3- Define your criteria and your budget –

The first step is to build a set of criteria. Start with the dimensions you had defined in the RFP and add the elements that may not be included in the RFP, such as price, cultural fit, intimacy, etc. Once you have agreed on the dimensions, start prioritizing them.

4- What value do you expect from the project?

You should agree on how much value you expect from the project, and therefore, how much you are willing to pay. The price is a major parameter in your choice. You should always make sure that your project has a positive value for money.

In that part of the process, we recommend working with the different stakeholders to get the buy-in and prepare the start of the project with a compromise.

5- Ask for a presentation –

It is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to assess the chemistry between a given Consultant and your teams on paper. When you invite Consulting Firms to pitch their proposals, you get the opportunity to sense the human element in their approach.

During the presentations, you will need to keep several points in mind:

• Challenge the core proposal,

• Make sure the team on the field has the right expertise,

• Understand the pricing,

• Assess the chemistry with your teams.

After the presentation, give the Consultants several days to revise their proposals. If you haven’t done it already, now is the right time to check the references of the Consulting Firm and the partners in charge.

6- Make your final decision –

Go back to your list of criteria with the order of priorities. Allocate a weight to each criterion, and start grading each proposal on the different dimensions. Once you are done, you can calculate an overall score.

7- Get the Stakeholders on board –

Last but not least, try to build a consensus score with the main stakeholders. Sourcing a Consulting Provider is just one requisite in the success of your project. Another requisite is to get the buy-in of the stakeholders. When building the consensus around the choice of the Consulting Firm, you are working to ease the way forward for the project and the Consulting team.

We hope that when you follow the above methods meticulously you will easily launch and execute a winning project that will deliver above the scope you set out initially.

Phil Jackson, whom we quoted, builds powerful teams that complete one another’s strengths. They win championships, and they break records. They deliver and overdeliver. Be like Phil. And have the confidence and the drive to make your next project the best one yet.