If the consultancy is going to be very short it is unlikely that a Consultant will be prepared to attend an interview. However, if it is going to be a longer term relationship you should arrange to meet with the Consultant before making a financial decision.

We may produce a proposal that doesn’t meet your time scale or budget, but we are always willing to negotiate.

In selecting a Consultant you should be confident that you have the best person/people for the job. You must be confident that you can have a successful working partnership.

There are a number of questions you should ask the Consultant, these could include:

• What similar work have you done before?
• What experience and skills do you have?
• What are your fees and do you charge VAT?
• Are there likely to be any additional costs involved?
• Do you charge for an initial consultation?
• Are you available on the dates required?
• Can you provide references?
• Why are you interested in doing this work?

It is important that the Consultant is interested in the project and should ask questions about the organisation and the brief.