Tips for getting consultation right

I came across a good, concise summary of  tips for sucessesful consulting in the September issue of Update. Although the article is  aimed at librarians,  the tips may be of use to the many Mikronettes who either do consulting work or make use of consultants.

I will select  only a few of the tips:

“Be clear on why you are consulting – set your objectives and strategy first and know what you plan to do with the results”. 

“Clarify who needs to be involved in any given piece of consultation both inside and outside the authority”.

“Clarify what is on offer – (what) information to inform, later consultation, a veto on decisions etc.”

“Ensure that the research and consultation being carried out uses robust, appropriate and cost-effective methods.”

All common sense advice, but worth setting out clearly for any given project.