This document provides strategies for hiring and managing consultants for early childhood education programs. It begins by establishing that bringing in outside expertise can help with challenges and continuous quality improvement. It then discusses defining needs, planning, identifying the right expert, establishing clarity in agreements, empowering the consultant, providing access and involvement, respecting agreements, expecting collaboration, follow up, and referrals. The document provides a framework to lay the foundation, identify needs, plan appropriately, select the right consultant, develop clear agreements and expectations, collaborate effectively, and ensure knowledge transfer.

1. Value
For your program
Hiring and Managing
Consultants
Fran Simon, M.Ed.
Leadership Connections, 2018

2. A little about me…
B.A. & M.Ed
Early
Education
Child Care
Administrator
15 years
VP, Marketing &
Technology
Teaching
Strategies
Chief of Parent
Engagement
NACCRRA
Business
Consultant to
ECE NPOs &
Companies
Worked with
consultants
A consultant
and who hires
consultants
Early Care and Education

3. Assumptions:
You are here because you…
•need expertise not currently available in
your organization.
•are considering hiring a consultant. or
are working with one now.
•are a consultant looking for ideas to
help your clients use your services.

4. Let’s find out!
4

5. You are:
thinking of hiring a consultant.
working with a contractor, but
need ideas to improve the results.
a consultant who is curious.
just interested.

6. Agenda
• Lay the foundation.
• “Instant screening” with discussion
• 12 strategies (and details) from
planning through after the
engagement is complete
• Quick planning
• Questions and discussion throughout
• Reflections

7. Do it again?
7. Provide access
8. Stay involved
9. Respect agreement
10. Expect collaboration
11. Follow up
12. Refer
1. Empower yourself
2. Define Needs
3. Plan
4. Identify expert
5. Establish clarity
6. Contract
12 strategies

8. Empower yourself
Give yourself permission to not
know or be able to do
everything.

9. only

10. Your program has challenges. (All do.)

11. Bringing in outside expertise is about
Continuous Quality Improvement, not an
indication of failure

12. Your new mantra….
Select | Hire | Redirect | Manage| Collaborate | Fire
of yet another
person

13. Your Needs
Your program’s needs

14. When it comes to defining your needs for a
consultant, would you say you are:
confident about what my program
needs.
not sure I know what my program
needs.
don’t think my program needs
consultants.
just interested in what you have to
say.

15. https://mccormick-assets.floodlight.design/wpcontent/uploads/2018/03/WholeLeadership_Framework.pdf

16. Core competencies you need to lead ECE programs

17. Instant needs screening
Quickly identify, note, and discuss areas in which you
and your program might benefit from outside expertise
10 minutes
Activity

18. When you are ready to hire you
should know:
•Whyyou want to bring on a
consultant/contractor
•Whatexactly the consultant will do
•Andthe expected outcomes.

19. How do you know what your program
needs?
More importantly, what do you do with the information?

21. Prepare yourself and your
program for change

22. Change is hard,
BIG,
necessary, and
of course, inevitable.
bit.ly/TakingChargeChange

23. • Understand everyone responds differently to
change, and especially, consultants.
• Be sensitive to individual reactions to the impending
changes and a new person in their environment.
• Ensure everyone in your program is aware of:
• Why you engaged consultant/contractor
• What exactly the consultant will do.
• The expected outcomes.
• Their role in the engagement (if any.)
Setting the stage within your
program

24. The 5 C’s for preparing to work with
consultants

25. Find the right
time to
engage

26. Define your vision
For your engagement

27. Assign a primary contact

28. KEEP CALM
AND
PLAN FOR THE
COST

29. Continuous improvement requires self-sufficiency.
Plan for transfer of
knowledge
or the
investment
will be
wasted.

30. 10 minutes
Activity

31. Identify the right consultant
Think out of the local-
area box.

32. Consultants have
specialties, just like
doctors.
Pick the right
specialist

33. • Conferences | Programs | Online
• Articles | Books
• Ask colleagues
• ECE Associations
• NAEYC’s Hello
• LinkedIn (posts and profiles)
• Early Childhood Consultants Directory

34. • Interview
• Check references
• Ask for work samples
• Research online
• Include other in the selection process

35. Get a detailed
proposal
✓ Be clear in SOW
✓ Expect clarity in
proposal

36. Enter into a contract

37. Develop a coherent and
comprehensive Statement of
Work

38. Determine the agreement type
Project
Retainer
Hourly
Augmented
Commission

39. Plan for an iterative process
Deliverables
and
milestones

40. Provide access

41. YOU play a huge role
BE

42. Expect internal cooperation

43. 10.
• Time
• Terms
• Scope of agreement
• Timeline
• Need for access
• Need for Collaboration
• Relationships
Your contractor’s:

44. Follow through, evaluate, follow up
11.

45. 12.
& recommend!

46. Resources
Strategic Use of Consultants: A Guide for Head Start and Early Head Start
Leaders, ECLKC, Head Start
Non-Profit Consultants: How to Choose them, How to Use Them, First5LA
Sample Request for Proposal (RFP), the Denver Foundation
Sample Interview Questions for Consultants, the Denver Foundation
How to Use Consultants, Lean Systems Institute
When to Use Consultants—and When Not to Bother, National Federation
of Independent Business (NFIB)
NFIB Archived Webinars
Why hire a consultant? The Denver Foundation

47. Questions?

49. Start today!
ECEexperts.com |FREE to search and connect

50. Thank you
Fran Simon. M.Ed.
Engagement Strategies
Fran@EngageStrat.com
EngageStrat.com
ECEwebinars.com ECEexperts.com