This document discusses considerations for First Nations communities in choosing and contracting consultants. It outlines both the pros and cons of hiring consultants, as well as risks to be aware of. Key steps are scoping the project needs carefully before procurement, and drafting a clear request for proposals. Important factors in selecting a consultant include establishing evaluation criteria, weighting criteria based on priority, and creating a contract that outlines deliverables, payment schedule, budget and timeline. The document recommends First Nations seek assistance from other communities or organizations when going through the challenging process of finding and contracting a consultant.

1. Choosing & Contracting
Consultants
A Procurement Guide For First Nations
Brenda Ireland, ICAB

2. Is a Consultant Really Needed?
• ‘Right’ consultant beneficial
• Managed properly
• Not always perfect
• Risks, pros and cons

3. Contracting a consultant - Pros
Short term, focused
Quick recruitment
Knowledge transfer & capacity
development
Tailored skills for specific initiative
New ideas

4. Contracting a consultant - Cons
Difficult find fit with community
Difficult determine fair market value
Management = strain overworked staff
Can be unpopular with staff &
community
Monitoring contractual obligations = time
consuming/costly

5. Contracting a consultant - Risks
Negate contract obligations = legal
wrangling, unfulfilled contract, delivery of poor
outcomes
Undelivered contract = difficult with funding /
disappointed community
Badly drafted contract = lacks enforcement
Contract process seen biased and unfair
Budget and time over-runs
End product less that expected

6. How to Know if a Consultant is
Really Needed?
First step = define project’s goals/
objectives
Scoping
• Know exactly what community needs
• Know exactly what project needs
• Prepare to evaluate/reject unsolicited
offers

7. Scoping Project Checklist
Objectives/goals
Need for project
Resources
Human
Financial
Time
Work plan / Time frame
How work will get done
Deliverables (products)
Roles & Responsibilities
Qualifications
Procurement Approach

8. Scoping ??? But I don’t have time!
Options
Engage others
Contract consultant
Be cautious
ineligible to bid on contract
Ensure contract clarity
RFP – include scoping

9. How to Select a Consultant
Procurement Policy
RFQ
Gathers info
Short list potential bidders
RFP
Clear
Draft and bounce
Choose right person to lead procurement
Understand project scope/value
Able to assess bids
Pull together/educate Selection Committee

10. Factors in Procurement Process
Fairness
Bidders know proposal considered
Follow Through
Communicate outcome
Transparency
Same info in bidding process

11. Considering community businesses
Procurement Policy
Objectivity
 external verification project costs
 minimize concerns about favouritism

12. How to Evaluate Proposals/choose consultant
Establish evaluation criteria
Depend on project/community
‘Score’ or ‘rank’ proposals vs criteria
Criteria
Complicated project = more criteria
Create chart or matrix

13. Criteria
Proposed Concept
Methodology
Deliverables
Cost
Timeline
Experience
Qualifications
Capacity Building
Score
Consultant A Consultant B Consultant C
4
3.5
2

14. Criteria Priority Matrix
Some criteria may be more
important than others
 Weigh criteria
Assign percentages

15. Criteria Priority
Percentage
Proposed Concept
10%
Deliverables and Methodology
15%
Cost
30%
Qualifications and Experience
30%
Capacity Building
15%
Total
100%

16. What Should the Contract Include?
Can be time consuming
Proposal work plan
Elements of funding proposal
Clear, concise, no room for
interpretation

17. Elements to Include
DELIVERABLES
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
KEY TASKS
BUDGET
TIMELINE
ENFORCEMENT
LEGAL ASPECTS
OTHERS ????

18. Finding consultant particular
challenge for FN who are
stretched to the limit at the best
of times:
Seek assistance:
• Reach out to other First Nations
• AANDC
• FN Organizations –
ICAB, CANDO, AFOA
• Bullies make horrid consultants