Consultants are made , not born.

Selecting a Consultant

Consultants are made , not born. the ability to become a consultant, particularly in sophisticated fields, comes with expertise, one thing that you simply will solely gain only with time. This expertise not solely establishes individuals as consultants, it conjointly offers them ability to charge a premium for his or her services, says Larry G. Nelson Sr. of Horatio Nelson analysis, a innovation member of the IEEE Consultants Network.
I have been reading number of books and sites on consulting and found very interesting that many don't know how to select a consultant, I am trying to put what all I read and learned in very simple format for people to take advantage of my learning.

Experts can be to a great degree supportive to your association as it moves along the way to more prominent way by helping you arrange, oversee, and execute your comprehensiveness activity.

They can:
Furnish you with the knowledge that originates from their past encounters and help you evade a few missteps.
Offer significant outer viewpoints that may help you when you feel that you aren't making as much advance as you would like. An outside gathering regularly supplies a viewpoint on an association's flow that can be hard to see or comprehend from within.
Help arrange contrasts of sentiment between parts of the governing body and the staff and/or volunteers with respect to bearings the activity could take.
Bail bring out the voices of individuals with less power inside the association. These people may have important sentiments that are not effectively heard by the senior administration and/or parts of the governing body.

There likewise are alerts in utilizing experts:
One slip-up that associations regularly make is that they anticipate that specialists will lead and own the methodology of the association's voyage to comprehensiveness. On the off chance that an association's inward stakeholders don't feel in charge of guaranteeing the achievement of the comprehensiveness activity, the result of the activity can be genuinely endangered.
Moreover, specialists must be adaptable and react to the individual needs of diverse associations. On the off chance that you employ a specialist who is not versatile and does not comprehend your association, you can squander significant time, vitality, and cash taking after their plan rather than the motivation that is a good fit for your association.

Part of a Consultant

The Consultants essential part is to support your association with specific ranges of your comprehensiveness work. While the Consultant may go about as a teacher, an impetus for deeper change, an asset, or a facilitator, the administration of the methodology stays inside your association. The Inclusiveness Committee, staff, board parts, and official chief have the force, and the more prominent obligation, to lead the methodology of getting to be more comprehensive.
There are for the most part four classes of work for which you may need to contract the administrations of a specialist or a counselling group:
1. General Guidance: The specialist lives up to expectations with the Inclusiveness Committee all through the comprehensiveness activity to arrange and execute the activity and goes about as a gathering or procedure facilitator.
2. Data Gathering: The Consultant outlines and accumulates information amid the data social occasion stage. Consultant can be especially valuable in gathering subjective information through meetings and center gatherings, since their impartial position with the association can prompt more genuine reactions from inward and outside stakeholders.

3. Cultural Competency/Diversity Training:
The consultant conducts diversity/inclusiveness trainings to create a more inclusive culture and help stakeholders become more aware of how the organization may be creating an unwelcome atmosphere for diverse communities. In this instance, you may want to use one consultant or a consulting team for all of the trainings or you may wish to bring in content specialists for different trainings and use an "integrating facilitator." An integrating facilitator works with you throughout your process, helping to provide continuity between trainings.
4. Assessment: The expert makes an assessment plan to quantify the adequacy of trainings and advancement of your comprehensiveness activity.
After surveying suggestions made because of your Request for Proposals (RFP), and arranging with the expert you choose, you may need to modify the part you have characterized for your consultants.
The part that your expert plays can be a mix of the above, or only one - it relies on upon your association's necessities and the consultant that you choose. Consultants may be gotten for day-long sessions, for different trainings, or to help you with specific themes. The time you go through with your consultant - on the off chance that you enlist one - and the work the specialist does, rely on your association's particular needs and plan.

Complete Determining Whether or Not to Hire a Consultant.

In the event that you choose to contract an consultant or counselling group, proceed underneath.
In the event that you choose not to contract an consultant, avoid whatever is left of this point.

Capabilities of a Consultant
The qualities, capabilities, and encounters your association will require in an consultant may incorporate solid relational abilities, broad involvement with various division, and an exhaustive information of particular groups of colour that live and work in your working range. Selecting an consultant obliges discovering the right fit with your association's specific needs, style, and objectives. An consultant who meets expectations extremely well with one association may not have the right style or assets to function too with an alternate association.
Consider both quantitative and subjective results that you might want to have from your work with your specialist. What will an effective association with an consultant look like for your organization? What particular undertakings need to be finished? What results do you hope to see? What words would you use to depict the way of a perfect working association with an expert? Having an examination with your Inclusiveness Committee about these ranges will help you characterize the qualities and capabilities your association needs in an expert.

Complete Determining Whether or Not to Hire a Consultant.
If you decide to hire a consultant or consulting team, continue below.
If you decide not to hire a consultant, skip the rest of this topic.

Qualifications of a Consultant

The qualities, qualifications, and experiences your organization will need in a consultant might include strong communication skills, extensive experience with the non-profit sector, and a thorough knowledge of specific communities of colour that live and work in your operating area. Selecting a consultant requires finding the right fit with your organization's particular needs, style, and goals. A consultant who works very well with one organization might not have the right style or resources to work as well with another organization.
Consider both quantitative and qualitative outcomes that you would like to have from your work with your consultant. What will a successful relationship with a consultant look like for your organization? What specific tasks need to be completed? What results do you expect to see? What words would you use to describe the nature of an ideal working relationship with a consultant? Having a discussion with your Inclusiveness Committee about these areas will help you define the qualities and qualifications your organization needs in a consultant.

Complete Identifying the Roles and Qualifications of a Consultant.

Roles Instructions
Select the roles that you would like your consultant to play:
_____ Overall Guidance: Working with the Inclusiveness Committee throughout the inclusiveness initiative to plan and execute the initiative.
_____ Information Gathering: Designing strategies and gathering data during the information-gathering phase.
_____ Inclusiveness Training: Conducting trainings to create a more inclusive organizational culture.
_____ Evaluation: Creating an evaluation plan to measure efficacy of trainings and progress of inclusiveness initiative.
_____ Other

Qualities and Qualifications Instructions

Listed below are qualities and qualifications to consider when selecting a consultant. Select those that you would like your consultant to have and brainstorm additional qualities and qualifications as necessary. You may also find it useful to define these qualities for the purposes of your organization.
Flexible

1. Effective as a facilitator
2. Knowledgeable about assessment and evaluation
3. Knowledgeable about the non-profit sector
4. Experienced (You may wish to include a specific number of years in the field.)
5. Knowledgeable about diverse communities (You may wish to specify communities that your organization serves, communities that you are interested in reaching out to and serving, or specific languages spoken.) 

Access to and knowledge of inclusiveness resources (You may wish to specify the types of resources of most use to your organization.)

1. Organized ___ Timely ___Efficient ___Patient
2. Strong communication skills
3. Able to work with our time schedule
4. Experienced and effective meeting facilitator
5. Experienced and effective process facilitator
6. Strong people skills
7. Will work within our budget (Rs_____)
8. Other_____________________

Consultants are available from various sources, from the software vendor, hardware vendor, service provider and independent consultants. If you think the consultants are free from the software vendor, hardware vendor, service provider you will be proven wrong soon and will end up paying more in short or long run. such consultants have better insight of their own products hence they will be inclined naturally and logically to present their products in better light rather than a holistic approach with your interest in mind, he will make all ways to satisfy his interest first than yours that’s because he is paid of it , this makes the my earlier point clear. 

In case of independent consultants, I mean who are really neutral then things will be very favourable to you in many ways. so follow the above selection process of consultant selection. Go by reference, known person or some other source. but selects based on your needs, your logical and instincts.