Event Details

Consultants are regularly used by research organisations and by funders. The complexity and shifting political and legal demands placed on higher education, the development of new technologies, the constraints on capacity, and the impact of major global events have all seen universities seek short-term specialist expertise. Consultants might provide expert advice, external corroboration, or supplement organisational capacity.

Topics on which consultants might be used include: reviews of office structures and operations; interim cover or short-term capacity enhancement; REF advice or support; systems implementation; review of schemes.

With consultants being increasingly used, the selection, commissioning and management process is an important part of one’s skill set. The potential costs of failing to frame the work correctly can be significant in terms of both time and budget.

Making best use of external resources such as consultants requires planning and execution. We have observed that, as consultants, we are not always used as effectively as we might, whether as a consequence of a poor specification, or a lack of engagement or control.

Target group:

• Directors, Senior Managers and those that contract external consultants or organisations

Workshop duration:

• Attendees will be asked to share their experiences of engaging / using consultants in advance to inform planning
• Attendees will be asked after the event to provide views on who might benefit from the course in a fuller, in-person format

Learning outcomes:

The purpose of the workshop is to enable participants to

• Assess where the use of external resources can add value to the organisation and/or the individual.
• Design a consultancy assignment and draft terms of reference.
• Estimate the likely time and cost required to deliver the envisaged piece of work.
• Identify pitfalls and risks that an external engagement could entail and identify how to mitigate such risks.
• Select a suitable external organisation or individual consultants to deliver the work required including establishing review criteria for bids received.
• Manage external consultants efficiently and maximise the benefit of their input.
• Make use of the consultants’ outputs.