This 61 page manual explains how to choose an outside consultant or business advisor. Including writing the consultancy brief or tender and making sure you have included all the necessary information and requirements, the procedure to follow to select the right consultancy firm, the right questions to ask and how to avoid the less obvious pitfalls.

Contents include:

• Introduction: what intending users of consultancy services should know, the selection plan;
• Consultant selection process flowchart;
• The consultant’s role, key issues, large firms vs small firms, why failures occur;
• Is there a need to engage a consultant? 15-item checklist;
• How to write a consultancy brief or tender; 11 essential elements, 19-item checklist;
• How to find appropriate consultants and generate project proposals, options;
• How to establish a Consultants' Register, register forms template; 8-item checklist.
• How to evaluate proposals: rating, the page-limited method of screening;
• 45-item proposal consultant evaluation checklist;
• Conducting the interview and making the final selection, do’s and don’ts for the interview panel, making the decision, feedback, 14-item checklist;
• Finalising the contract and managing the project;
• Consultant performance evaluation template; and
• 39-item performance evaluation checklist.