Guidelines for Choosing the Right Consultant   Organizational Needs Assessment    Guidelines for Choosing the Right Consultant Consider: For what tasks will the consultant be responsible? What skills are required of the consultant? What authority will the consultant be given? To whom, how, and how often will the consultant report? What experience with these tasks does the consultant have? Is the consultant’s experience of sufficient quality and quantity to ensure successful completion of the task(s)? How well does the consultant listen? Does the consultant help you balance the big picture with day-to-day operations? Does the consultant respect the skills, experience and history of your organization and the people in it? How flexible is the consultant? What specialized training does the consultant have in the field? What previous experience does the consultant have with nonprofit organizations? What kind of reputation does the consultant have? Does the consultant have the time and interest to devote to your project(s)? Does the consultant have the appropriate resources to complete the project(s) successfully and on time? Does the consultant’s image and style fit the norms of the organization? How does the consultant get along with all those in the organization with whom she or he will have to interact? Does the consultant contribute to the field by writing or presenting papers on new trends, issues or approaches related to the task at hand? Does the consultant keep up with changes in the field through membership in professional associations? Go to Top of the Page Organizational Needs Assessment If you are hiring a consultant he or she will want the answers to several important questions. You might try answering them off the clock! What is the organization’s mission?   What is the organization’s vision?   What issues, concerns, problems, promises do you feel need to be addressed?   Why do you feel they need to be addressed? What indicators of these issues, concerns, problems, promises are you seeing?   What is the significance of these issues, concerns, problems, promises? Why are they important? What external environmental factors are affecting these issues, concerns, problems, promises? (e.g. demographics, government, economy)   What is the mood/feelings of the a) Staff? b) Board? c) Volunteers? d) Clients? e) Community leaders?   What are the expectations of the a) Staff? b) Board? c) Volunteers? d) Clients? e) Community leaders?   When did you first feel something needed to be done differently? What made you arrive at that conclusion?   If you don’t make changes, what is likely to happen?   How will things be different if your ideal is achieved? What is your picture of the ideal situation?   How will you know when you’ve achieved the ideal situation? Can you list objective criteria that will complete the sentence, "I’ll know my goal has been reached when..."? What will happen within the organization once you’ve achieved your goal? Outside the organization?   How will the changes you anticipate bring you closer to achieving your mission? Your vision?   If you have an idea of what actions need to be taken, what are they?   Can you prioritize those action steps?   If achieving your ideal is impossible, what level of achievement will you accept?   How will your ideal situation fit your desired image?   How would you express your organization’s values?   Who are the decision makers in the organization?   Who from the organization has the historical perspective to provide helpful information?   What is your time frame?   What resources (people and money) are you committing to this project?   What organizational constraints, norms, "givens" must be respected in looking for solutions?   Why does the organization consider these constraints, norms, "givens" as absolute?   On a scale of 1 - 10, how motivated to making necessary changes are the a) Staff? b) Board? c) Volunteers? d) Clients? e) Community leaders?   On a scale of 1 - 10, how aware of the organizational vision are the a) Staff? b) Board? c) Volunteers? d) Clients? e) Community leaders?   What do you hope/expect the consultant to do for you? To help you do?   What made you pick up the phone today? Go to Top of the Page

   
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