Working With a Consultant

Hiring a strategic planning consultant may be a wise choice if your organisation is finding it difficult to develop, update or revise your organisation’s strategic plan. A consultant can assist in defining the process for updating your plan, help with research and consultations related to your plan, and work with you to define and capture your plan on paper. It’s important to understand, though, that a consultant can’t simply write your plan for you: even if you hire a consultant, creating a strategic plan will still require the effort and involvement of your organisation.

What are the advantages of hiring a strategic planning specialist?
• Consultants have done this before: A strategic planning specialist should have experience with a range of clients and strategic planning processes, and should bring experience in the processes required to successfully gather the information you need and assist in crafting your plan.
• Consultants can offer an alternative point of view or a fresh perspective: Someone who does not have an internal stake in organisational issues and questions can assist in evaluating challenges facing your organisation.
• Consultants can help you get tasks done more quickly, because you are paying them to devote focused hours to your project.

Before you hire a consultant:
• Develop a clear outline of the scope of work you want the consultant to undertake. What tasks do you want the consultant to take on? What are your timelines? What commitment are you making about the role of your organisation’s leadership in working with the consultant to complete the plan?
• Talk to other organisations that have undertaken similar work. What advice do they have? Can they recommend consultants with whom they worked?
• Ensure that your organisation is committed to doing the work. No consultant can write your plan for you. Your organisation needs to commit to completing the analysis and thinking that only you can do in order to craft your plan.

What should you look for in a strategic planning consultant?
IFEX can provide a specialist profile that lists the qualifications you may consider including in a posting or call for proposals as you seek a strategic planning specialist. (IFEX has similar profiles for Management & Operations Specialists, Financial Sustainability Specialists, Campaigns Strategy Specialists, Communications Strategy Specialists and Information Integrity & Digital Security Specialists.) In general, you should:
• Seek a specialist with experience assisting NGOs in developing strategic plans
• Ask the consultant for client references from organisations similar to yours—and be sure to check them
• Ensure that you are clear on fees and cost structure and have a signed contract in place before you begin to work together. Your contract should include a clause about the terms for exiting or terminating the contract if you are not happy with the work.
• Be sure the consultant is a good fit with your leadership team and your organisation. “Fit” can be hard to define, but consider things such as: Does your team work best with someone who has a very defined and clear step-by-step process, or do you need someone who is more flexible in their approach? Does the consultant appear to understand what your organisation does, and support the kind of work you are engaged in? Does the consultant have the cultural competency to work effectively and respectfully with your organisation and its stakeholders? Is the consultant able to address gender or other issues that may arise during consultations?