This document provides an overview of consulting as a profession and guidance for those seeking to work as consultants. It defines a consultant as a professional who provides expert advice in a specialized field. The document offers tips for consultants such as knowing your strengths and weaknesses, starting small, and always being a team player. It also outlines the typical structure and components of terms of reference, proposals, curricula vitae, and the importance of doing's and don'ts when consulting. The document provides examples of the content and structure that should be included in individual proposals, institutional proposals, financial proposals, and expressions of interest. It concludes with noting the difference between hard and soft skills for consultants.

1. The Art of Consulting…...
M. Katundu
Moshi Co-operative University
June, 2021

2. “If I can see further than others, it is
because I am standing on the
shoulders of the giants”-
Sir Isaac Newton

3. “Everyone lives by selling something”-
Robert Louis Stevenson
Qn: what do you sell?

4. Consultant is a professional who provides
expert advice in a specialized field.
Consultancy is the activity of giving expert
advice on a particular subject.

5. Becoming a Consultant
 Know your strength. What can I do best?
 Know your weaknesses. What can’t I do?
 Supplement your strength with the strength of
others. Who can help me minimize my
weaknesses?
 Start small. We are always told to think big, for
a beginner in consultancy “small is beautiful”.
 Always be a team player. African proverb, “if
you want to go fast go alone but if you want to
go far go together”.

6. Structure & Content of the ToR
 Background information
 Objectives of the assignment
 Scope of work
 Desired methodology
 Deliverables
 Qualification of a Consultant
 Roles and Responsibilities of Consultant & Client
 Proposal Evaluation Criteria
 Ethical Compliance
 Proposed time line
 Proposed structure of the proposals
 Snap shot of a contract
 Submission guidelines
 Deadline
 Name and Contact address of a client

7. do's and don'ts of consulting
Do’s
 Technical proposal should as much as possible reflect your expertise, not your
ignorance.
 Read the ToR critically. Understand the methodology proposed by the client
 Submit your proposals on time
 Know your competitors
 Know what the clients want
 Prepare very well for interviews
 Execute well your duties, “safari moja huanzisha nyingine (One trip starts the
other)”
 Involve the client and beneficiaries in executing the assignment (participatory
approach)
 Talk like an expert

8. don'ts
 Do not apply if you do not know very well the subject
matter
 Do not copy so many words from the ToR/website when
writing the proposals
 Do not over charge. Have a justification for costs of your
items
 Do not submit without editing your proposals
 Do not insert words/terminologies which you can’t explain
fully

9. How much should I charge for consultancy?
 Consultancy is the provision of expert services to an
organisation and the fees charged should reflect this.
They should cover the cost of staff time and the
background knowledge and expertise that will be
brought to the project.
 If you do not know how to price your services use
government circulars, e.g. that of civil servants
 Costs should be realistic

10. Content and Structure of abridged CV
 Abridged CV is a short description of your academic and
professional achievements
 It is normally written in one paragraph of not exceeding
350 words the shorter the better
 Start with your name and finish with memberships in other
professional organizations
 English ought to be attractive, use third person
 Bold the key achievements or italicize
 Is not a replacement for the long CV, every serious
consultant must have both an abridged and a long CV

11. Individual Work (15 minutes)
Individually prepare a competitive
abridged CV indicating your major
achievements

12. Content and Structure of Individual Proposal
 1.0 INTRODUCTION
 1.1 Background Information
 1.2 The Context and understanding of the Terms of References
 1.3 Comments on the Terms of References
 2.0 SCOPE OF THE WORK
 3.0 DELIVERABLES
 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
 5.0 WORK PLAN
 6.0 EXPERIENCE OF THE CONSULTING TEAM
 Similar Assignments executed by the consulting team
 Attach Long CVs of team members

13. Content and Structure of Institutional Proposal
 1.0INTRODUCTION
 1.1Background Information
 1.2The Context and understanding of the Terms of References
 1.3Comments on the Terms of References
 2.0SCOPE OF THE WORK
 3.0DELIVERABLES
 4.0DESCRIPTION OF APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
 5.0 WORK PLAN
 6.0EXPERIENCE OF THE CONSULTING ORGANIZATION
 Similar Assignments executed by the consulting Organization
 Attach Long CVs of team members

14. Content and Structure of Financial Proposal
Introduction
Insert the project cost here
Major Assumptions
Proposed Action Plan
Consultancy Fees
Proposed Payment Modalities

15. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
 1.0INTRODUCTION
 1.1Background Information
 1.2The Context and Understanding of the Assignment
 2. EXPERIENCE OF THE CONSULTING TEAM/ORGANIZATION
 Similar Assignments executed by the Consulting
Team/Organization
 3. Proposed Consultancy Team
 Attach Long CVs of team members

16. Group Work
In two groups prepare a
technical and financial proposal
to be submitted to Save the
Children Tanzania as per the
ToRs provided.

17. Others
Hard Skills vs Soft skills
Human interest story storytelling out of
project output

18. Thank you!