So You Think You Can Consult?
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Evaluation Consulting Round-Up
Part 1
“New Directions for Evaluation” is one of the American Evaluation Association’s (AEA) academic journals, and they publish articles on cutting-edge issues in the evaluation world. Recently, they released a special issue where all the articles focused on being an independent evaluation consultant. Being a great evaluator doesn’t automatically make you a great evaluation consultant, which is why they dedicated an entire volume to this topic.
These papers are chock full of information, but many people can’t access it because it's behind a paywall (unless you’re lucky enough to be affiliated with a university). Which is why I decided to do a round-up of the major things I’ve learned from the issue!
Check out the other articles in this series:
Part 1 - non-evaluation skills you need to be a good evaluation consultant.
Part 2 - managing your consulting business.
Part 3 - maximizing productivity with business processes.
Part 4 - branding and marketing.
The Perks of Being a Consultant
First up is “Succeeding as an Independent Evaluation Consultant: Requisite Skills and Attributes” by Amy Germuth.
People are drawn to the field of independent consulting for many reasons, but the most commonly cited benefits of being a consultant are that you get to:
See the real-world impact of your work
Enhance your professional life
Align your values with your clients
Build the team you want
Be your own boss
Choose how much you work
Choose who you work with
Choose where you work
Learn from diverse clients
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and lattes - consulting has some drawbacks, including unpredictable workloads and cash flow, difficulty finding work, and the time and effort it takes to manage a business. One evaluator put it this way:
“Being an independent evaluation consultant is great! You get to work wherever and whenever you want for whomever you choose—it’s the best 75‐hour work‐week you’ll ever work!”
Skills of Successful Consultants
Like I said, being a great evaluator doesn’t necessarily make you a great evaluation consultant – you need to do all the things a professional evaluators does, while also operating a business, finding work, and marketing your brand. Here’s a checklist of the skills you will need as an evaluation consultant (that you were never taught as an evaluator):
□ Marketing
Get yourself out there: network, advertise, blog, speak, publish
Remember: repeat clients, word of mouth, and personal referrals are super important in the consulting world, too
An important part of finding work
Don’t assume “if you build it, they will come.” You need to be proactive
You need to reach the “economic buyer” (the person who can decide whether to hire you or not)
□ Business Management
Predicting workflows
Managing finances when work fluctuates
Budgeting conservatively
Deciding when to hire staff
Deciding where to invest profits
Deciding when to close
Tip: It can be helpful to work with an accountant or bookkeeper to help with all this
Common mistakes to avoid:
Overestimating future sales
Overspending during start-up
Being passive about past-due receivables
Not using a cash flow budget
Not ensuring large enough cash cushion for when times are lean
Here are some extra trips about Project Management for Evaluators.
□ Organization
Learn to prioritize commitments
Make schedules
Minimize interruptions
Streamline tasks
Ensure staff use time effectively
Leave little to chance: Clearly define staff expectations and responsibilities in writing
□ Time Management
Track your time and analyze how much you spend on different activities
e.g. tasks that repeat vs. those that do not, paid vs. unpaid tasks
This data can be used to streamline repeated or unpaid tasks, and better estimate future timelines and project budgets
Calendly is a great tool for saving you some time!
□ Networking
Ask your clients for names of people who might need your services, or to recommend you to their colleagues
Network with other evaluators as collaborators, not competitors
Use your contacts to increase business opportunities, enhance your knowledge, and expand your sphere of influence
Watch for formal (e.g., business meetings) and informal opportunities to network
Personal qualities of successful consultants
Those were some of the more tangible skills consultants need, but there is a slew of other “soft” skills and personal attributes that contribute to your success as an evaluation consultant. You are:
Willing to take calculated risks
Self-confident
Sociable (find the extrovert in you!)
Flexible yet disciplined
A problem-solver
Able to manage work-life balance
Persistent
An active listener and anticipating client needs
Next in my round-up of the special issue on evaluation consulting goes more in depth on one of the key skills consultants need: business management.
Source:
Germuth, Amy A. “Succeeding as an Independent Evaluation Consultant: Requisite Skills and Attributes.” New Directions for Evaluation 2019, no. 164 (2019): 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1002/ev.20386.