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