How to Hire a Computer Consultant

How to Hire a Computer Consultant

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How to Hire a Computer Consultant

In today's business climate there are good odds that most companies will at some time or another hire external help in the form of a consultant. This article provides many tips on how to locate, hire and then work with consultants. While we will focus mainly on computer consultants, much of this information would apply to any type of consultant.

One of your first tasks,  if you're considering hiring a consultant, is to define your needs. Do you want to hire a consultant to develop software (be it a specific piece or an entire application)? Are you seeking strategic advice? Do you need to train your employees? Do you just need someone to assist with day-to-day operations?

Clarify your expectations 

 •   What work do you need to have accomplished?  Will there be a report, new system in place, a new person hired, etc.?
 •   What skills are required? - Do you need a facilitator, someone with specific technical skills, a generalist who can achieve agreement?
 •   Establish a project committee - They will scope out the work, develop an RFP, identify and screen potential consultants.
 •   Establish a time-frame - How much time will you allocate to this project? How quickly does it need it to be performed?
 •   Determine who will be responsible for the project - Who will be the lead contact  for the consultant, who will make decisions when they are required?
 •   Who will do the work?
 •   Who will be involved? How many staff members will be allocated to this project, and how will they be supervised?
 •   Resources - What resources will the consultant require? Who will provide them?

The Most Common Tasks That Consultants Undertake:

•  Diagnosis And Assessment - They'll identify your problems with you and state them.
•  Problem Solving - They'll suggest ways of solving your problems.
•  Research And Analysis - They'll investigate the trends, events, obstacles and opportunities affecting your organization's goals.
•  Training - They'll teach your board and staff essential skills.
•  Mediation - They'll help resolve disputes with or within your organization.
• Facilitation - They'll help set goals for an important meeting, such as an annual retreat or membership meeting, and lead group members through a series of structured steps to meet the goals.
• Contract Services - They'll contract with you to plan and execute high-skill tasks of limited duration.
• Systems Development - They'll devise reliable methods for conducting daily business or they may concentrate on providing the best available equipment to
  accomplish important tasks.
• Executive Search - They'll locate candidates to fill key staff positions.
• Organizational Process -They'll help identify and resolve problems in communication, personnel conflicts, and collaboration that hinder you from
  attaining your organizational goals.
• Planning - They'll work with the board/owner to devise and complete a strategy for the organization's future.
• Fund Development - They'll assist board and staff in developing strategies for fund-raising or in carrying out fund-raising plans.
• Board Development - They'll help you identify goals for your board, help you plan to recruit new members and train the board to meet their goals.

  In practice, consultants rarely take on just one of the tasks outlined here. A good consultant can and often will work on several fronts simultaneously and
  comfortably.
 

Preparing to Hire

After you've jotted down your expectations and identified what tasks you need a consultant to complete, you can begin searching for a candidate. When you advertise or go looking for bids, keep in mind that consultants can be hired as either contract workers or employees, often referred to respectively as 1099 or W-2 based on the IRS forms used to document their compensation. This type of hiring and the issues involved are well beyond the scope of this document,  probably even beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. You may wish to discuss this with your gallantly intelligent accountant (a must have for any business) or read the cryptic IRS document at http://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1099gi/index.html.

There are many places to locate a consultant. You can certainly resort to all the usual resources: yellow pages, newspaper and magazine ads, or online job sites. Be sure to look for a consultant or firm on a scale that matches your project. Large consulting firms probably won't be interested in your 2 day data-entry program. Be sure to explore other methods of finding a consultant as well. Word-of-mouth is a great way to find people, so talk with other business people that you trust or check with your local Chamber of Commerce.

After you've chosen some potential consultants, examine their web sites. Given the popularity of the world-wide web, it's pretty much unacceptable that a technical firm would not have a web site. More specifically, if you want to hire a firm to do web work, you will want to see the work they have done for themselves.This is usually available in their portfolio(for example: our portfolio).

Next, it's time to interview consultants. Depending upon the size of the firm, you may make your initial contact with a salesperson, recruiter,  or with the technical person directly. If you do initially contact a salesperson or recruiter, try to speak with the technical staff as soon as possible - the salesperson will generally not give you a good indication of the type of technical staff you'll be dealing with. Remember, hiring a consultant is similar to hiring an employee. You want to make your decision based on the people you'll be dealing with, not based on the sales or recruiting staff.

Set the Interview Process
    •   Decide who will initiate the interview by outlining the situation
    •   Develop a list of questions and decide who will ask them
    •   Define the process for evaluating consultants


During the Interview
    •   Begin by outlining the problem, then ask how the consultant would proceed. Review your objectives.
    •   If this is a consulting firm, ask if the presenters will be the ones doing the work.
    •   Ask the consultant what they expect of you and what you can expect of them.
    •   Evaluate the consultant's personality, chemistry and working style by observing:

  1. how well the consultant listens to what is being said
  2. what questions the consultant asks
  3. how well the consultant analyzes the situation
  4. what solutions are presented and how realistic they are.

When interviewing consultants you'll want to investigate what types of projects they have completed in the past. Any software developer should be able to demonstrate for you some programs that they have written. In addition to this, request a list of clients and/or references with whom you can speak. Many developers will tell you "I can't show you my software," or "I can't list my clients because they don't want it known they hired outside help." This is fairly common, and should be expected. However, unless you're trying to hire a software developer for your nuclear missile system, the consultant should be able to show two or three projects and provide several references. Very few consultants have a completely confidential client list, and you should be suspicious of anyone who will not provide references. This is another spot where your own friend and colleague network can be very helpful in getting information about a consultant.

Once you've constrained your scope of consultants, you may want to do a competitive bid for your project. In order to do this, you'll have to specify your project in appropriate detail. You may need to work with one or more consultants to get this specification done. Conversely, you may wish to just hire one consultant to do the specification as the first phase of a multi-phase project. While it will generally cost you some money to get the specification done, the time and effort saved in avoiding later mistakes will be well worth it. Your consultant will generally offer either a flat-rate bid for the project, or an hourly rate with an estimate of hours required. It's important to nail down these details before getting into the project. It's equally important to determine who will own the product(s) upon completion. If you're developing a program to automate a key business process, you'll probably want to ensure that the consultant does not sell it to a competitor. This ownership will probably be affected by the Works Made for Hire section of the 1976 Copyright Act, which you can find online at http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ09.pdf.

 

Discuss fee estimates and project time-lines.
Be sure you and the consultant agree on the type of interim materials you will be expecting. You'll want to get a commitment to staying on track with the project and proof the work was effective. These terms should be specified in the agreement. Once you have conducted all your interviews and made your choice of consultants, you will want to write a letter of agreement. This letter should list the following:
    •   Services to be provided by the consultant;
    •   Specific reports or presentations that are anticipated;
    •   The beginning and estimated ending date of project;
    •   The fee for the service and hourly rate;
    •   Whether a retainer is to be paid, and balance due to the consultant.
    •   Have both the director and the consultant sign the letter.
    •   As you begin working with the consultant, be sure that you agree upon the
        objectives of the project and the method of evaluation to be used at its
        completion. Allow for change in the approach if necessary.

Formalize the Consultant Arrangement
    •   Seek a project proposal or outline. This should include the expectations of work  due and fees expected.
    •   Expect that agreement on price will take negotiating.
    •   For short-term projects (a few days), write a Letter of Agreement
                  •   This describes the work to be accomplished.
                  •   Records the expected date of completion.
                  •   Details fees and how they will be paid.

For long-term projects, a formal Contract is recommended. This protects both parties from the common complaints of cost overruns and missed deadlines. This should include:
    •   Work plan: Tasks to be completed, outcomes expected, timetables
    •   Fees: Hourly/ or daily rate. Billing monthly/ on completion/ or retainer basis. Determine type of invoice required.
    •   Direct costs: Determine how to bill travel, long-distance phone and fax, subcontracted services.
    •   Workplace: Where will the consultant work? What administrative support,  equipment, supplies are expected?
    •   Contract dates: Define when contract begins and ends. Consider how time-line will be amended or extended.
    •   Termination clause: Under what conditions does one or both parties walk away
        from the work before completion? Notification may be 30-days, 60-days or less. If
        disputes arise, arbitration may be needed.
    •   Rights to data: If proprietary information is collected, determine conditions under
        which data can be used and who has access once work is completed. If
        confidentiality is involved, consultant must be informed.
    •   Assuming your staff is committed to making a positive change, the consultant
        should be able to effect permanent improvement in your organization.
 

This has been an extremely short introduction to some of the issues involved in hiring a software developer. We encourage you to contact us if you'd like more information. Listed below are some other resources that can provide additional information.

Resources

Last Updated on Saturday, 11 July 2009 22:32 Written by Administrator Thursday, 30 October 2008 00:57
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