Executive Director or the Board members cannot perform the required follow-up work the consulting assignment will end with the organization having a list of candidates while the board’s development remains in limbo.

Planning

Any planning work, strategic or programmatic, requires an implementation phase. It is imperative that this stage be factored into the process. Whether or not there is enough staff is less important than their capabilities when it comes to implementation. Any good plan will take into account the number of staff and, if necessary, growing the staff, but the organization is reliant on the ability of their employees to successfully bring the project to fruition. A successful plan should factor in the consultant remaining with the project through the implementation stage.

Development Work

It is important for in-house staff, preferably executive staff, to know how to write a good grant proposal even if they are delegating that responsibility. Whether a development officer on staff or a consultant is writing the proposal, the Executive Director is still the person signing off on the document and ultimately bears responsibility for it. Program and executive staff can often inject the passion and commitment that makes the difference in producing a winning proposal. Agencies that can not afford a development staff person often resort to an outside consultant. Depending upon the situation, this can be an expensive option. Sometimes the better course is to have a consultant who can research foundations that fund in the appropriate program areas and draft templates that can be used for multiple funding submissions. In either of these cases, the consultant’s efforts are wasted unless there is a competent person on staff who understands how to use this information – package the cover letters and proposals for submission to funders, meet deadlines – and do the work competently.

Hints for How to Avoid the Pitfalls

1. Design a careful request for proposals (RFP) with realistic goals for the project. The RFP requires thinking through what you want in a consultant and what you need to accomplish the project. Ask respondents to include their estimation of staffing and infrastructure needs that would have to be in place to successfully implement the program.
2. See if the RFP responds to the project while also tailoring it to fit your organization. Make sure the proposal covers implementation.
3. During the interviews with candidates frankly discuss how they see the project being implemented and how they would suggest overcoming potential obstacles. Ask for advice on how the project might have to be modified to address implementation concerns.
4. Make sure you are comfortable with the consultant so that you can discuss your concerns or, in turn, the consultant will be honest with you about possible limitations that hinder the successful completion of the project.